# Is "The A.B.C. Murders" by Agatha Christie a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The A.B.C. Murders by Agatha Christie (William Collins Sons / Crime Club, 1936) is identified by: UK Collins Crime Club first edition, published 6 January 1936, retailing at the printed price, orange cloth, first-issue jacket priced the printed price. The UK Collins edition (6 January 1936) precedes the US Dodd, Mead edition (February 1936).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- UK Collins Crime Club first edition, published 6 January 1936, retailing at the printed price, orange cloth, first-issue jacket priced the printed price
- The copyright/printing statement should show no later-impression note
- Publisher imprint reads William Collins Sons / Crime Club
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Agatha Christie |
| Publisher | William Collins Sons / Crime Club |
| Year | 1936 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | UK Collins Crime Club first edition, published 6 January 1936, retailing at the printed price, orange cloth, first-issue jacket priced the… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
UK Collins Crime Club first edition, published 6 January 1936, retailing at the printed price, orange cloth, first-issue jacket priced the printed price. The copyright/printing statement should show no later-impression note.

## Is this the true first?
The UK Collins edition (6 January 1936) precedes the US Dodd, Mead edition (February 1936). The UK is the true first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later reprints reset the title page. Book-club copies lack the original printed price and use cheaper cloth. Note that the original record's aside about an 'Alphabet Murders' title is unreliable: that title belongs to a later film tie-in, not a standard US first-printing variant, and should not be used as an identification point.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The A.B.C. Murders* by Agatha Christie a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-abc-murders
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-04.