# Is "The Moving Finger" by Agatha Christie a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Moving Finger by Agatha Christie (Dodd, Mead and Company, 1942) is identified by: The chronological first is the US edition (Dodd, Mead, July 1942), preceding the UK Collins Crime Club edition (June 1943). The chronologically first edition is US Dodd, Mead (July 1942), preceding UK Collins (June 1943).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The chronological first is the US edition (Dodd, Mead, July 1942), preceding the UK Collins Crime Club edition (June 1943)
- Important textual caveat: the US Dodd, Mead printing is abridged, with roughly 9,000 words cut (including the opening of Chapter 1); the complete text first appeared only in the UK Collins edition
- Collectors of the full text therefore may prefer the UK first even though the US issue is chronologically earlier
- Miss Marple
- Publisher imprint reads Dodd, Mead and Company
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Agatha Christie |
| Publisher | Dodd, Mead and Company |
| Year | 1942 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | The chronological first is the US edition (Dodd, Mead, July 1942), preceding the UK… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
The chronological first is the US edition (Dodd, Mead, July 1942), preceding the UK Collins Crime Club edition (June 1943). Important textual caveat: the US Dodd, Mead printing is abridged, with roughly 9,000 words cut (including the opening of Chapter 1); the complete text first appeared only in the UK Collins edition. Collectors of the full text therefore may prefer the UK first even though the US issue is chronologically earlier. Miss Marple.

## Is this the true first?
The chronologically first edition is US Dodd, Mead (July 1942), preceding UK Collins (June 1943). Note the US text is abridged; the UK Collins edition carries Christie's complete text.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings and reprints follow the first editions.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Moving Finger* by Agatha Christie a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-moving-finger
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.