# Is "The Mysterious Affair at Styles" by Agatha Christie a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie (John Lane Company, 1920) is identified by: TRUE FIRST is the US John Lane Company (New York) edition, October 1920 — Christie's debut and the first Hercule Poirot novel — which PRECEDES the UK Bodley Head edition (21 January 1921). Major precedence point: the US John Lane edition (October 1920) precedes the UK Bodley Head / John Lane edition (21 January 1921).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- TRUE FIRST is the US John Lane Company (New York) edition, October 1920 — Christie's debut and the first Hercule Poirot novel — which PRECEDES the UK Bodley Head edition (21 January 1921)
- US first points: the title page carries the John Lane Company, New York imprint with the 1920 date (Roman numerals, MCMXX) and the copyright page states 1920; bound in pale brown cloth lettered in dark green on the upper cover and spine
- Original dust jackets are essentially unobtainable on either the US or UK first (a 'ghost' in the trade)
- Beware the later National Book Company printing (c
- 1922-23), which shows only 1920 on the copyright page with no title-page change
- Publisher imprint reads John Lane Company
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Agatha Christie |
| Publisher | John Lane Company |
| Year | 1920 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | TRUE FIRST is the US John Lane Company (New York) edition, October 1920 — Christie's debut and the first Hercule Poirot novel — which… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
TRUE FIRST is the US John Lane Company (New York) edition, October 1920 — Christie's debut and the first Hercule Poirot novel — which PRECEDES the UK Bodley Head edition (21 January 1921). US first points: the title page carries the John Lane Company, New York imprint with the 1920 date (Roman numerals, MCMXX) and the copyright page states 1920; bound in pale brown cloth lettered in dark green on the upper cover and spine. Original dust jackets are essentially unobtainable on either the US or UK first (a 'ghost' in the trade). Beware the later National Book Company printing (c. 1922-23), which shows only 1920 on the copyright page with no title-page change.

## Is this the true first?
Major precedence point: the US John Lane edition (October 1920) precedes the UK Bodley Head / John Lane edition (21 January 1921). The Canadian issue (Ryerson Press, Toronto, 1920) was printed from the US sheets and also precedes the London edition. Collectors prize the US 1920 as the true world first; the UK 1921 Bodley Head is a separate, highly valued collectible.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The UK 1921 Bodley Head is sometimes mis-described as 'the first' — distinguish by imprint, date, and country. The National Book Company reprint (c. 1922-23) retains the 1920 copyright date and is often offered as a first; verify the John Lane Company, New York title-page imprint. The Canadian Ryerson issue (1920) also precedes London.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Mysterious Affair at Styles* by Agatha Christie a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-mysterious-affair-at-styles
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.