# Is "The Secret of Chimneys" by Agatha Christie a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Secret of Chimneys by Agatha Christie (The Bodley Head, 1925) is identified by: First published in the UK by The Bodley Head, June 1925; US Dodd, Mead followed later the same year. UK Bodley Head precedes the US Dodd, Mead edition; both dated 1925.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First published in the UK by The Bodley Head, June 1925
- US Dodd, Mead followed later the same year
- Features Superintendent Battle (his debut appearance)
- Publisher imprint reads The Bodley Head
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Agatha Christie |
| Publisher | The Bodley Head |
| Year | 1925 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First published in the UK by The Bodley Head, June 1925 |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First published in the UK by The Bodley Head, June 1925; US Dodd, Mead followed later the same year. Features Superintendent Battle (his debut appearance).

## Is this the true first?
UK Bodley Head precedes the US Dodd, Mead edition; both dated 1925.

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

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Secret of Chimneys* by Agatha Christie a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-secret-of-chimneys
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.