# Is "The Tiger in the Smoke" by Margery Allingham a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Tiger in the Smoke by Margery Allingham (Chatto & Windus, 1952) is identified by: London: Chatto & Windus, 1952; publisher's red cloth, 272 pp, with the dust jacket designed by Philip 'Pip' Youngman Carter, Allingham's husband. UK Chatto & Windus 1952 is the collected true first; the first American edition (New York: Doubleday, 1952, black cloth) appeared the same year.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- London: Chatto & Windus, 1952; publisher's red cloth, 272 pp, with the dust jacket designed by Philip 'Pip' Youngman Carter, Allingham's husband
- Chatto & Windus placed no first-edition statement on firsts but noted subsequent printings on the verso, so the first printing carries no impression statement; a first-issue jacket is unclipped with the price present at the flap
- Publisher imprint reads Chatto & Windus
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Margery Allingham |
| Publisher | Chatto & Windus |
| Year | 1952 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | London: Chatto & Windus, 1952; publisher's red cloth, 272 pp, with the dust jacket designed by Philip 'Pip' Youngman Carter, Allingham's… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
London: Chatto & Windus, 1952; publisher's red cloth, 272 pp, with the dust jacket designed by Philip 'Pip' Youngman Carter, Allingham's husband. Chatto & Windus placed no first-edition statement on firsts but noted subsequent printings on the verso, so the first printing carries no impression statement; a first-issue jacket is unclipped with the price present at the flap.

## Is this the true first?
UK Chatto & Windus 1952 is the collected true first; the first American edition (New York: Doubleday, 1952, black cloth) appeared the same year. Both are collected, with London taking precedence for this, the most celebrated Campion novel.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later Chatto impressions add an impression note to the copyright page; US Doubleday firsts state 'first edition' on the copyright page, and its absence marks a later printing.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Tiger in the Smoke* by Margery Allingham a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-tiger-in-the-smoke
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.