# Is "Three Act Tragedy (US: Murder in Three Acts)" by Agatha Christie a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Three Act Tragedy (US: Murder in Three Acts) by Agatha Christie (Dodd, Mead and Company, 1934) is identified by: US Dodd, Mead, New York, October 1934 as Murder in Three Acts PRECEDED the UK Collins Crime Club edition (January 1935) titled Three Act Tragedy. The true first is the US Dodd, Mead edition (October 1934, as Murder in Three Acts), preceding UK Collins (January 1935) - an exception to the usual UK-first rule.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- US Dodd, Mead, New York, October 1934 as Murder in Three Acts PRECEDED the UK Collins Crime Club edition (January 1935) titled Three Act Tragedy
- One of the rare cases where the US edition is the true first
- Features Hercule Poirot
- Note the two editions differ in the killer's stated motive
- Publisher imprint reads Dodd, Mead and Company
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Agatha Christie |
| Publisher | Dodd, Mead and Company |
| Year | 1934 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | US Dodd, Mead, New York, October 1934 as Murder in Three Acts PRECEDED the UK Collins… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
US Dodd, Mead, New York, October 1934 as Murder in Three Acts PRECEDED the UK Collins Crime Club edition (January 1935) titled Three Act Tragedy. One of the rare cases where the US edition is the true first. Features Hercule Poirot. Note the two editions differ in the killer's stated motive.

## Is this the true first?
The true first is the US Dodd, Mead edition (October 1934, as Murder in Three Acts), preceding UK Collins (January 1935) - an exception to the usual UK-first rule.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later reprints follow. Because US and UK differ textually in the murderer's motive, they are distinct issues, not mere reprints.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Three Act Tragedy (US: Murder in Three Acts)* by Agatha Christie a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/three-act-tragedy-us-murder-in-three-acts
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.