# Is "When in Rome" by Ngaio Marsh a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of When in Rome by Ngaio Marsh (Collins, 1970) is identified by: Collins Crime Club, London, 1970. The UK Collins Crime Club 1970 printing is the true first, preceding the US Little, Brown edition of 1971.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Collins Crime Club, London, 1970
- First edition, first impression, with a single 1970 date on the copyright page and no statement of later printing
- Bound in the publisher's boards lettered in gilt on the spine, approximately 256 pages, in the original pictorial dust jacket which should carry its printed price on the flap (present rather than clipped is preferred; clipping does not affect edition identity)
- The twenty-sixth Roderick Alleyn novel
- Publisher imprint reads Collins
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Ngaio Marsh |
| Publisher | Collins |
| Year | 1970 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Collins Crime Club, London, 1970 |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
Collins Crime Club, London, 1970. First edition, first impression, with a single 1970 date on the copyright page and no statement of later printing. Bound in the publisher's boards lettered in gilt on the spine, approximately 256 pages, in the original pictorial dust jacket which should carry its printed price on the flap (present rather than clipped is preferred; clipping does not affect edition identity). The twenty-sixth Roderick Alleyn novel.

## Is this the true first?
The UK Collins Crime Club 1970 printing is the true first, preceding the US Little, Brown edition of 1971. Confirm the Collins Crime Club imprint and the single 1970 copyright date to identify the true first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The US Little, Brown edition is dated 1971 and carries a different imprint. Later printings state additional dates or an impression line on the copyright page and lack the original priced Collins jacket.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *When in Rome* by Ngaio Marsh a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/when-in-rome
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.