"Always read something that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it."
— P.J. O'Rourke
Agatha Christie | First Editions
1890 - 1976
Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, DBE (née Miller; 15 September 1890 – 12 January 1976) was an English crime novelist, short story writer and playwright. She also wrote six romances under the name Mary Westmacott; however, Christie is best known for the 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections that she wrote under her own name, most of which revolve around the investigative work of such characters as Hercule Poirot, Jane Marple, Parker Pyne, Ariadne Oliver, Harley Quin/Mr Satterthwaite and Tommy and Tuppence Beresford. Christie also wrote the world's longest-running play, a murder mystery entitled The Mousetrap. In 1971, she was made a Dame for her immense contribution to literature.
Christie was initially unsuccessful in getting her work published, but in 1920 The Bodley Head press published her novel The Mysterious Affair at Styles, featuring the character of Hercule Poirot. This launched her literary career. Today, the Guinness Book of World Records lists Christie as the best-selling novelist of all time. Her novels have sold roughly 2 billion copies worldwide, and her estate claims that her works come third in the rankings of the world's most-widely published books (behind Shakespeare's works and the Bible). Christie remains the world's most-translated individual author – having been translated into at least 103 languages. And Then There Were None is Christie's best-selling novel, with 100 million sales to date, making it the world's best-selling mystery ever. Nearly all of Christie's books and short stories have been adapted for television, radio, video games and comics, and more than thirty feature films have been based on her work.
See below our stock of Agatha Christie First Editions, fine bindings, sets, and signed copies.
Agatha Christie
The Second Crime Club Omnibus: Murder at the Vicarage, The Wedding Chest Mystery, Murder At The Pageant and Tragedy on the Line.
London: for The Crime Club Limited by William Collins 1932. FIRST EDITION thus. Collecting these four early Crime Club titles including the first ever Miss Marple novel. The individual books are all exceptionally scarce in dust-jacket. Thick 8vo, pp.1014. Publisher's hardback orange cloth binding, blocked in black, in the fragile...
![Witness for the Prosecution [in] Summer Pie Magazine. Agatha CHRISTIE, Dame.](/pictures/thumb/51041.jpg?v=1530718970)
Witness for the Prosecution [in] Summer Pie Magazine.
London: Odhams Press, 1939. [Short Stories]. EARLY MAGAZINE APPEARANCE. A4 magazine (29 x 22cm), pp.100. Illustrated throughout in photogravure, with illustrations for the Christie story by Jack Faulks. Publisher's colour-illustrated paper covers, stapled to spine. Light browning to edges. Staples oxidising; some rubbing to edges and spine. Very good. First...
4.50 From Paddington.
London: Collins for the Crime Club, 1957. [Crime Fiction] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.256. Publisher's red cloth with black titles to spine. With the illustrated dust-jacket. Some offset toning to first and last leaves. Price-clipped jacket sunned to spine, small chip to foot of front panel. A crisp...
The ABC Murders.
New York, NY: Dodd, Mead and Company, 1936. [Murder mystery] FIRST U.S. EDITION. Octavo (20 x 15cm) pp.[x]; 306; [4], blank. Publisher's lemon yellow blue cloth blocked in dark green, top edge yellow, fore-edge untrimmed, illustrated dust-wrapper. A fine copy of the book in a near fine price-clipped jacket, with...
Akhnaton.
London: Collins, 1973. [Play] PROOF COPY. Octavo (20 x 14cm), pp.157; [1]. Publisher's mottled red paper wraps, pictorial dust-jacket designed by Andrew Vargo priced at £1.80 net. A scarce proof copy sent out in advance of the first edition. Dust-jacket very slightly creased and rubbed to top and bottom edges. Fine.
![Appointment with Death [Hercule Poirot]. Agatha CHRISTIE, Dame.](/pictures/thumb/52966.jpg?v=1553696078)
Appointment with Death [Hercule Poirot].
London: For The Crime Club by Collins, 1938. [Detective fiction] FIRST EDITION, octavo (20 x 13cm), pp.252; [4], advertisements. Publisher's orange cloth, lettered in black to backstrip. Contents clean, a few minor spots to edges of text block, some inoffensive sunning to spine and extremities. A very good copy of...
Appointment with Death.
New York, NY: Dodd, Mead and Company, 1938. [Murder mystery] FIRST U.S. EDITION. Octavo (20 x 15cm) pp.[vi]; 301; [5], blank. Publisher's bright orange cloth blocked in black, fore-edge untrimmed, top edge red, illustrated dust-wrapper priced at $2.00. Some very light toning/browning to reverse side and some exquisite light repair;...
The Boomerang Clue.
New York, NY: Dodd, Mead and Company, 1935. [Murder mystery] FIRST U.S. EDITION. Octavo (20 x 15cm) pp.[viii]; 290; [1], adverts; [5], blank. Publisher's light grey cloth blocked in red, top edge bright red, fore-edge untrimmed, 'red badge detective' design endpapers, illustrated dust-wrapper priced at $2.00. A lovely fine copy...
Cards on the Table.
New York, NY: Dodd, Mead and Company, 1937. [Murder mystery] FIRST U.S. EDITION. Octavo (20 x 15cm) pp.[xii]; 262. Publisher's orange cloth blocked in black, fore-edge untrimmed, top edge orange, illustrated dust-wrapper priced at $2.00. Some shelfwear, top edge a little sunned, some discreet restoration to extremities, light soiling to...
A Caribbean Mystery.
London, Collins, The Crime Club. 1964. Advance Copy. 8vo. Publisher's blue marbled paper wraps, near fine save for a small triangle of loss to lower rear panel. Clean and fresh. Internally clean. Not to be confused with a proof copy which Collins issued for this title in red card wraps...
The Crime Collection. The Works include: Murder on the Orient Express, Evil Under the Sun, Death on the Nile, etc.
London: Paul Hamlyn, 1969. 24 volumes. Octavo (21 x 86 cm). Elegantly bound in half dark blue calf with raised bands, cloth boards, gilt decoration to spine. Internally clean, externally fine. The only major collection of Christie's novels to date, presented in an attractive recent leather binding. Known originally as...
Crooked House.
London: Published for The Crime Club by Collins, 1949. [Mystery novel] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (18 x 13cm), pp.252; [4] advertisements. Publisher's orange hardback cloth binding, blocked to spine in black, illustrated dust-wrapper priced at 8/6. A fine copy of the book in near fine price-clipped wrapper, with a little edgewear...
Dead Man's Folly (A Hercule Poirot mystery).
London: The Crime Club by Collins, 1956. [Detective Fiction] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.256. Elegantly hand-bound in half black calf over matching cloth sides, spine gilt-lettered in six compartments with raised bands. A few small spots to foot of text block, exterior unmarked. A near fine copy in...
Death Comes as The End.
London: For The Crime Club by Collins, 1945. [Mystery] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.160. Publisher's orange cloth, black titles to spine, pictorial dust-jacket priced at 7/6. Neat ownership inscription to flyleaf. Some light spotting and toning to edges. Cloth slightly rubbed to extremities, endcaps slightly rolled. Dust-jacket shows...
Death Comes as The End.
London: For The Crime Club by Collins, 1945. [Mystery] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.160. Publisher's orange cloth, black titles to spine, pictorial dust-jacket priced at 7/6. Discreet dated initials to pastedown, edgeworn jacket has a few small chips, one longer closed tear to rear panel, some dustiness. Very...
Death in the Clouds.
London: Published for The Crime Club by Collins, 1935. [Mystery novel] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (18 x 13cm), pp.252; [4], advertisements. Hand-bound in half mid-green calf, spine gilt-lettered in six compartments with raised bands, matching green cloth sides. Contents clean, minor toning to edges of textblock, binding as new. A scarce...
Death On The Nile.
New York, NY: Dodd, Mead and Company. 1937. [Murder Mystery] FIRST U.S. EDITION. Octavo (20 x 15cm) pp.326; [2], blank. Publisher's russet cloth pictorially blocked in black, top edge blue, fore edge untrimmed, illustrated dust-wrapper priced at $2.00. Contents very clean, unfortunate scratch/dink to top edge, some fading to same...
Destination Unknown
Collins Crime Club, London 1954. [Espionage novel] UNCORRECTED ADVANCE PROOF of the first edition. Octavo, Publisher's wraps with printed label to upper. Some toning; very good, housed in a custom-made cloth case, titled in gilt to the spine. Scarce in this format. Secret Service thriller from the Queen of Crime;...
Destination Unknown.
London: The Crime Club, by Collins, 1954. [Spy novel] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.192. Publisher's cloth binding in dust-wrapper. An unpriced example for export with some trivial edgewear; a lovely fine copy. Secret Service thriller from the Queen of Crime; When a number of leading scientists disappear without...
Destination Unknown.
London: The Crime Club, by Collins, 1954. [Spy novel] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.192. Publisher's cloth binding in dust-wrapper priced at 10/6. Edges spotted, no inscriptions, some general wear and tear, spine toned, but no major defects; a very good copy. Secret Service thriller from the Queen of...
Easy to Kill.
New York, NY: Dodd, Mead and Company, 1939. [Detective Fiction] FIRST U.S. EDITION. Octavo (20 x 15cm) pp.[vi]; 248; [2], blank. Publisher's light blue cloth blocked in navy, fore-edge untrimmed, 'red badge detective' design endpapers, illustrated dust-wrapper by Cob, priced at $2.00. A lovely fine copy of the book in...
Elephants Can Remember. A Hercule Poirot Story.
London: The Crime Club, 1972. [Crime fiction] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (20 x 13cm), pp. 256; [2] blank. Green half calf binding over green cloth, raised bands and gilt titles to spine, front and rear dust-jacket panels bound in at rear. Internally clean and bright, exterior unmarked. A fine copy in...
Endless Night.
London: The Crime Club by Collins, 1967. [Thriller] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (20 x 13), pp.224. Elegantly hand-bound in half black calf over matching cloth sides, spine gilt-lettered in six compartments with raised bands. A few minor marks to fore-edge otherwise a fine copy in an attractive recent leather binding. A....
Evil Under The Sun.
New York, NY: Dodd, Mead and Company, 1941. [Murder Mystery] FIRST U.S. EDITION. Octavo (20 x 15cm) pp.[vi]; 260; [6], blank. Publisher's pale blue cloth heavily blocked in navy, top edge ochre, fore-edge untrimmed, illustrated dust-wrapper by Galdone. Contents clean, a little spotted to top edge, end leaves toned, minor...
The Hound of Death. And Other Stories.
London: Odhams Press Limited, 1933. [Strange Tales] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.247; [5], blank. Publisher's plum-coloured cloth with titles in gilt to spine, in suitable macabre wrapper. Some edge spotting, fugitive pigment of cloth with inevitable sunning to extremities, gilt dulled, jacket with a couple of small chips...