"A book should serve as the axe for the frozen sea within us."
— Franz Kafka
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
Sparkling Cyanide.
London: For the Crime Club by Collins, 1945. [Mystery] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.160. Publisher's orange cloth with titles in black to spine. Illustrated dust-jacket priced at 8s.6d. Contents clean, ink name/date to endpaper, jacket rather used; chipped to extremities, larger loss at foot of spine. "A year..... More
Sparkling Cyanide.
London: Collins Crime Club, 1945. [Mystery] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.160. Elegantly hand-bound in half red crushed oasis morocco over cloth sides, spine gilt-lettered in six compartments with traditional raised bands, sewn endbands. Contents clean, exterior as new. An excellent copy in a striking recent leather binding. "A..... More
Sparkling Cyanide.
London: Collins Crime Club, 1945. [Mystery] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.160. Elegantly hand-bound in half black calf over burgundy cloth sides, spine gilt-lettered in six compartments with traditional raised bands, sewn endbands. Contents clean, edges slightly dusty, exterior as new. An excellent copy in a striking recent leather..... More
Sparkling Cyanide.
London: For the Crime Club by Collins, 1945. [Mystery] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.160. Publisher's orange cloth with titles in black to spine. Illustrated dust-jacket priced at 8s.6d. Contents clean, no inscriptions, jacket is rather used showing several chips and tears, creases to extremities, rubs to spine and..... More
Sparkling Cyanide.
London: For the Crime Club by Collins, 1945. [Mystery] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.160. Publisher's orange cloth with titles in black to spine. Illustrated dust-jacket priced at 8s.6d. Contents clean and fresh, no inscriptions, jacket is quite presentable with a few chips neatly filled in, very little rubbing..... More
Taken at the Flood.
London: For The Crime Club by Collins, 1948. [Detective Fiction] FIRST EDITION, first impression. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.192. Publisher's orange hardback cloth binding, blocked to spine in black, illustrated dust-wrapper priced at 8/6. No inscriptions, contents clean, some spotting to edges, jacket with some nicks and tears plus some..... More
Taken at the Flood.
London: For The Crime Club by Collins, 1948. [Detective Fiction] FIRST AUSTRALIAN EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.192; [2], blank. Publisher's orange hardback cloth binding, blocked to spine in black, illustrated dust-wrapper. A clean, fine copy. Virtually as new. A remarkable survival. Set in post-war Britain, in which euphoria has..... More
Taken at the Flood.
London: For The Crime Club by Collins, 1948. [Detective Fiction] FIRST EDITION, first impression. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.192. Publisher's orange hardback cloth binding, blocked to spine in black, illustrated dust-jacket priced at 8/6. Contents clean, gift note in ink to endpaper, jacket with a few small nicks to spine..... More
Taken at the Flood.
London: For The Crime Club by Collins, 1948. [Detective Fiction] FIRST EDITION, first impression. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.192. Publisher's orange hardback cloth binding, blocked to spine in black, illustrated dust-jacket. Contents and edges of text block are clean and fresh, no inscriptions, cloth remains a rich red, jacket with..... More
![Item #75654 Ten Little N... [And Then There Were None]. Agatha CHRISTIE, Dame](https://harringtonbooks-co-uk.cdn.bibliopolis.com/pictures/75654.jpg?width=320&height=427&fit=bounds&auto=webp&v=1783441565)
Ten Little N... [And Then There Were None].
London: The Crime Club by Collins, 1939. [Mystery] FIRST EDITION, first impression, dated '1939' on copyright page as called for. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp. 252; [2]; advertisements for Hercule Poirot's Christmas and Appointment with Death. Publishers' orange cloth with black titles to backstrip. Contents clean and fresh, no ink..... More
They Came to Baghdad.
London: Published for the Crime Club by Collins, 1951. [Crime fiction] LEATHER BOUND FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.256. Hand-bound in deep red half calf over marbled sides, spine ruled in six compartments with raised bands, lettered in gilt. Contents clean, some uniform toning to edges of text block..... More
They Came to Baghdad.
London: Published for the Crime Club by Collins, 1951. [Crime fiction] FIRST EDITION, first impression. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.256. Publisher's orange cloth with titles and imprint in black to spine. Typographic dust-jacket, priced at 8/6. Contents clean, ink name to endpaper, jacket rather used; chips and tears to extremities..... More
They Came to Baghdad.
London: Published for the Crime Club by Collins, 1951. [Crime fiction] FIRST EDITION, first impression. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.256. Publisher's orange cloth with titles and imprint in black to spine. Typographic dust-jacket. Contents clean, no inscriptions, edges of text block a little tanned, jacket is presentable with a few..... More
They Do it With Mirrors.
London: The Crime Club by Collins, 1952. [Crime Fiction] FIRST EDITION, first impression. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.192. Publisher's orange cloth with black titles to spine. With the dust-jacket illustrated by Farnhill priced 10/6. No ink names. Edges toned/spotted, jacket with several chips and tears along top edge, also chipped..... More
They Do it With Mirrors.
London: The Crime Club, Collins, 1952. [Crime Fiction] FIRST EDITION, First Impression. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.192. Publisher's orange cloth with black titles to spine. With the dust-jacket illustrated by Farnhill priced 10/6. Internally clean but for an ownership inscription in blue ink to front flyleaf. Gentle sunning to cloth..... More
Third Girl.
London: The Crime Club, Collins, 1966. [Murder mystery] FIRST EDITION, first impression. Octavo (21 x 14cm), pp.255 [1]. Publisher's patterned red cloth with gilt titles to spine. With the dust-jacket designed by Kenneth Farnhill, priced at 18s. One small ink mark to front pastedown under flap. Moderate spotting to edges..... More
Third Girl.
London: The Crime Club, Collins, 1966. [Murder mystery] LEATHER-BOUND FIRST EDITION, first impression. Octavo (21 x 14cm), pp.255 [1]. Recently re-bound in green half calf, with raised bands, gilt titles to spine, and matching cloth over boards. With the original spine bound in at rear. Some spotting to edges and..... More
Third Girl.
London: The Crime Club, Collins, 1966. [Murder mystery] LEATHER-BOUND FIRST EDITION, first impression. Octavo (21 x 14cm), pp.255 [1]. Elegantly bound in burgundy half calf, with raised bands, gilt titles to spine, marbled paper-covered boards. With the original spine and jacket bound in at rear. Contents clean, edges a little..... More
Third Girl.
London: The Crime Club, Collins, 1966. [Murder mystery] FIRST EDITION, first impression. Octavo (21 x 14cm), pp.255 [1]. Publisher's patterned red cloth with gilt titles to spine. With the dust-jacket designed by Kenneth Farnhill, priced at 18s. Page edges toned, ink name 'M.Stevenson' to endpaper, jacket toned to extremities, a...... More
Third Girl.
London: The Crime Club, Collins, 1966. [Murder mystery] LEATHER-BOUND FIRST EDITION, first impression. Octavo (21 x 14cm), pp.255 [1]. Elegantly hand bound in green half morocco, with raised bands, gilt titles to red leather title labels, marbled paper-covered boards. With the original spine preserved at rear. Contents clean, edges a...... More
Third Girl.
London: The Crime Club, Collins, 1966. [Murder mystery] FIRST EDITION, first impression. Octavo (21 x 14cm), pp.255 [1]. Publisher's patterned red cloth with gilt titles to spine. With the dust-jacket designed by Kenneth Farnhill, priced at 18s. A little spotting to the top edge, otherwise a crisp, clean copy, showing..... More
The Thirteen Problems.
London: BCA by arrangement with HarperCollinsPublishers, 2006. [Crime Mysteries] FACSIMILE EDITION, second impression thus. Octavo (21 x 14cm), pp.250 [6]. Publisher's black cloth with gilt titles to spine. With the green dust-jacket, not priced. A little toned to edges, otherwise a clean, fine copy. Miss Marple returns for a second..... More
The Thirteen Problems.
London: Collins, Published for The Crime Club, 1932. [Crime Mysteries] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (190 x 130cm), pp.250; [6], adverts. Bound in the publisher's black cloth, with titles and 'The Crime Club' imprint blocked to the spine. A variant Collins binding in black cloth, usually found in orange cloth blocked in..... More
![Item #72060 [Thirteen] 13 For Luck! A Selection of Mystery Stories. Agatha CHRISTIE, Dame](https://harringtonbooks-co-uk.cdn.bibliopolis.com/pictures/72060.jpg?width=320&height=427&fit=bounds&auto=webp&v=1747844865)
[Thirteen] 13 For Luck! A Selection of Mystery Stories.
London: Collins, 1966. [Crime Fiction] FIRST EDITION THUS, an anthology. Octavo (21 x 14cm), pp.224. Publisher's light blue cloth with silver titles to spine. With the Kenneth Farnhill designed dust-jacket titled in orange and grey, priced at 15s. Crisp and clean internally, with some very light spotting to top edge..... More
![Item #73534 [Thirteen] 13 For Luck! A Selection of Mystery Stories. Agatha CHRISTIE, Dame](https://harringtonbooks-co-uk.cdn.bibliopolis.com/pictures/73534.jpg?width=320&height=427&fit=bounds&auto=webp&v=1762191525)
[Thirteen] 13 For Luck! A Selection of Mystery Stories.
London: Collins, 1966. [Crime literature] LEATHER-BOUND FIRST EDITION. Octavo (21 x 14cm), pp.223 [1]. Recent red half-calf, red buckram over boards. Gilt titles and raised bands to spine. Original cloth spine bound in at rear. Internally clean with the faintest bit of spotting here and there. Binding fresh and crisp..... More