# Is "Death in Ecstasy" by Ngaio Marsh a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Death in Ecstasy by Ngaio Marsh (Geoffrey Bles, 1936) is identified by: UK Geoffrey Bles, London, 1936. The UK Geoffrey Bles edition is the true first, preceding the US Sheridan/Furman edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- UK Geoffrey Bles, London, 1936
- Fourth Roderick Alleyn novel, with a floorplan frontispiece
- Bound in red cloth; the first issue is lettered in white on the spine and front board with a white publisher's bird-and-wreath emblem on the spine, whereas a later issue of the first edition is lettered in black
- The dust jacket should retain its printed price
- Publisher imprint reads Geoffrey Bles
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Ngaio Marsh |
| Publisher | Geoffrey Bles |
| Year | 1936 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | UK Geoffrey Bles, London, 1936 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
UK Geoffrey Bles, London, 1936. Fourth Roderick Alleyn novel, with a floorplan frontispiece. Bound in red cloth; the first issue is lettered in white on the spine and front board with a white publisher's bird-and-wreath emblem on the spine, whereas a later issue of the first edition is lettered in black. The dust jacket should retain its printed price.

## Is this the true first?
The UK Geoffrey Bles edition is the true first, preceding the US Sheridan/Furman edition. Within the first edition, the white-lettered binding with white bird-and-wreath emblem is the earlier (first-issue) state; the black-lettered binding is the later issue.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later reprints and book-club editions follow the 1936 first; the black-lettered binding is a later issue of the first edition rather than a separate club printing, so binding lettering must be checked alongside the imprint.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Death in Ecstasy* by Ngaio Marsh a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/death-in-ecstasy
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.