# Is "The Pale Horse" by Agatha Christie a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Pale Horse by Agatha Christie (William Collins, 1961) is identified by: UK Collins Crime Club first edition, published 6 November 1961, bound in the publisher's red cloth with the spine stamped in black. The UK Collins Crime Club edition (6 November 1961) is the true first, preceding the US Dodd, Mead edition of 1962.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- UK Collins Crime Club first edition, published 6 November 1961, bound in the publisher's red cloth with the spine stamped in black
- The first-issue dust jacket is predominantly black with a red horizontal-line design, lettered in white and blue, and carries the original printed price on the front flap
- Features Ariadne Oliver
- The US Dodd, Mead edition followed in 1962
- Publisher imprint reads William Collins
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Agatha Christie |
| Publisher | William Collins |
| Year | 1961 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | UK Collins Crime Club first edition, published 6 November 1961, bound in the publisher's red cloth with the spine stamped in black |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
UK Collins Crime Club first edition, published 6 November 1961, bound in the publisher's red cloth with the spine stamped in black. The first-issue dust jacket is predominantly black with a red horizontal-line design, lettered in white and blue, and carries the original printed price on the front flap. Features Ariadne Oliver. The US Dodd, Mead edition followed in 1962.

## Is this the true first?
The UK Collins Crime Club edition (6 November 1961) is the true first, preceding the US Dodd, Mead edition of 1962.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club issues are distinguished by the jacket: the front flap lacks the printed price and a Book Club Edition line appears at its foot. Later Collins printings carry later dates and printing statements and follow the true first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Pale Horse* by Agatha Christie a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-pale-horse
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.