# Is "The Secret of Chimneys" by Agatha Christie a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Secret of Chimneys by Agatha Christie (The Bodley Head, 1925) is identified by: First published in the UK by The Bodley Head (John Lane The Bodley Head Ltd), London, June 1925, at the printed price; US Dodd, Mead followed later the same year. UK Bodley Head precedes the US Dodd, Mead edition; both dated 1925.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First published in the UK by The Bodley Head (John Lane The Bodley Head Ltd), London, June 1925, at the printed price
- US Dodd, Mead followed later the same year
- Introduces Superintendent Battle in his debut appearance
- The UK first is bound in publisher's light blue cloth, lettered in black on the front and spine, with the top edge stained blue, and collates x, [2], 306, [2] pages
- The recognised first-issue point is the two pages of publisher's advertisements at the rear; on a first-state dust jacket the flaps carry not a specially written blurb but advertisements for five other Bodley Head Christie titles together with short review quotations, and the jacket retains its printed price
- This first printing was not reprinted; the cheaper 'popular' second edition appeared in 1927 at the printed price
- Publisher imprint reads The Bodley Head

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Agatha Christie |
| Publisher | The Bodley Head |
| Year | 1925 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First published in the UK by The Bodley Head (John Lane The Bodley Head Ltd), London, June 1925, at the printed price |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First published in the UK by The Bodley Head (John Lane The Bodley Head Ltd), London, June 1925, at the printed price; US Dodd, Mead followed later the same year. Introduces Superintendent Battle in his debut appearance. The UK first is bound in publisher's light blue cloth, lettered in black on the front and spine, with the top edge stained blue, and collates x, [2], 306, [2] pages. The recognised first-issue point is the two pages of publisher's advertisements at the rear; on a first-state dust jacket the flaps carry not a specially written blurb but advertisements for five other Bodley Head Christie titles together with short review quotations, and the jacket retains its printed price. This first printing was not reprinted; the cheaper 'popular' second edition appeared in 1927 at the printed price.

## Is this the true first?
UK Bodley Head precedes the US Dodd, Mead edition; both dated 1925. This was the last title under Christie's original six-book Bodley Head contract.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later reprints follow the first edition. Note the 1927 Bodley Head 'popular' edition and the US Dodd, Mead printing are distinct from the June 1925 Bodley Head first with its two rear advert leaves and blue top-stain.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Secret of Chimneys* by Agatha Christie a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-secret-of-chimneys
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.