Agatha Christie Special Editions Hardbacks
Agatha Christie Special Edition Hardbacks
Introduction
Review
HarperCollins first ‘officially’ started issuing books in this series binding in October 2017 with a special edition of Murder on the Orient Express that tied in with interest surrounding the movie release of that year. Its popularity was followed by three more “train mysteries” the following year, and an expansion into further popular titles thereafter.
The books are essentially textured paper hardback covers over paperback internals – they have glued bindings and non-acid free paper, so I wouldn’t consider them a long-lasting investment. However, I really enjoy their timeless cover designs and special finishes which include delightful decorative endpapers, and touches of foiling on the covers and spines. The backs are also illustrated and several include a quote from the book woven into the design. The volumes are on the small size at 14 x 22 cm, but I like this as it makes them really convenient to read and travel with. Do be careful pulling them in and out of your shelves though, because the paper corners are prone to bumping.
Are all the books all the same size?
One thing you need to be aware of is that the books change size mid-series. Titles published prior to 2023 are sized at 14.1 x 22.2 cm, but from mid-2023 onwards, new titles with cover art by Becky Bettesworth have been smaller at 13.5 x 20.4 cm. According to the publisher, this decision was made in order to bring them in line with standard sizes used by other publishers for unjacketed titles. (Since the altered size also coincides with a stylistic cover design change, in my mind I’ve decided to manage my need for matching heights by thinking of them as two different but related series.)
Four seasonal short story collections have also been released in matching bindings (sold separately or as a boxed set marketed as ‘Murder for All Seasons’). And there are a couple of ‘pre-series’ volumes that were released in 2016 as Waterstones exclusives in the UK. These were early prototypes with monochrome bindings and foiling, but they are even smaller in size, have plain endpapers, and use a slightly cheaper paper on the covers.
How many books in the series?
There has been no commitment to producing all the Agatha Christie mysteries in this format, but so far the most popular titles are being covered, along with the bespoke short story collections. New titles are usually released in October/November, in time for Christmas trade. RRP on release is £14.99 per book. So far there are 21 volumes (18 released and 3 upcoming) in the Agatha Christie ‘Special Editions’ series released by HarperCollins, plus a short story boxset and an additional two similar ‘pre-release’ editions.
List of books in the HarperCollins Agatha Christie Special Edition series
Please note that some of the links below are affiliate links for which I may be compensated (this does not affect my reviews nor cost you any money, but helps support my site hosting costs). I deeply appreciate your support of my site if you use these links, but warmly encourage you to buy from your local Indie bookshop if you have the opportunity.
2024 onwards
The Last Séance: Tales of the Supernatural
Publication details: HarperCollins, 9780008644116, Sep 2024 (13.5 x 20.4 cm). Cover art by Matt Griffin.
“From the Queen of Crime, all of her spookiest and most macabre stories collected in one volume, including her earliest published story, ‘The Wife of the Kenite’, which is exclusive to this collection.”
Contains 20 stories: The Last Séance • In a Glass Darkly • The Adventure of the Egyptian Tomb • SOS • The Fourth Man • The Idol House of Astarte • The Gipsy • Philomel Cottage • The Dream • The Lamp • Wireless • The Mystery of the Blue Jar • The Blue Geranium • The Wife of the Kenite • The Strange Case of Sir Arthur Carmichael • The Call of Wings • The Red Signal • The Flock of Geryon • The Dressmaker’s Doll • The Hound of Death
➤ Buy from Amazon | Waterstones | Blackwells
Peril at End House
Publication details: HarperCollins, 9780008671570, Jun 2024 (13.5 x 20.4 cm). Cover art by Sarah Foster.
“Poirot and Hastings vacation in Cornwall, meeting young Magdala “Nick” Buckley and her friends. He is persuaded that someone is out to kill her. They meet all of her friends at her home called End House. Though he aims to protect Nick, a murder provokes Poirot to mount a serious investigation.“
➤ Buy from Amazon | Waterstones | Blackwells
Evil Under the Sun
Publication details: HarperCollins, 9780008644109, Apr 2024 (13.5 x 20.4 cm). Cover art by Sarah Foster.
“On holiday in Devon, Poirot he notices Arlena, a young woman who is flirtatious and attractive, but not well liked by a number of guests. When she is murdered during his stay, he finds himself drawn into investigating the circumstances surrounding the murder.”
➤ Buy from Amazon | Waterstones | Blackwells
2023
Hallowe’en Party
Publication details: HarperCollins, 9780008535834, Sep 2023 (13.5 x 20.4 cm). Cover art by Sarah Foster.
“Mystery novelist Ariadne Oliver attends a Hallowe’en party where a girl claims she witnessed a murder, which, at the time, she was too young to realize was a murder. Soon, the girl herself is found murdered, and Oliver calls in Poirot.”
➤ Buy from Amazon | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
Murder For All Seasons [Boxed Set]
Publication details: HarperCollins, 9780008471019, Sep 2023 (individual books each 14.1 x 22.2 cm)
Agatha Christie’s four seasonal short story collections (Autumn Chills, Sinister Spring, Midsummer Mysteries and Midwinter Murder) presented in a special edition boxset – collecting fifty stories of mystery and suspense by the Queen of Crime.
➤ Buy from Amazon | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
Autumn Chills
Publication details: HarperCollins, 9780008470975, Sep 2023. (14.1 x 22.2 cm). Cover art by Holly Macdonald.
A collection of seasonal short stories.
Includes:
- Murder in the Mews
- The Case of the Rich Woman
- While the Light Lasts
- Triangle at Rhodes
- Death by Drowning
- The Bird with the Broken Wing
- The Lemesurier Inheritance
- The House of Lurking Death
- Tape-Measure Murder
- The Voice in the Dark
- Four-and-Twenty Blackbirds
- Witness for the Prosecution
➤ Buy from Amazon | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
Five Little Pigs
Publication details: HarperCollins, 9780008535834, Sep 2023 (13.5 x 20.4 cm). Cover art by Becky Bettesworth.
“Beautiful Caroline Crale was convicted of poisoning her husband, yet there were five other suspects: Philip Blake (the stockbroker) who went to market; Meredith Blake (the amateur herbalist) who stayed at home; Elsa Greer (the three-time divorcee) who had roast beef; Cecilia Williams (the devoted governess) who had none; and Angela Warren (the disfigured sister) who cried ‘wee wee wee’ all the way home. It is sixteen years later, but Hercule Poirot just can’t get that nursery rhyme out of his mind.”
➤ Buy from Amazon | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
Dead Man’s Folly
Publication details: HarperCollins, 9780008585662, Jun 2023. (13.5 x 20.4 cm). Cover art by Becky Bettesworth.
“Sir George and Lady Stubbs, the hosts of a Devon village fete, hit upon the novel idea of staging a mock murder mystery. In good faith, Ariadne Oliver, the well known crime writer, agrees to organise their murder hunt. But then, the charity murder game turns into the real thing and Ariadne calls her friend Hercule Poirot for his expert assistance.”
➤ Buy from Amazon | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
Dead Man’s Folly
Publication details: HarperCollins, 9780008470890, Mar 2023. Cover art by Holly Macdonald. (14.1 x 22.2 cm).
A collection of Spring-themed short stories. Includes:
- The Market Basing Mystery
- The Case of the Missing Lady
- The Herb of Death
- How Does Your Garden Grow?
- Swan Song
- Miss Marple Tells a Story
- Have You Got Everything You Want?
- The Jewel Robbery at the Grand Metropolitan
- Ingots of Gold
- The Soul of the Croupier
- The Girl in the Train
- Greenshaw’s Folly
➤ Buy from Amazon | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
2022
The Mysterious Affair at Styles
Publication details: HarperCollins, 9780008567118, Nov 2022. (14.1 x 22.2 cm). Cover design by Holly Macdonald.
Christie’s first murder mystery. Captain Arthur Hastings is invited to the rolling country estate of Styles to recuperate from injuries sustained at the Front. It is the last place he expects to encounter murder. Fortunately he knows a former detective, a Belgian refugee, who has grown bored of retirement.
This edition includes a previously deleted chapter (final courtroom scene) and is introduced by Agatha Christie expert Dr John Curran.
➤ Buy from Amazon | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd
Publication details: HarperCollins, 9780008535827, Nov 2022. (14.1 x 22.2 cm). Cover design by Holly Macdonald.
Roger Ackroyd knew too much. He knew that the woman he loved had poisoned her brutal first husband. He suspected also that someone had been blackmailing her. Now, tragically, came the news that she had taken her own life with a drug overdose. But the evening post brought Roger one last fatal scrap of information. Unfortunately, before he could finish the letter, he was stabbed to death.
➤ Buy from Amazon | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
The Tuesday Club Murders
Publication details: HarperCollins, 9780008509354, Feb 2022. (14.1 x 22.2 cm). Cover design by Holly Macdonald.
Two years before The Murder at the Vicarage, Agatha Christie first introduced the world to Jane Marple and the stories of murder and intrigue told by each member of the Tuesday Night Club. Time and time again, crimes so wicked they have confounded even Scotland Yard’s finest are solved by St Mary Mead’s sharpest mind and everyone’s favourite armchair detective.
➤ Buy from Amazon | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
2022
The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding
Publication details: HarperCollins, 9780008509347, Nov 2021. (14.1 x 22.2 cm)
A seasonal Poirot and Marple short story collection that includes: The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding; The Mystery of the Spanish Chest; The Under Dog; Four and Twenty Blackbirds; The Dream; and Greenshaw’s Folly.
➤ Buy from Amazon | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
Midsummer Mysteries
Publication details: HarperCollins, 9780008470937, Jul 2021. (14.1 x 22.2 cm). Cover art by Holly Macdonald.
“Secrets and suspense from the Queen of Crime.” A collection of summery mysteries that includes: The Blood-Stained Pavement; The Double Clue; A Death on the Nile; Harlequin’s Lane; The Adventure of the Italian Nobleman; Jane in Search of a Job; The Disappearance of Mr Davenheim; The Idol House of Astarte; The Rajah’s Emerald; The Oracle at Delphi; The Adventure of the Sinister Stranger; and The Incredible Theft.
➤ Buy from Amazon | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
2020
Midwinter Murder
Publication details: HarperCollins, 9780008328962, Oct 2020. (14.1 x 22.2 cm). Cover art by Holly Macdonald.
“Fireside Mysteries from the Queen of Crimes.” A compendium of wintery short stories that includes: The Chocolate Box; A Christmas Tragedy; The Coming of Mr Quin; The Mystery of the Baghdad Chest; The Clergyman’s Daughter; The Plymouth Express; Problem at Pollensa Bay; Sanctuary; The Mystery of Hunter’s Lodge; The World’s End; The Manhood of Edward Robinson; and Christmas Adventure.
➤ Buy from Amazon | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
Death on the Nile
Publication details: HarperCollins, 9780008386825, Oct 2020. (14.1 x 22.2 cm). Cover art by Holly Macdonald.
Poirot. The tranquillity of a cruise along the Nile is shattered by the discovery that Linnet Ridgeway has been shot through the head. She was young, stylish and beautiful, a girl who had everything – until she lost her life.
➤ Buy from Amazon | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
2019
And Then There Were None
Publication details: HarperCollins, 9780008328924, Oct 2019. (14.1 x 22.2 cm). Cover art by Holly Macdonald.
“1939. Europe teeters on the brink of war. Ten strangers are invited to Soldier Island, an isolated rock near the Devon coast. Cut off from the mainland, with their generous hosts Mr and Mrs U.N. Owen mysteriously absent, they are each accused of a terrible crime. When one of the party dies suddenly they realise they may be harbouring a murderer among their number.”
➤ Buy from Amazon | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
Hercule Poirot’s Christmas
Publication details: HarperCollins, 9780008328955, Oct 2019. (14.1 x 22.2 cm). Cover art by Holly Macdonald.
Poirot. It is Christmas Eve. The Lee family reunion is shattered by a deafening crash of furniture, followed by a high-pitched wailing scream. Upstairs, the tyrannical Simeon Lee lies dead in a pool of blood, his throat slashed. But when Hercule Poirot, who is staying in the village with a friend for Christmas, offers to assist, he finds an atmosphere not of mourning but of mutual suspicion.
➤ Buy from Amazon | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
2018
4:50 from Paddington
Publication details: HarperCollins, 9780008310240, Nov 2018. (14.1 x 22.2 cm). Cover art by Neil Gower.
Miss Marple. For an instant the two trains ran together, side by side. In that frozen moment, Elspeth witnessed a murder. Helplessly, she stared out of her carriage window as a man remorselessly tightened his grip around a woman’s throat. The body crumpled. Then the other train drew away.
➤ Buy from Amazon | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
The Mystery of the Blue Train
Publication details: HarperCollins, 9780008310233, Nov 2018. (14.1 x 22.2 cm). Cover art by Neil Gower.
“Poirot. When the luxurious Blue Train arrives at Nice, a guard attempts to wake serene Ruth Kettering from her slumbers. But she will never wake again – for a heavy blow has killed her, disfiguring her features almost beyond recognition. What is more, her precious rubies are missing.”
➤ Buy from Amazon | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
The ABC Murders
Publication details: HarperCollins, 9780008310226, Nov 2018. (14.1 x 22.2 cm). Cover art by Neil Gower.
“Poirot. With the whole country in a state of panic, the killer is growing more confident with each successive execution – Mrs Ascher in Andover, Betty Barnard in Bexhill, Sir Carmichael Clarke in Churston… But laying a trail of deliberate clues to taunt the proud Hercule Poirot might just be his first mistake.”
➤ Buy from Amazon | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
2017
Murder on the Orient Express
Publication details: HarperCollins, 9780008226664, Oct 2017. (14.1 x 22.2 cm). Cover art by Neil Gower.
“Poirot. Just after midnight, a snowdrift stops the Orient Express in its tracks. The luxurious train is surprisingly full for the time of the year, but by the morning it is one passenger fewer. An American tycoon lies dead in his compartment, stabbed a dozen times, his door locked from the inside.”
➤ Buy from Amazon | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
2016 (Pre-series)
These pre-series volumes are a slightly smaller format and do not include decorative endpapers.
The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding
Publication details: HarperCollins, 9780008219840, Oct 2016. Released as a Waterstones exclusive. (12.6 x 19 cm). Cover art by Holly MacDonald.
Poirot/Marple. A seasonal short story collection, including The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding; The Mystery of the Spanish Chest; The Under Dog; Four-and-Twenty Blackbirds; The Dream; Greenshaw’s Folly.
➤ OOP. Check availability at Amazon | Abes | eBay
Hercule Poirot’s Christmas
Publication details: HarperCollins, 9780008188993, Oct 2016. Released as a Waterstones exclusive. (12.6 x 19 cm)
“Poirot. At the house of Simeon Lee the family gathers on Christmas Eve, estranged and embittered they hover around the cold-hearted, ailing patriarch awaiting the reason they have all been summoned. Then the family reunion is shattered by Simeon’s murder. Hercule Poirot, who is staying in the village with a friend for Christmas, offers to assist.”
➤ OOP. Check availability at Amazon | Abes | eBay
37 Comments
David · 10 April 2024 at 10:04 pm
Some updates on the covers: The cover art on Evil Under the Sun and Peril at End House is by Sarah Foster, not Becky Bettesworth. The Last Seance cover art is by Matt Griffin. The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding was designed by Holly MacDonald, and Hallowe’en Party was designed by Sarah Foster.
Daisy · 11 April 2024 at 5:20 am
Updated, thanks so much! ❤️
Dx
Amelia Walsh · 23 March 2024 at 4:19 am
Brilliant website! So excited about these special editions. Really hope there is a lot more to come! X
Jeroen · 22 February 2024 at 8:42 pm
Hello! The book cover of Peril at End House can be seen on Amazon now.
Dylan · 12 November 2023 at 1:32 pm
Hello. Does anyone know why the author’s name is sometimes on the top, and sometimes on the bottom? I have noticed a lot of us are very particular about our collections.
April · 10 November 2023 at 7:54 am
I wonder why Witness for the Prosecution was delayed? It was due out today, but Amazon says it is temporarily out of stock and I can’t find images anywhere.😢
Daisy · 10 November 2023 at 8:44 am
I’m not sure what’s going on here – I’ve asked the publisher and will get back to you if I find out.
Daisy · 14 November 2023 at 12:59 pm
So, apparently Witness for the Prosecution has been moved back for a 2028 publication date!
Chris · 16 November 2023 at 8:35 pm
Wow that’s quite the delay. Thank you for the update.
Russel · 5 February 2024 at 11:09 am
It seems a little odd to be releasing ‘Witness for the Prosecution’ (presumably as part of a collection of short stories, including the short story of that name), given that the same story is listed as already having been included in the September 2023 release, ‘Autumn Chills’ in the same Harper Collins series. However, the short story collection, ‘Sinister Spring’ released in March 2023 (and incidentally, incorrectly labelled here as “Dead Man’s Folly’) includes ‘Four and Twenty Blackbirds’ and ‘Greenshaw’s Folly’ – both stories having already been included in ‘The Adventure of the Christmas Piudding’ in the 2021 release.
April · 18 February 2024 at 11:45 pm
Witness for the Prosecution is no longer being published as part of this collection. I wrote to Agatha Christie Ltd last month and they confirmed this.
Russel · 7 March 2024 at 9:47 am
Thank you for the update. This makes sense
Kernel's Corner · 30 August 2023 at 10:28 am
The newly listed book on the smaller Special Edition series: `Evil Under the Sun`
ISBN: 978-0008644109
Release Date: April 25, 2024
Daisy · 4 September 2023 at 10:54 am
Thanks for sharing this! I’ve added this one and Peril at End House which is also releasing in April ❤️
Dx
Sarah · 13 July 2023 at 12:39 am
First of all thank you for creating this website and keeping us up to date to new releases and also to informing about the design change 🙂 I just received my copies of Dead Man’s Folly and Five Little Pigs and thought I received a false edition and was about to send them back when I stumbled upon your site. I’m absolutely devastated about this design choice, I cannot stand it when books in a series don’t align… Also super unhappy about the design for Hallowe’en Party…. 🙁
Daisy · 14 July 2023 at 4:38 pm
I know, it’s so frustrating when they change a series design!!
Jeroen · 22 January 2024 at 6:21 am
The book cover of Evil Under the Sun can be seen on Amazon now. And apparently Peril at End House got pushed back, since it releases on June 20th now (instead of in April).
Pauline · 7 July 2023 at 3:00 am
Hello !
Thank you for the hard work to keep us informed about all those stunning editions !
I think unfortunately they changed the cover design for the upcoming Hallowe’en Party book, the new cover is similar but duller in my opinion. And alas, they traded the festive black and orange for a weird combination of navy blue and yellow…
HarperCollins has made some questionable changes for this series, I find it strange that they would align their collection with other publishers’ size standard instead of keeping a consistent collection of their own… (I hope I’m not talking gibberish, English is not my first language 🤪)
Anyway, greetings for France ! ^^
Annika · 26 June 2023 at 10:16 pm
Hello everyone,
WHAT ABOUT AN INTERVENTION WITH HARPER COLLINS??
COLLECTING MY FAVOURITE CRIME NOVELS DO NOT MAKE SENSE ANYMORE…
I got really excited when I found this website and learning that there will be more special editions.
Just by coincidence I read your comments and must say I am also extremely annoyed about the change..
Same with the beautiful editions with Agatha‘s signature on the small of the book. (starting around 2015, 2016 or so) which has been replaced with a boring layout and moustaches for Poirot and knitting equipment for Marple. As if the readers would want such a terrible layout.
I had started to collect all these books and now I no longer want to collect them. Disgusting.
Why I am giving these boring details which all of you also definitely know is, that I wanted to ask if you have thought about contacting the publishing house and tell them about all of this? I did but the replay was bla bla bla.
Maybe if several readers do that? I love Christie‘s crime novels since I first learned English at school and I probably am not the only one, as I learned from your comments.
What do you think? Is it a realistic idea or just stupid?
Hope to get some replies. Annika
Daisy · 29 June 2023 at 5:36 pm
Haha, I agree. I already mentioned it when I wrote the first time. Although I don’t think they’ll change their decision, occasionally if enough people are interested publishers will sometimes put out “special editions” of their books that continue a series in size or cover style (I am so grateful when they do this!), so it’s definitely worth letting them know you would buy one if they did.
Medi jackson · 8 July 2023 at 7:04 pm
Cannot believe they have changed the book sizes. I have even considered building little steps for the new books so they align with the others on the bookshelf.
Daisy · 14 July 2023 at 4:37 pm
Ha, this is an excellent idea!
Annika · 15 September 2023 at 4:53 am
Hey! So sorry, I just react right now. That’s an excellent idea, I also think so. Thanks for sharing. Yes, letting the publishing house know maybe will help change that decision. I’ll try.
Kernel’s Corner · 1 June 2023 at 2:03 pm
Thank you for this extensive list. Why do you think “Five Little Pigs”, “Dead Man’s Folly”, and “Hallowe’en Party” are listed with 20.4 cm height, while the rest are all 22.2 cm. I am very particular about the matching height so this worries me.
By the way, the cover for “Hallowe’en Party”have been released just recently.
Daisy · 2 June 2023 at 8:11 pm
Thanks for the heads up on the new cover! I am also a bit concerned with the potential height difference (I too am very particular about matching editions!) but sometimes the online measurements are incorrect, so I think we’ll have to wait and see unfortunately. I’ll update here when I learn more.
Dx
Claire Ward · 20 June 2023 at 10:21 pm
They are smaller received my dead man’s folly today. It makes no sense
Rachael · 23 June 2023 at 8:10 am
I was just coming on here to see if anyone knows why the size has changed! Why suddenly make them smaller?!
Daisy · 23 June 2023 at 8:47 am
I’ve written to the publishers to find out why the change – but I really hate when they do this mid series, there’s never a good reason.
Daisy · 23 June 2023 at 9:03 pm
Just to update you – the smaller size was apparently a trial for the two volumes published this June, to bring them in line with the size format preferred by other publishers for unjacketed titles. They will likely all be this size going forward (except the last seasonal volume, which will match the rest of the sets. Dx
Daisy · 23 June 2023 at 9:04 pm
Just to update you – the smaller size was apparently a trial for the two volumes published this June, to bring them in line with the size format preferred by other publishers for unjacketed titles. They will likely all be this size going forward (except the last seasonal volume, which will match the rest of the sets. Dx
Daisy · 23 June 2023 at 8:46 am
Yes, I just got mine too. SO ANNOYING. I’ve written to the publishers to find out why the change, but it looks like it will be the new standard for all the new editions going forward. (Although I should add I do love the new cover art!)
Rachael · 23 June 2023 at 11:16 pm
Thank you for those answers! Still a strange decision to change it after so many books have been released in one size.
Annika · 26 June 2023 at 10:25 pm
I also despise the covers for Styles and Roger Achroyd….!
Louis Hummel · 23 July 2022 at 6:55 am
Beautiful Books!
chuck vukotich · 19 April 2022 at 6:01 am
trying to find a first edition copy of Midwinter Murders.
[email protected]
David · 5 April 2024 at 10:08 pm
Love the website! The Hallowe’en Party cover shown was for a Waterstones-exclusive paperback edition. The hardback Special Edition is blue and gold.
The next one in the series will be Towards Zero in November.
Daisy · 6 April 2024 at 9:37 pm
Ah, thanks for that catch ❤️ I wonder if they are bringing forward Towards Zero because of the upcoming BBC adaptation?