First impression
1941At a glance
Points of issue
- Dust jacket, front flapPrinted price on the front flap: 7s. 6d. net→ first issue jacket
N or M?Collins
Hardback
N or M? (1941)
Publisher Collins
Year 1941
Identification points are listed only where two independent sources agree. Last reviewed 28 Oct 2026.
Market value
£600 to £950
Value band from 3 sales in the last two years, updated 21 Oct 2026. Your copy's value depends on its printing and grade.
Lower gradesFine
- Recorded sales
- 4
Price history
4 recorded sales
The full price history: every sale, the chart and values by condition.
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Quick answer
- How do I identify a N or M? 1941 hardback?
- Check these points. Dust jacket, front flap: Printed price on the front flap: 7s. 6d. net. Each point is confirmed by at least two independent sources.
- How much is a N or M? 1941 hardback worth?
- Values run from about £600 for a copy in lower grades to £950 for the best copies, depending on the printing and the condition of the book and jacket. Based on 3 recorded sales.
- Who published the N or M? 1941 hardback?
- Collins, London, in 1941, in hardback.
How to identify this edition
Dodd, Mead published the true first in New York in 1941; Collins issued the British first for the Crime Club in London in November 1941, a hardback of 192 pages against 289 for the American. The Collins jacket was designed by Thompson and carries a printed price of 7s. 6d. net, so an unclipped jacket helps confirm a first. The copyright page should show no later impression.
How Collins marked its first editions
- Collins did not adopt any special method of marking first editions or first impressions, according to its statements to H. S. Boutell.
- Collins said that when it issued a cheaper edition, the reverse of the title page recorded the date of the original edition and that of the cheap edition.
Read the full guide to Collins first editions, decade by decade, and check your copy's copyright page against it. Our number line decoder reads the printing from the row of numbers.
Printing by printing
Printings and states
Frequently asked questions
How do I identify a N or M? 1941 hardback?
Check these points. Dust jacket, front flap: Printed price on the front flap: 7s. 6d. net. Each point is confirmed by at least two independent sources.
How much is a N or M? 1941 hardback worth?
Values run from about £600 for a copy in lower grades to £950 for the best copies, depending on the printing and the condition of the book and jacket. Based on 3 recorded sales.
Who published the N or M? 1941 hardback?
Collins, London, in 1941, in hardback.
Where these facts come from
- N or M?, Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)
- N or M?, Jonkers Rare Books (jonkers.co.uk)
- Agatha Christie, N or M?, First UK Edition 1941, John Atkinson Books (johnatkinsonbooks.co.uk)
Points of issue are listed only where at least two independent sources agree. Last reviewed 28 October 2026. Reviewed by Harriet Ellis; read how we check facts.
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