This year marks the 100^th anniversary of Hercule Poirot’s debut for an English audience. His first British appearance in The Mysterious Affair at Styles, by beloved mystery novelist Agatha Christie (1890-1976), appeared in 1921, and Betsey B. Creekmore Special Collections and University Archives holds a copy of this landmark novel. Our copy is distinguished by having belonged to Christie’s mother, Clarissa Miller, and bears a simple inscription from Christie. This gem sits well alongside our other Christie first editions, all of which came to us in 2011 as a generous donation from legendary crime novelist and researcher Patricia Cornwell. Other interesting Christie items in our collection include a typescript with manuscript corrections of Christie’s The Pale Horse (1961), and more signed first editions such as Evil Under the Sun (1941), containing personal correspondence to Christie’s friend Esme Nicolle.

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