CHRISTIE, Agatha (1890-1976). A Pocket Full of Rye. London: for The Crime Club by Collins, 1953.

First edition in a very good dust-jacket. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author to her secretary, amanuensis and close friend Charlotte 'Carlo' Fisher: 'For Carlo with love from Agatha'. ‘In her review of this novel in The Bookman the distinguished historian C. V. Wedgwood wrote: “Mrs Christie always plays fair; her puzzles work out with near plausibility and no loose ends; her social settings, her characters and her dialogue are always accurately observed. There is no better all-round craftsman in the field”’ (quoted in C. Osborne, The Life and Crimes of Agatha Christie, 1999, p.264). Hubin p. 80.

Octavo. Original red cloth, spine lettered in black (spine sunned, edges and top edges of boards spotted, a few spots to spine); original dust-jacket supplied from another copy (a few short tears mostly at ends of folds, spine ends slightly frayed, slightly spotted, lower panel slightly toned). Provenance: Charlotte 'Carlo' Fisher (1895-1976, secretary, amanuensis and close friend of Agatha Christie; presentation inscription by the author on front free endpaper, and with Fisher’s posthumous book label).