CHRISTIE, Agatha (1890-1976). Poirot’s Early Cases. London: Collins, 1974.

First edition, in a very good dust-jacket. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author on the title to her housekeeper: 'To Mrs Belson from Agatha Christie. Oct. 28^th 1974'. Elizabeth Belson, known as Lily, was Agatha Christie’s housekeeper and companion at Winterbrook for over two decades from 1953 until Dame Agatha’s death in January 1976. During her employment Mrs Belson was presented with a signed first edition of each of Christie’s new novels, and was also left a bequest of £2,000 by Christie in her will, which was the largest gift to a non-family member.

These eighteen short stories, collected together for the first time, had originally been written between 1923 and 1936 for magazines or newspapers in the UK or U.S. Hubin p. 80.

Octavo. Original light brown cloth, spine titled in gilt (spine ends lightly bumped); original pictorial dust-jacket (spine ends and ends of folds chipped with some minor restoration). Provenance: Mrs Elizabeth 'Lily' Belson (d.1981, Agatha Christie’s housekeeper and companion at Winterbrook; presentation inscription by the author on the title page).