This article continues my series on Fontana paperbacks published in the 1950s, 60s and 70s - in my opinion the golden age of Agatha Christie paperbacks. In prior articles I've reviewed all the Fontana paperbacks created from 1953 through to 1964, the latter of which now include covers by Tom Adams. These articles will provide fans and readers a definitive guide to assist with building a collection of Fontana paperbacks. All articles provide all the images of the covers plus collecting tips. To read any of the prior articles please follow the links below.
Part 1: 1953 to 1957 and the first 15 Christie titles Fontana published (link).
Part 2: 1958 to 1960 and the next 21 covers created during those years (link).
Part 3: 1961 to 1963 (partial) and the 23 covers created prior to Tom Adams (link).
Part 4: 1963 (partial) to 1964 & the 21 books published, many now with Adams covers (link).
Part 5: 1965-1966.
In 1965, Fontana published eleven Agatha Christie titles and in 1966 a further eleven were published. Several were reissues with fresh covers, some were first printings, one promoted a first time in paperback and two were film tie-ins. Of note, 1965 is the first year we see a cover by Ian Robertson who ultimately designed 13 Christie covers over the years for Fontana - many of which are mistaken for the work of Tom Adams given the same design aesthetic.
All of the Fontanas published in 1965 and 1966 were priced 3/6 on the cover for the UK market or left blank for the export market. The design was consistent in both years with white bars top and bottom on both the front and rear panels, with the exception of the two film tie-ins.
Fontana continued to number all books, almost always changing the number when a cover art appeared or a major redesign of the style occurred. Thus, anytime I state that this is a 2nd, 3rd, 4th etc... Fontana impression, it means that the title had previously been published by Fontana but with a different cover and thus also a different Series number. See the prior articles to identify the specifics. However, Fontana's Series numbering system is a little befuddling. In 1965 they reused the 1960 issue number of 403 for They Came to Baghdad despite its new cover - which I've noted below as 403.r (the .r is my code for noting it's a reused number). That same year, they also issued four books in the 2000 series which are substantially out of sequence. The reason for this is unclear. When the month of publication is known, I have included it but I have kept the sequencing of the titles first by year and then by series number (not the month of publication).
1965.
403.r: They Came to Baghdad. This is the 5th Fontana impression but the first with this cover by Tom Adams. Note: many future printings are not accurate when referencing prior impressions.
1050: The Mysterious Mr. Quin. This is the 1st Fontana printing. Cover art by Tom Adams. As a short story collection, it was potentially issued in a smaller print run which may be why it is slightly harder to find in its 1st printing version.
1077: The Mirror Crack’d From Side to Side. This is the first UK Paperback of this title, preceded only by the Pocket Books (US) printing. It is thus the 1st Fontana printing. Cover art by Tom Adams. Personally, one of my favourite covers.
1133: The Thirteen Problems. This is the 1st Fontana printing. Cover art by Tom Adams. Another short story collection that is slightly harder to find in this first printing version.
1163: The Moving Finger. Published in August, this is the 3rd Fontana impression but the first with this Tom Adams cover.
1175: The A.B.C. Murders. Published in September, this is the 2nd Fontana impression but now as a film tie-in edition with images from the film on the front and rear panels.
1214: The Big Four. This is the 1st Fontana printing of this title. It is the 1st Christie cover designed by Ian Robertson whose work is often attributed to Adams.
The next four books were all published in 1965, but the Series numbers are substantially out of sequence with the rest of the titles.
2022: One, Two, Buckle my Shoe. Published in April, this is the 3rd Fontana impression. New cover art by Tom Adams, with credit provided on the rear panel - the first time this occurred.
2033: Hickory, Dickory, Dock. Published in March, this is the 4th Fontana impression. New cover art by Tom Adams.
2036: Lord Edgware Dies. Published in June this is the 6th Fontana impression. New cover art by Tom Adams and arguably one of his most bloody and shocking. However, for me one of his most memorable.
2043: Parker Pyne Investigates. Published in May, this is the 2nd Fontana impression. New cover art by Tom Adams with credit on the rear cover. Arguably one of his better trompe l'oeil paintings as I can only imagine how hard a glass decanter is to paint.
1966.
For 1966, the Fontana Series numbers for the books reverted to the low 1000 after the brief foray into the 2000 level at the end of 1965!
1231: Why Didn’t They Ask Evans? Published in February, it is the 5th Fontana impression. New cover art by Tom Adams and a title that is surprsingly difficult to acquire with this cover.
1268: The Clocks. Printed twice by Fontana in 1966. The first printing was likely in March with the second printing in August. This is the 1st UK paperback of this title (and thus 1st Fontana) preceded only by the US Pocket Book edition in 1965. Cover art by Tom Adams. This cover stayed in print for many years and is quite ubitquitous, though the original [March] printing is hard to find.
1301: Towards Zero. Published in April this is the 3rd Fontana impression. New cover art by Tom Adams. Most of the rear covers had a colour that matched the cover or some piece of the art on it - this one did not. I was once told that the end of a coiled rope is known as a 'zero' - though the OED has failed to confirm this. But if true, another nice play on words imbedded into the art.
1309: The Listerdale Mystery. Published in May, this is the 3rd Fontana impression. It was reprinted later in the year in November (4th Fontana). This new cover art is by Ian Robertson and a printing that is surprisingly difficult to obtain.
1313: Sad Cypress. Published in June, this is the 4th Fontana impression. New cover art by Tom Adams that contains a photo of the artist's father who served in WWI. This is a surprisingly difficult title to obtain and one I discovered I didn't own in my collection.
1355: Ten Little N-----s. Published in March, this is the 3rd Fontana impression. This edition is the film tie-in version, and references the film's title - Ten Little Indians - on the cover as well as the book's original UK title. The film was released in the UK in February 1966 so this book came on the market shortly after its release.
1405: The Labours of Hercules. Published in July, this is the 3rd Fontana impression. New cover art is by Ian Robertson.
1418: A Caribbean Mystery. This is likely the first global paperback of this title (and thus the 1st Fontana). While the US paperback by Pocket Books was published in 1966 also, it did not appear until December and I assume this was printed earlier than that given the Series number. Both the front and rear covers deviate from the standard design by avoiding cover art and just promoting it as 'her new bestseller', with the rear really emphasising it is a 'Miss Marple' story - surprisingly something not done on the Poirot titles. The rather grand guignol cover art by Tom Adams many are familiar with replaced this cover when it was reprinted in 1967 and thus will be in my next instalment.
1437: Dumb Witness. Published in November, this is the 5th Fontana printing but now with new artwork by Ian Robertson. The book was quickly reissued in April 1967, but this 5th impression - the first with Robertson's cover - is surprisingly hard to find.
Summary & Values.
As always, if you have additional insights, corrections or images to share, please do so. Thank you to collectors Scott Wallace and Hugh Rivington for providing some images to assist with this article. Any insights on why the few 2000 series numbers at the end of 1965 would be most welcome!
As to values, most of these books will sell for used book prices. Most sellers are not aware of what is an actual first printing 'thus' of a Tom Adams or Ian Robertson cover. As awareness grows, expect prices on those initial printings/impressions to increase in price. A few of these books are much harder to find than others (as commented on in the article). For now that doesn't translate to a higher price but may one day. Currently these are affordable collectibles that I believe offer great value - both in their shelf appeal, usability and long-term appreciation potential. If first appearances appeal to you, then take the time to find these specific 'impressions' / printings as detailed in these articles. Always try to seek books without tears, excessive wear and preferably the series number should be intact on the spine.
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Closing Comments.
Over the next few weeks I will be taking some time off and also attending the festivities at The International Agatha Christie Festival in Devon. So it is unlikely there will be any new articles of substance for a few weeks - though who knows! That said, I will be sharing photos and updates from the Festival across my Social Media accounts so do consider following me on X (formerly Twitter) @collectchristie and on Facebook (link). The content varies across platforms but should be of interest for those who can't attend in person. For those that will be at the Festival please try to say 'hello'. That's me below so you know who to look for! My talk on the 'Art and Artists of Agatha Christie' (for which this photo was taken) is on Sunday, 15th September at 3pm. I'll try to post that speech after the event online in several instalments.
Happy Hunting!
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