Towards Zero

Towards Zero
Dust-jacket illustration of the US (true first) edition. See Publication history (below) for UK first edition jacket image.
AuthorAgatha Christie
LanguageEnglish
SeriesSuperintendent Battle
GenreCrime fiction
PublisherDodd, Mead and Company
Publication date
June 1944
Publication placeGreat Britain
Media typePrint (hardback & paperback)
Pages242 first edition, hardcover
ISBN9780002318525 1976 UK edition
Preceded byTowards Zero 
Followed byAbsent in the Spring 

Towards Zero is a work of detective fiction by Agatha Christie first published in the US by Dodd, Mead and Company in June 1944, and in the UK by the Collins Crime Club in July of the same year.[1] The first US edition of the novel retailed at $2.00[2] and the UK edition at seven shillings and sixpence (7/6).[1]

Lady Tressilian invites her ward for his annual visit at Gull's Point. He insists on bringing both his former wife and his present wife, though Lady Tressilian finds this awkward. Her old friend Treves dies, then she is murdered as well; Superintendent Battle and his nephew are called in. The book is the last to feature Superintendent Battle.

The novel was well received at publication, noted for the well-developed characters. A later review called it superb as to the plot, noting also how well the novel depicted the gentlemanly behaviour expected at the main tennis tournament in 1944.

  1. ^ a b Peers, Chris; Spurrier, Ralph; Sturgeon, Jamie (March 1999). Collins Crime Club – A checklist of First Editions (Second ed.). Dragonby Press. p. 15.
  2. ^ Marcum, J S (May 2007). "American Tribute to Agatha Christie: The Classic Years: 1940 - 1944". Retrieved 13 October 2015.