The Hollow by Agatha Christie Samuel French's Acting Edition Number 8 Published 1952. No writing, marks or inscriptions Contents clean throughout. VG.

At The Hollow, the sprawling country estate of the eccentric Angkatell family, a weekend gathering of aristocrats and artists turns deadly when Dr. John Christow, a charismatic but philandering physician, is found shot by the poolside, his wife Gerda holding a revolver. Enter Hercule Poirot, the meticulous Belgian detective, who unravels a tangle of motives among the guests: Lady Lucy Angkatell’s whimsical scheming, Christow’s spurned mistress Henrietta, a sculptor with secrets, and the brooding Edward, nursing unrequited love. As alibis falter and staged clues emerge, Poirot’s keen insight exposes a calculated murder masked by theatrical misdirection. Adapted from her 1946 novel, Christie’s 1951 play, published as Samuel French’s Acting Edition Number 8 in 1952, crackles with sharp dialogue, psychological depth, and classic whodunit suspense, transforming a bucolic retreat into a stage for betrayal and revelation.

The Hollow captivates collectors as a theatrical gem in Agatha Christie’s dramatic oeuvre, its 1952 acting edition a cherished artifact of her West End legacy. Audiences and readers relish its drawing-room duplicity and Poirot’s cerebral unmasking, evoking J.B. Priestley’s domestic deceptions or Terence Rattigan’s emotional entanglements. Its cultural resonance probes post-war class fragility and relational rot, beguiling mystery drama enthusiasts. Collectors value its prominence in Christie’s play scripts, while audiences savor the poolside perfidy and stage-crafted surprises, deeming it a curtain-raising essential for devotees of Christie’s stagecraft and manor-house mysteries.