Original Agatha Christie story, Incident of the Dog's Ball

Strand Magazine will be publishing a "found" Agatha Christie Hercule Poirot 5000 word story, "Incident of the Dog's Ball". This story that was one of two found in the attic at Greenway, Christie's home. It eventually became the 1937 novel Dumb Witness. I overheard this 'rumor' at Bouchercon, and it was confirmed by Andrew Gulli, the editor of The Strand. However, I wanted to wait until it was official to mention it. Very exciting.

This is the first appearance of a new Agatha Christie story in the U.S. since 1975. This story was published in the U.K. in September, in John Curran's Agatha Christie's Secret Notebooks (HarperCollins).

John Curran, an "arch-fan" found this story and "The Capture of Cerberus" in the attic. Both stories also appear in his book Agatha Christie's Secret Notebooks (HarperCollins). In this wonderful book (a must for Christie fans), Curran reproduces notes, stories, sketches of St. Mary Mead, as well as information about and from Agatha Christie. Curran previously published pieces in Christie fan magazines. There were 73 notebooks covering her working life from the 20s until the year of her death. What a job!