Christie, Agatha--

rectangular, engraved with monogram "RWL" (initials of the recipient Bob Leeming) and with inscription inside ("With | our best wishes | Col.& M^rs Christie."), 86 x 63 x 17mm., 80.9g, Adie Brothers Limited, Frederick Street, Birmingham, 1925, some small surface scratches, tiny dent on cover

The Harrogate bandsman Bob Leeming, gift to him from the author and her husband; thence by descent

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, when appropriate.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Agatha Christie, aged 36 and already a household name as an established crime novelist, left her home in Sunningdale on 3rd December 1926 and went missing for eleven days, sparking off one of the biggest manhunts in modern times. Police hunted the country, attended by bloodhounds, amateur search parties, aircraft (for the first ever time), and even clairvoyants. Her husband Col. Christie was suspected of murder. She was eventually discovered at the Hydro Hotel, Harrogate  by two members of the resident dance band, Bob Tappin (the banjo player) and Bob Leeming (the saxophone player), after being alerted by a keen-eyed chambermaid. The police were informed and Agatha's husband Col. Christie came to identify and collect his wife, who at the time was said to be suffering from amnesia. As a token of appreciation, both band-players were presented with a specially engraved silver cigarette case. To their credit, neither bandsmen would accept any inducement from the press to tell their story.

The true facts of Agatha's disappearance are still not completely clear, although it appears to have been triggered by the recent death of her mother and her husband's announcement that he had fallen in love with his golfing partner Nancy Neele (she used the assumed name "Miss Neele" when registering at the Hydro Hotel). The novelist claimed to remember nothing about how she arrived in Harrogate, but she was divorced from her husband by 1928.The event has inspired countless books and articles ever since, as well as a fine Hollywood film made in 1977 starring Vanessa Redgrave and Dustin Hoffman (this film features the scene in which the two band members suddenly recognize the crime writer at the hotel). Also included in the lot is a presentation copy of Jared Cole's Agatha Christie and the Eleven Missing Days (1998), inscribed by the author to Bob Leeming's daughter, Mrs Marion Chappel.