# Is "A Cold Heart" by Jonathan Kellerman a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of A Cold Heart by Jonathan Kellerman (Ballantine, 2003) is identified by: The copyright page states 'First Edition' together with the Ballantine/Random House interleaved printer's key '2 4 6 8 9 7 5 3 1'; the first printing shows both the stated-edition line and the complete key. The US Ballantine hardcover of 2003 is the true first; the seventeenth Alex Delaware novel.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The copyright page states 'First Edition' together with the Ballantine/Random House interleaved printer's key '2 4 6 8 9 7 5 3 1'; the first printing shows both the stated-edition line and the complete key
- The book is bound in black boards with the spine stamped in silver
- Publisher imprint reads Ballantine
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Jonathan Kellerman |
| Publisher | Ballantine |
| Year | 2003 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | The copyright page states 'First Edition' together with the Ballantine/Random House… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
The copyright page states 'First Edition' together with the Ballantine/Random House interleaved printer's key '2 4 6 8 9 7 5 3 1'; the first printing shows both the stated-edition line and the complete key. The book is bound in black boards with the spine stamped in silver.

## Is this the true first?
The US Ballantine hardcover of 2003 is the true first; the seventeenth Alex Delaware novel.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No significant book-club edition to distinguish from the trade first; the interleaved number line and silver-on-black spine identify the first printing.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *A Cold Heart* by Jonathan Kellerman a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/a-cold-heart
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.