# Is "A Demon in My View" by Ruth Rendell a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of A Demon in My View by Ruth Rendell (Hutchinson, 1976) is identified by: Hutchinson first, 1976, in publisher's black cloth with gilt spine titles, 183 pages; the first-issue dust jacket is priced on the front flap and the copyright page carries a single first-published statement with no later impression line. UK Hutchinson (1976) precedes the US Doubleday edition (1977).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Hutchinson first, 1976, in publisher's black cloth with gilt spine titles, 183 pages; the first-issue dust jacket is priced on the front flap and the copyright page carries a single first-published statement with no later impression line
- Won the CWA Gold Dagger
- Publisher imprint reads Hutchinson
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Ruth Rendell |
| Publisher | Hutchinson |
| Year | 1976 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Hutchinson first, 1976, in publisher's black cloth with gilt spine titles, 183 pages; the first-issue dust jacket is priced on the front… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
Hutchinson first, 1976, in publisher's black cloth with gilt spine titles, 183 pages; the first-issue dust jacket is priced on the front flap and the copyright page carries a single first-published statement with no later impression line. Won the CWA Gold Dagger.

## Is this the true first?
UK Hutchinson (1976) precedes the US Doubleday edition (1977). Standalone psychological thriller and Rendell's first of several CWA Dagger awards.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later impressions add a printing statement; price-clipped jackets lose the flap price.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *A Demon in My View* by Ruth Rendell a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/a-demon-in-my-view
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-04.