# Is "A Fatal Inversion" by Barbara Vine (Ruth Rendell) a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of A Fatal Inversion by Barbara Vine (Ruth Rendell) (Viking, 1987) is identified by: UK Viking first, 1987, with the 'First published 1987' statement on the copyright page and a complete number line; written by Ruth Rendell as Barbara Vine. The UK Viking 1987 edition is the true first; the US Bantam 1987 edition is a first-thus.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- UK Viking first, 1987, with the 'First published 1987' statement on the copyright page and a complete number line; written by Ruth Rendell as Barbara Vine
- Won the 1987 CWA Gold Dagger
- Publisher imprint reads Viking
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Barbara Vine (Ruth Rendell) |
| Publisher | Viking |
| Year | 1987 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | UK Viking first, 1987, with the 'First published 1987' statement on the copyright page and a complete number line; written by Ruth Rendell… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
UK Viking first, 1987, with the 'First published 1987' statement on the copyright page and a complete number line; written by Ruth Rendell as Barbara Vine. Won the 1987 CWA Gold Dagger.

## Is this the true first?
The UK Viking 1987 edition is the true first; the US Bantam 1987 edition is a first-thus.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
BCA and other book-club editions, and any later impression, are not the first edition.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *A Fatal Inversion* by Barbara Vine (Ruth Rendell) a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/a-fatal-inversion
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.