# Is "A Hell of a Woman" by Jim Thompson a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of A Hell of a Woman by Jim Thompson (Lion Books, 1954) is identified by: True first is the paperback original, Lion Books #218 (1954), the printed price. Paperback is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- True first is the paperback original, Lion Books #218
- , the printed price
- Paperback wraps; no hardcover precedes it
- Lion logo and catalog number 218
- Famous for its split-narrative ending
- First printing has no later-printing statement
- Publisher imprint reads Lion Books

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Jim Thompson |
| Publisher | Lion Books |
| Year | 1954 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | True first is the paperback original, Lion Books #218 |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
True first is the paperback original, Lion Books #218 (1954), the printed price. Paperback wraps; no hardcover precedes it. Lion logo and catalog number 218. Famous for its split-narrative ending. First printing has no later-printing statement.

## Is this the true first?
Paperback is the true first. Modern reprints (Black Lizard etc.) are first-thus only.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition. Distinguish the Lion #218 first from later Lion Library reissues and modern reprints.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *A Hell of a Woman* by Jim Thompson a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/a-hell-of-a-woman
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.