# Is "A Is for Alibi" by Sue Grafton a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of A Is for Alibi by Sue Grafton (Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1982) is identified by: Holt, Rinehart and Winston first printing, 1982: copyright page with first-printing indicia (number line descending to 1 per HRW practice). US Holt 1982 is the true first, preceding the UK Macmillan edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Holt, Rinehart and Winston first printing, 1982: copyright page with first-printing indicia (number line descending to 1 per HRW practice)
- Dust jacket with its printed price
- Grafton's first Kinsey Millhone novel — the key collectible because the first printing was small before the series became a bestseller
- Publisher imprint reads Holt, Rinehart and Winston
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Sue Grafton |
| Publisher | Holt, Rinehart and Winston |
| Year | 1982 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Holt, Rinehart and Winston first printing, 1982: copyright page with first-printing indicia (number line descending to 1 per HRW practice) |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Holt, Rinehart and Winston first printing, 1982: copyright page with first-printing indicia (number line descending to 1 per HRW practice). Dust jacket with its printed price. Grafton's first Kinsey Millhone novel — the key collectible because the first printing was small before the series became a bestseller.

## Is this the true first?
US Holt 1982 is the true first, preceding the UK Macmillan edition. The US first is scarce (small initial run) and the most valuable in the series; signed copies sought.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book Club Edition has a rear-board blind stamp, no jacket price, and reduced size; lacks the full number line/first-printing statement. Confirm trade first by priced jacket and first-printing line.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *A Is for Alibi* by Sue Grafton a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/a-is-for-alibi
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.