# Is "A Mind to Murder" by P.D. James a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of A Mind to Murder by P.D. James (Faber and Faber, 1963) is identified by: Faber and Faber first, 1963; publisher's red cloth lettered in gilt on the spine; first-issue dust jacket with its printed price on the front flap. The UK Faber edition of 1963 precedes the US Scribner edition (1967).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Faber and Faber first, 1963; publisher's red cloth lettered in gilt on the spine; first-issue dust jacket with its printed price on the front flap
- Copyright verso carries a single first-published statement with no later-impression line
- Publisher imprint reads Faber and Faber
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | P.D. James |
| Publisher | Faber and Faber |
| Year | 1963 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Faber and Faber first, 1963; publisher's red cloth lettered in gilt on the spine; first-issue dust jacket with its printed price on the… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
Faber and Faber first, 1963; publisher's red cloth lettered in gilt on the spine; first-issue dust jacket with its printed price on the front flap. Copyright verso carries a single first-published statement with no later-impression line.

## Is this the true first?
The UK Faber edition of 1963 precedes the US Scribner edition (1967). Second Adam Dalgliesh novel. UK Faber is the true first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later impressions add a printing statement to the verso. Price-clipped jackets lose the printed price point. The US first is a separate, later first American edition.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *A Mind to Murder* by P.D. James a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/a-mind-to-murder
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.