# Is "A Murder of Quality" by John le Carré a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of A Murder of Quality by John le Carré (Victor Gollancz, 1962) is identified by: Gollancz first edition, 1962; publisher's red cloth with gilt spine lettering. UK Gollancz (1962) is the true first; US Walker (1963) followed.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Gollancz first edition, 1962; publisher's red cloth with gilt spine lettering
- First-issue yellow Gollancz typographic jacket with its printed price to the inside flap
- Verso without a later-impression line
- Publisher imprint reads Victor Gollancz
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | John le Carré |
| Publisher | Victor Gollancz |
| Year | 1962 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Gollancz first edition, 1962; publisher's red cloth with gilt spine lettering |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Gollancz first edition, 1962; publisher's red cloth with gilt spine lettering. First-issue yellow Gollancz typographic jacket with its printed price to the inside flap. Verso without a later-impression line.

## Is this the true first?
UK Gollancz (1962) is the true first; US Walker (1963) followed. The second Smiley novel.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later impressions/reprints add impression statements and are reset; the John le Carré Omnibus (Gollancz, 1964) and book-club copies are not the first and lack the original price.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *A Murder of Quality* by John le Carré a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/a-murder-of-quality
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.