# Is "A New Lease of Death (US: Sins of the Fathers)" by Ruth Rendell a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of A New Lease of Death (US: Sins of the Fathers) by Ruth Rendell (John Long, 1967) is identified by: John Long first, 1967, under the UK title 'A New Lease of Death'; publisher's boards with gilt spine titles; first-issue dust jacket illustrated by William Randell and with its printed price. UK John Long (1967) is the true first under the UK title.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- John Long first, 1967, under the UK title 'A New Lease of Death'; publisher's boards with gilt spine titles; first-issue dust jacket illustrated by William Randell and with its printed price
- Copyright page carries a single first-published statement
- Publisher imprint reads John Long
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Ruth Rendell |
| Publisher | John Long |
| Year | 1967 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | John Long first, 1967, under the UK title 'A New Lease of Death'; publisher's boards with gilt spine titles; first-issue dust jacket… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
John Long first, 1967, under the UK title 'A New Lease of Death'; publisher's boards with gilt spine titles; first-issue dust jacket illustrated by William Randell and with its printed price. Copyright page carries a single first-published statement.

## Is this the true first?
UK John Long (1967) is the true first under the UK title. The US Doubleday edition (1967) used the title 'The Sins of the Fathers.' Second Inspector Wexford novel; the UK title is the original.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
US-titled copies are a separate issue; price-clipped jackets lose the printed price. Later John Long impressions add a printing line.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *A New Lease of Death (US: Sins of the Fathers)* by Ruth Rendell a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/a-new-lease-of-death-us-sins-of-the-fathers
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.