# Is "Angels Flight" by Michael Connelly a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Angels Flight by Michael Connelly (Little, Brown, 1999) is identified by: "First Edition" stated on the copyright page with a full number line descending to 1 (10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1). US Little, Brown is the true first; sixth Harry Bosch novel, published January 1999.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- "First Edition" stated on the copyright page with a full number line descending to 1 (10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1)
- Bound in black cloth over black boards, the spine stamped in silver, in the illustrated, priced (unclipped) dust jacket
- The trade first is the standard January 1999 Little, Brown printing; note that a separate special edition of only 300 copies was issued with a different jacket to benefit the restoration of the Angels Flight funicular, and should not be confused with the ordinary trade first
- Publisher imprint reads Little, Brown
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Michael Connelly |
| Publisher | Little, Brown |
| Year | 1999 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | "First Edition" stated on the copyright page with a full number line descending to 1 (10… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
"First Edition" stated on the copyright page with a full number line descending to 1 (10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1). Bound in black cloth over black boards, the spine stamped in silver, in the illustrated, priced (unclipped) dust jacket. The trade first is the standard January 1999 Little, Brown printing; note that a separate special edition of only 300 copies was issued with a different jacket to benefit the restoration of the Angels Flight funicular, and should not be confused with the ordinary trade first.

## Is this the true first?
US Little, Brown is the true first; sixth Harry Bosch novel, published January 1999.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book club editions lack the number line and carry no printed price on the jacket flap; look also for the small blindstamp or dimple on the rear board that marks club copies of this period. The stated First Edition plus complete number line and priced jacket identify the trade first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Angels Flight* by Michael Connelly a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/angels-flight
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.