Lawrence Block First Editions

• Mona (a.k.a. Grifter's Game) — 1961 · Gold MedalPaperback original published as 'Mona' by Fawcett Gold Medal, February 1961, catalog number s1085, in pictorial card wrappers with yellow-stained edges, collating [6],7-159,[1] pages with publisher's ads. No hardcover was issued in 1961. Block's first novel under his own name. The true first is the 1961 US Gold Medal paperback original titled 'Mona.' It was later reprinted as 'Sweet Slow Death' (Jove, 1986), 'Mona' (Carroll & Graf, 1994), and 'Grifter's Game' (Hard Case Crime, 2004), and a Five Star hardcover appeared in 1999; none of these reissues is the true first. No book club edition; the retitled paperback and hardcover reissues are later editions, not the true first.
• Lucky at Cards — 1964 · BeaconThe true first appearance is the 1964 Beacon paperback original titled 'The Sex Shuffle' under the pseudonym Sheldon Lord, a wraps-only softcover of roughly 155 pages, catalogue B757X (a number confirmed consistently across dealer listings). As a paperback original there is no number line or dust jacket; identification rests on the Beacon imprint, the B757X code, and the 'Sheldon Lord' byline on the pictorial wraps. Originally issued in 1964 as a pseudonymous Beacon softcover titled 'The Sex Shuffle' by 'Sheldon Lord'. The 1970 Softcover Library printing (retaining the 'Sex Shuffle' title) is a later reprint, not the first. The text was reissued under Block's own name as 'Lucky at Cards' by Hard Case Crime in 2007. No book-club issue applies to this vintage paperback original. The Hard Case Crime edition of 2007 is a later first-thus under the retitled 'Lucky at Cards' and is not the true first appearance of the text; the 1970 Softcover Library printing is likewise a reprint.
• The Girl with the Long Green Heart — 1965 · Gold MedalMass-market paperback original, Gold Medal (Fawcett) K1555, 1965. Issued in pictorial wrappers with no dust jacket, as was standard for Gold Medal originals of the period. The first printing carries the Gold Medal catalogue number K1555 with the cover price present and no additional printing statement or reprint number indicating a later Gold Medal impression. The true first is the 1965 Fawcett Gold Medal paperback original (K1555), a standalone con-artist caper novel with no prior hardcover. Not a book-club title. Later reprinted by Hard Case Crime in 2005 with new cover art by Robert McGinnis; that reprint is a later edition, not the first.
• The Canceled Czech — 1966 · Fawcett Gold MedalPaperback original from Fawcett Gold Medal, 1966, Gold Medal catalog number d1747; no prior hardcover. Identify the first printing by the Gold Medal pictorial wrappers, the printed cover price, and the d1747 catalog number on the front cover and spine, with no statement of a later printing. Second novel in the Evan Tanner series. True first is the US Fawcett Gold Medal paperback original of 1966. Second Evan Tanner novel. As a paperback original, the Gold Medal wrappered first printing (d1747) is the true first; there is no book-club edition.
• The Thief Who Couldn't Sleep — 1966 · Fawcett Gold MedalPaperback original from Fawcett Gold Medal (Gold Medal d1637); no prior hardcover. Identify by the Gold Medal wrappers and cover price, with the Gold Medal catalog number on the cover and spine; the first hardcover edition did not appear until The Armchair Detective Library in 1994. True first is the US Fawcett Gold Medal paperback original of 1966. This is the first Evan Tanner novel; there was no earlier hardcover. As a paperback original, the Gold Medal wrappered first printing is the true first. No book club edition is relevant.
• Tanner's Twelve Swingers — 1967 · Fawcett Gold MedalPaperback original from Fawcett Gold Medal (Fawcett Publications, Greenwich, Connecticut; Gold Medal d1869), with no prior hardcover. A small octavo in pictorial wrappers; identify by the Gold Medal wrappers, the printed cover price, and the Gold Medal catalog number d1869 on cover and spine. True first is the US Fawcett Gold Medal paperback original of 1967. Third Evan Tanner novel. As a paperback original, the Gold Medal wrappered first printing is the true first.
• After the First Death — 1969 · The Macmillan CompanyFirst edition under Block's own name, The Macmillan Company, New York, 1969, in cloth boards with a printed dust jacket. On a Macmillan first of this period the copyright page carries no later-printing statement and no additional printings are listed, and the jacket is a first-state trade jacket with the printed price present at the upper front flap. The book is Block's second hardcover under his own name,…. US Macmillan (The Macmillan Company) true first; a standalone crime novel published under Lawrence Block's own name. No earlier hardcover or paperback precedes the 1969 Macmillan printing. The trade first is identified by the priced first-state jacket and a copyright page with no later-printing statement. A book-club copy is distinguished by an unpriced jacket (no printed price at the flap) and a small blindstamp impressed into the lower corner of the rear board; a book-club jacket often lacks the printed price even when the plates still read as a first.
• Such Men Are Dangerous — 1969 · The Macmillan CompanyFirst edition published under the pen name Paul Kavanagh (subtitled A Novel of Violence). First printing in red cloth with gilt spine titles and a priced dust jacket; no later-printing statement on the copyright page. US Macmillan (The Macmillan Company) true first, issued under the byline Paul Kavanagh. First of three Kavanagh novels. Any book-club edition would lack the priced jacket and typically show a blindstamp to the rear board; verify the priced jacket and the absence of a later-printing statement to confirm the trade first.
• The Specialists — 1969 · Gold MedalPaperback original in pictorial wrappers, no prior hardcover. The first printing is the Fawcett Gold Medal edition numbered R2067 on the cover and spine, with the printed cover price present and no later-printing statement; the copyright page shows only the 1969 Gold Medal notice. Conceived as the opener of a projected action-adventure series about five former Green Berets. True first is the US Fawcett Gold Medal paperback original (Gold Medal R2067, 1969); the title had no hardcover appearance until much later reprints, including a Carroll & Graf paperback (1993) and a James Cahill Publishing hardcover (1996). The 1969 Gold Medal wrappers are the first appearance. No book-club edition exists; the Gold Medal R2067 paperback original is the true first. Later Carroll & Graf and Cahill reprints are distinguished by their own imprints and dates, not by book-club tells.
• Ronald Rabbit Is a Dirty Old Man — 1971 · Bernard Geis AssociatesFirst edition, first printing under Block's own name, Bernard Geis Associates, New York, 1971. Bound in red paper-covered boards over a yellow cloth spine, lettered in black. The first-issue dust jacket should retain its original printed front-flap price and carries no later-printing statement; a comic epistolary standalone told in letters. A genuinely scarce title, as Bernard Geis Associates went into bankruptcy…. US Bernard Geis Associates true first, published under Lawrence Block's own name. A scarce standalone comic epistolary novel; the firm's collapse near the time of publication limited the print run. No significant book-club edition confirmed; verify the trade first by the red boards with yellow cloth spine and the priced first-issue jacket.
• The Triumph of Evil — 1971 · The World Publishing CompanyFirst edition under the pen name Paul Kavanagh (The World Publishing Company, 1971), collating [xiv], 126, [4] pages. First printing in blue cloth with the spine stamped in gilt and metallic green, in the publisher's dust jacket with its printed price present and no later-printing statement. US World Publishing Company (New York/Cleveland) true first, issued under the byline Paul Kavanagh. Second of three Kavanagh novels. No significant book-club edition confirmed; verify the trade first by the priced jacket and the absence of a later-printing statement.
• Not Comin' Home to You — 1974 · G.P. Putnam's SonsG.P. Putnam's Sons, New York, 1974, first edition, first printing, issued under the pen name Paul Kavanagh, with the Putnam imprint on the title page and no later-printing statement. Bound in original brown cloth lettered in gilt, octavo, 220 pages, in a priced dust jacket (printed price present regardless of any clipping). US G.P. Putnam's Sons true first, issued under the byline Paul Kavanagh. Third and last of the Kavanagh novels; loosely based on the Starkweather-Fugate murders. No significant book-club edition confirmed; identify the trade first by the priced jacket, the Putnam title-page imprint and the brown-cloth gilt binding.
• In the Midst of Death — 1976 · DellPaperback original, published by Dell in 1976; the true first exists only in wraps, with no preceding hardcover from the publisher. Later hardcover editions (for example the G&G Books collector hardcover) are much later and not the first appearance. True first is the US Dell mass-market paperback original of 1976; this is the third Matthew Scudder novel. The early Scudder titles appeared as Dell paperback originals in 1976-1977 before the series moved to original hardcovers. The paperback original is the true first; there is no earlier book-club or hardcover state to distinguish.
• The Sins of the Fathers — 1976 · DellDell paperback original (Dell number 7991), first printing stated on the copyright page; no prior hardcover exists. The wraps carry a James M. Cain cover blurb ('Very Superior!') and Dell's 'New York's answer to Lew Archer' promotion, consistent with the 1976 first issue. The US Dell paperback original is the true first (1976); it introduces Matthew Scudder, the melancholy, alcoholic ex-cop protagonist. Hardcover editions of the title appeared only years later. No book club edition; the Dell paperback original is the true first.
• Burglars Can't Be Choosers — 1977 · Random HouseCopyright page states First Edition accompanied by a number line whose lowest number is 2; on Random House first printings of this era the 1 is absent and the stated First Edition takes its place. Dust jacket is price-clipped-free (priced) on the true first. US Random House edition is the true first; first Bernie Rhodenbarr (Burglar) novel. Book club editions lack the priced jacket and typically show a blindstamp on the rear board with no number line.
• Time to Murder and Create — 1977 · DellDell paperback original, 1977; the true first edition, identified by the first-printing code in the descending printing line on the copyright page. Issued only in pictorial wrappers with no contemporaneous hardcover. The first hardcover appearance of the text came only later, with a UK Robert Hale hardcover in 1979; no US hardcover was published until 1992. The US Dell paperback original is the true first. By reading/series order it is the second Matthew Scudder novel, but by date of publication it appeared third, after The Sins of the Fathers (1976) and In the Midst of Death (1976) — Block wrote it before In the Midst of Death, so the writing and publication order are reversed. No book club edition; the paperback original is the true first. The first hardcover appeared only years later (UK Robert Hale, 1979; first US hardcover 1992).
• The Burglar in the Closet — 1978 · Random HouseRandom House, New York, 1978. The copyright page states First Edition with a number line whose lowest number is 2, the Random House convention of the period in which the 1 is absent on firsts. Bound in quarter black paper over light blue boards with silver lettering on the spine; octavo. The first-issue dust jacket, designed by Emanuel Schengut, should retain its printed price on the front flap. US Random House edition is the true first; the second Bernie Rhodenbarr novel. Book club editions lack the priced jacket and typically show a rear-board blindstamp with no number line.
• The Burglar Who Liked to Quote Kipling — 1979 · Random HouseCopyright page states 'First Edition' with a number line whose lowest number is 2 (Random House firsts of this era retain 'First Edition' with the 2 as the lowest digit, and do not print a 1). Bound with silver lettering stamped to the spine; issued in a pictorial dust jacket that should retain its printed price on the front flap of the true first. 196 pages. US Random House edition (1979) is the true first; third Bernie Rhodenbarr / 'Burglar' novel; a UK Hale hardcover (Robert Hale, ISBN 0-7091-8746-2) followed and is not the true first. Book-club editions are printed on thinner bulk, lack the printed price on the jacket flap, carry a rear-board blindstamp, and do not show the Random House 'First Edition' / number-line statement; watch also for remainder marks to the bottom text-block edge, which appear on some trade copies.
• The Burglar Who Studied Spinoza — 1980 · Random HouseRandom House first printing, the fourth Bernie Rhodenbarr mystery. The copyright page carries a number line whose lowest surviving digit is 2 (Random House omitted the 1 on firsts of this period), with no later-printing statement. Bound in quarter black paper over orange paper boards with silver lettering on the spine. The first-issue dust jacket was designed by Richard Adelson and should retain the printed price…. US Random House edition (New York) is the true first; the fourth Burglar/Bernie Rhodenbarr novel. None significant; identify the first by the number line reading down to 2 and the priced Adelson jacket.
• A Stab in the Dark — 1981 · Arbor HouseFirst hardcover edition, bound in quarter black cloth over grey cloth boards with gilt spine lettering. First printing carries a complete number line on the copyright page and is issued in a priced, unclipped dust jacket, the jacket designed by Bob Silverman (the printed price should be present on the front flap). Recorded in the Block bibliography as Henderson 107. US Arbor House hardcover of 1981 is the true first. This is the fourth Matthew Scudder novel and the first Scudder title to be published first in hardcover (the earlier three appeared as Dell paperback originals). Book-club editions lack the priced jacket and are typically identified by a blindstamp on the rear board and the absence of a number line.
• Telling Lies for Fun & Profit — 1981 · Arbor HouseFirst hardcover edition. Arbor House states 'First Edition' on the copyright page. ISBN 0877953341. Nonfiction, collecting Block's Writer's Digest columns on fiction writing. The US Arbor House hardcover is the true first edition. A nonfiction manual for fiction writers. No significant book-club issue affecting identification of the Arbor House first.
• Eight Million Ways to Die — 1982 · Arbor HouseFirst hardcover edition; first printing has a complete number line on the copyright page and a priced dust jacket. Dealer copies confirm the full number line and the priced jacket as the identifying points. US Arbor House hardcover of 1982 is the true first; fifth Matthew Scudder novel and a key title in the series. Book-club editions lack the priced jacket and are identified by the absence of a number line and, commonly, a blindstamp on the rear board.
• Sometimes They Bite — 1983 · Arbor HouseFirst hardcover edition, Arbor House, New York, 1983, with "First Edition" stated on the copyright page (ISBN 0877954852). A collection of short crime stories including Scudder, Rhodenbarr, and Ehrengraff tales. Bound with a black linen spine stamped in gilt over green paper-covered boards. First-issue dust jacket carries the printed price on the front flap (present, unclipped-agnostic). The US Arbor House hardcover is the true first edition, identified by the stated "First Edition," the black-spine-over-green-boards binding, and the priced first-issue jacket. No significant book-club issue affects identification of the Arbor House first; the stated "First Edition" and priced jacket confirm the first printing.
• The Burglar Who Painted Like Mondrian — 1983 · Arbor HouseCopyright page states First Edition; Arbor House first printings of this era rely on the stated First Edition rather than a number line. Priced dust jacket (jacket flap carries the original price) on the true first. US Arbor House edition is the true first; fifth Burglar novel. None significant.
• When the Sacred Ginmill Closes — 1986 · Arbor HouseUS Arbor House first edition, 1986, 239 pages; the first printing is indicated by the full number line descending to 1 on the copyright page, consistent with Arbor House practice of the period, in a first-issue priced dust jacket. US Arbor House (1986) is the true first. A pivotal Matthew Scudder novel, developed from the earlier story By the Dawn's Early Light, widely regarded as one of the strongest in the series. The book-club edition lacks the full number line to 1, carries a blind-stamped mark on the rear board, has no flap price, and is on lighter paper.
• Random Walk — 1988 · TorTor (A Tom Doherty Associates Book), New York, 1988, first edition, first printing, with 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page above a full descending number line ending in 1. Full title on the title page is 'Random Walk: A Novel for a New Age.' Issued in hardcover, 345 pages, in a dust jacket with the printed price present on the front flap (present regardless of any clipping). A standalone New Age /…. US Tor hardcover (1988) is the true first edition; identify by the stated 'First Edition' and complete number line. The 2008 signed/numbered slipcased issue is a later printing. No significant book-club edition is a concern for this title; a later 2008 limited signed/numbered slipcased edition is distinct from the 1988 first.
• Out on the Cutting Edge — 1989 · William MorrowFirst edition so stated on the copyright page with a complete Morrow number line running down to 1. Bound in cloth-backed boards lettered in gold script; the first-state dust jacket should retain the printed price on the front flap (an unclipped example carries it). ISBN 0-688-09069-9. US William Morrow hardcover of 1989 is the true first; seventh Matthew Scudder novel. Book-club editions are printed from the same setting but lack the number line and priced jacket, and typically carry a blindstamp on the rear board.
• A Ticket to the Boneyard — 1990 · William Morrow'First Edition' so stated on the copyright page with a complete Morrow number line running down to 1. Bound in quarter black cloth over gray boards with metallic lettering to the spine; collates 302 pages. Issued in a printed dust jacket bearing the original price on the front flap (present, not clipped). Eighth Matthew Scudder novel. US William Morrow hardcover of 1990 is the true first; eighth Matthew Scudder novel. No significant book-club or precedence issue affecting first-edition identification; verify the stated First Edition line and full Morrow number line.
• A Dance at the Slaughterhouse — 1991 · William MorrowMorrow first edition stated on the copyright page with a complete number line down to 1. First-issue jacket carries the printed price on the front flap. Matthew Scudder novel; winner of the Edgar Award for Best Novel (1992). The US William Morrow edition (1991) is the true first. Book-club edition is common: blind-stamp to the rear board and no price on the jacket.
• A Walk Among the Tombstones — 1992 · William MorrowFirst edition so stated on the copyright page, with a complete Morrow number line running down to 1. The book is bound in quarter red cloth over purple paper boards, lettered in gold on the spine, with orange endpapers and pastedowns. The first-state dust jacket was designed by Robert Aulicino and should carry the printed price on the front flap (an unclipped example retains it). The US William Morrow hardcover of 1992 is the true first; it is the tenth Matthew Scudder novel and the basis for the 2014 film. ISBN 0-688-10350-2. Later movie tie-in printings and reprints exist and are not the first edition; confirm the stated First Edition line, the full Morrow number line down to 1, and the priced Aulicino jacket.
• The Devil Knows You're Dead — 1993 · William MorrowFirst trade hardcover, ISBN 0-688-12192-6. The first printing carries 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page together with a complete descending number line ending in 1; the terminal '1' confirms the first printing. The first-issue dust jacket should retain its printed price on the front flap (price-clipped copies remain firsts, but the price should originally have been present). The US William Morrow edition is the true first; eleventh Matthew Scudder novel. No significant book-club-edition confusion is documented for this title. Any book-club printing would lack the stated 'First Edition' line and number line, and its jacket would carry no printed price.
• A Long Line of Dead Men — 1994 · William Morrow'First Edition' is stated on the copyright page together with a complete number line; the presence of the 1 in that line confirms the first printing (ISBN 0-688-12193-4). The book is bound in red quarter cloth over black boards with red endpapers, collating 285 pages, and issued in a pictorial dust jacket carrying the printed price on the flap, so an unclipped jacket is the preferred state. US William Morrow edition is the true first; twelfth Matthew Scudder novel. No significant book-club-edition confusion is documented for this title. Book-club printings, where they exist, omit the stated 'First Edition' line and the number line and are typically bound in blind-stamped boards without the quarter-cloth binding.
• The Burglar Who Thought He Was Bogart — 1995 · DuttonFirst printing states First Edition on the copyright page with a full number line ending in 1; 291 pages. The pictorial dust jacket, art by Doug Henry, sets an inset of a trench-coated Maltese falcon and a woman seen through a magnifying glass, and carries the printed retail price on the front flap. ISBN 0525940162. US Dutton is the true first edition. This is the seventh Bernie Rhodenbarr (Burglar) novel, not the sixth. No significant book-club issue identified; confirm the stated First Edition line with a number line ending in 1.
• Even the Wicked — 1997 · William MorrowFirst trade hardcover, ISBN 0-688-14181-1. In William Morrow's house style the first printing carries 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page together with a complete descending number line ending in 1 (10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1); the presence of that terminal '1' confirms the first printing. The first-issue dust jacket should retain its printed price on the front flap (a price-clipped example is still a first,…. The US William Morrow edition is the true first; thirteenth Matthew Scudder novel. A later British hardcover exists, but the Morrow printing precedes it. No significant book-club-edition confusion is documented for this title. A book-club printing would lack the stated 'First Edition' line and the full Morrow number line, and its jacket would carry no printed price.
• The Burglar in the Library — 1997 · DuttonFirst printing states 'First Edition' with a number line ending in 1. Distinguishing first-printing point: a text error on the opening line reads 'settle' where later printings read 'settled'; this error prompted a recall. ISBN 0525943013. US Dutton is the true first edition. This is the eighth Bernie Rhodenbarr (Burglar) novel, not the seventh. No significant book-club issue identified. A separate signed British Scorpion Press edition exists but is not the true first.
• Everybody Dies — 1998 · William MorrowFirst trade hardcover, ISBN 0-688-14182-X. The first printing carries 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page together with a complete descending number line ending in 1; the terminal '1' confirms the first printing. The volume is bound in black boards with red lettering on the spine. The dust jacket is designed by Bradford Foltz and should retain its printed price on the front flap (price-clipped copies…. The US William Morrow edition is the true first; fourteenth Matthew Scudder novel. No significant book-club-edition confusion is documented for this title. A book-club printing would lack the stated 'First Edition' line and the full number line, and its jacket would carry no printed price.
• Hit Man — 1998 · William MorrowStated 'First Edition' on the copyright page together with a full number line descending to 1. First US trade hardcover in dust jacket; ISBN 0-688-14179-X on the flap and to the copyright page. This is the first Keller book, a collection of linked stories about Keller, a gun for hire dispatched from White Plains, New York through an intermediary named Dot; the first-issue jacket retains its printed price at the…. US William Morrow hardcover of 1998 is the true first; there was no preceding UK or other-territory edition of this collection. None significant for identification; rely on the stated 'First Edition' plus the number line ending in 1, and the presence of the printed jacket price. A later mass-market paperback carries ISBN 0-380-72541-X and should not be confused with the hardcover first.
• The Burglar in the Rye — 1999 · DuttonFirst printing states 'First Edition' on the copyright page with a full number line reading 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1. ISBN 0525945008. Bound in quarter cloth, octavo, roughly 280 pages, in a priced dust jacket; a first-state jacket should retain its printed price unclipped. US Dutton (a Penguin Putnam imprint) is the true first edition. This is the ninth Bernie Rhodenbarr (Burglar) novel; the number line to 1 and stated 'First Edition' together identify the first printing. No significant book-club issue identified.
• Hit List — 2000 · William MorrowStated 'First Edition' on the copyright page together with a full number line descending to 1. First US trade hardcover of roughly 296 pages, issued in a pictorial dust jacket that should retain its printed price unclipped. Second novel in the Keller (hit-man) series. US William Morrow hardcover of 2000 (ISBN 0-06-019833-8) is the true first. Second Keller book. None significant for identification; rely on the stated 'First Edition' plus the number line ending in 1.
• Hope to Die — 2001 · William MorrowFirst trade hardcover, ISBN 0-06-019832-9. The first printing carries 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page together with a complete descending number line ending in 1; the terminal '1' confirms the first printing. The first-issue dust jacket should retain its printed price on the front flap. Note that a separate signed limited edition also exists, quarter-bound in black leather with decorative boards and…. The US William Morrow edition is the true first; fifteenth Matthew Scudder novel. By this date William Morrow was a HarperCollins imprint (ISBN prefix 006), but the title-page imprint remained William Morrow. No significant book-club-edition confusion is documented for this title. A book-club printing would lack the stated 'First Edition' line and the full number line, and its jacket would carry no printed price.
• Small Town — 2003 · William MorrowFirst printing states 'First Edition' on the copyright page with a full number line ending in 1 (ISBN 0060011904 / 9780060011901). Published by William Morrow in 2003 in hardcover; the pictorial dust jacket carries the publisher's printed price at the flap corner, which should be present on a first-issue jacket. The US William Morrow hardcover is the true first edition; a stand-alone New York City novel. No significant book-club edition; identify the first by the stated 'First Edition' together with the complete number line ending in 1.
• The Burglar on the Prowl — 2004 · William MorrowWilliam Morrow, New York, 2004; the first printing states 'First Edition' on the copyright page together with a full number line descending to 1. Bound in green and blue paper boards with red imprinting on the spine; the first-issue pictorial dust jacket should retain its printed price on the front flap (ISBN 0060198303). US William Morrow is the true first edition. This is the tenth Bernie Rhodenbarr (Burglar) novel, not the ninth. No significant book-club issue identified.
• All the Flowers Are Dying — 2005 · William Morrow'First Edition' is stated on the copyright page together with a complete number line; the presence of the 1 in that line confirms the first printing (William Morrow, February 2005; ISBN 0-06-019831-1). The trade first is issued in a pictorial dust jacket carrying the printed price on the front flap, so an unclipped jacket is the desirable state. US William Morrow edition (HarperCollins, ISBN prefix 006) is the true first; sixteenth Matthew Scudder novel. A separate signed limited edition of 90 copies was issued by Scorpion Press in the UK and is a distinct collectible issue, not the trade first. A book-of-the-month/club printing exists (ISBN 0-7394-5144-8) that lacks the stated 'First Edition' and number line; identify the true first by the Morrow 006-prefix ISBN with the 'First Edition' statement and full number line.
• Hit Parade — 2006 · William MorrowStated 'First Edition' on the copyright page together with a full number line descending to 1. First US trade hardcover in dust jacket, published July 2006, 295 pages; ISBN 0-06-084088-9 (13-digit 978-0-06-084088-4). The first-issue jacket should retain its printed price at the flap corner. Third Keller book. US William Morrow hardcover of 2006 is the true first. Third Keller book. By this date Morrow was a HarperCollins imprint, so the copyright page bears Harper's number-line convention with a 006 ISBN, but the title-page imprint remains William Morrow. None significant for identification; rely on the stated 'First Edition' plus the number line ending in 1 and the printed jacket price.
• Hit and Run — 2008 · William MorrowFirst trade hardcover, ISBN 0-06-084090-0. Morrow states 'FIRST EDITION' on the copyright page together with a full descending number line ending in 1; the terminal '1' confirms the first printing. By this date Morrow was a HarperCollins imprint, hence the 006 ISBN prefix, but the title-page imprint remained William Morrow. The first-issue dust jacket should retain its printed price on the front flap. The US William Morrow hardcover is the true first edition. Fourth book in the Keller series. No significant book-club issue affecting identification of the Morrow first. A book-club printing would lack the stated 'FIRST EDITION' line and the full number line, and its jacket would carry no printed price.
• A Drop of the Hard Stuff — 2011 · Mulholland/Little, BrownTrade first: copyright page states 'First Edition' and carries a full number line whose lowest digit is 1 on the first printing, published by Mulholland Books (Little, Brown) in 2011; the first-state dust jacket should retain its printed front-flap price (present, unclipped). A signed, numbered limited edition of one hundred copies from The Mysterious Bookshop, bound in marbled boards with a blue leather spine stamped in gold and issued without a dust jacket, precedes the trade edition. The US Mulholland (Little, Brown) hardcover is the true first trade edition; the seventeenth and final Matthew Scudder novel. None significant.
• Getting Off — 2011 · Hard Case CrimeCredited to 'Lawrence Block writing as Jill Emerson.' Subtitled 'A Novel of Sex and Violence.' Issued in 2011 in both a hardcover original and a softcover; the hardcover was Hard Case Crime's first-ever hardcover original. US Hard Case Crime is the true first publisher. Both the hardcover original and the paperback were issued in the same year as first-format publications; collectors typically prize the hardcover original as the more notable first. No book-club edition of concern. Distinguish only by format (hardcover original versus paperback) rather than by later printings.
• Hit Me — 2013 · Mulholland Books / Little, BrownFirst trade hardcover. Identified by a full descending number line ending in 1 on the copyright page. The US Mulholland Books / Little, Brown hardcover is the true first edition. Fifth book in the Keller series. No significant book-club issue affecting identification of the first printing.
• The Burglar Who Counted the Spoons — 2013 · LB ProductionsThe true first is the 2013 author-published hardcover, issued as a signed and numbered limited edition (a run of 1000 copies, printed by G&H Soho) under Block's own imprint. Verify a copy is from this 2013 issue rather than the later 2015 Subterranean Press trade hardcover, which is stated as 'First Trade Hardcover Edition.'. US self-published 2013 hardcover is the true first. This is the eleventh Bernie Rhodenbarr (Burglar) novel, not the tenth. No book-club issue. A separate later Subterranean Press trade hardcover (2015) exists and is not the true first.

More Mystery, Crime & Thriller shelves: Lee Child, Lee Child and Andrew Child, Len Deighton, Louise Penny, Margery Allingham, Mary Westmacott (Agatha Christie).

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