Robert Galbraith (J.K. Rowling) First Editions

• The Cuckoo's Calling — 2013 · Sphere / Little, BrownUK Sphere (Little, Brown imprint) first printing, April 2013, published under the pseudonym 'Robert Galbraith' BEFORE the Rowling authorship was revealed. First printing has the number line descending to 1. The true first was a small run printed before the July 2013 unmasking, making early jacketed firsts scarce and valuable. UK Sphere 2013 is the true first, preceding the US Mulholland/Little, Brown edition (2013). Pre-revelation first printings are the prize; genuine 'Robert Galbraith'-signed copies (some later signed by Rowling) command high premiums — beware forged signatures. Later printings (post-revelation) show a number line not reaching 1. Confirm by the line ending in 1 and the early UK Sphere imprint; book-club issues lack the priced jacket.
• The Silkworm — 2014 · Sphere / Little, BrownCopyright page reads 'First published in Great Britain in 2014 by Sphere' with a full descending number line to 1. The US first was published by Mulholland Books (Little, Brown) in 2014, also with a full number line to 1. UK Sphere hardcover is the true first (June 2014). By this point Rowling's authorship of the Galbraith novels was public, so print runs were large and the identification points are conventional first-edition indicators. Reprints and book-club issues advance or omit the number line; no special first-issue text points are reported for this title.
• Career of Evil — 2015 · Sphere / Little, BrownCopyright page states 'First published in Great Britain in 2015 by Sphere' with a full number line descending to 1 (10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1). UK Sphere hardcover ISBN 9780751562279. The US edition (Mulholland Books, an imprint of Little, Brown US) carries its own number line to 1. Publisher-signed copies of the trade first exist (title page signed 'Robert Galbraith'); these are the standard first edition signed, not…. UK Sphere edition is conventionally cataloged as the first edition (published 20 October 2015). Note it was released simultaneously in the US by Mulholland Books the same day, so UK precedence rests on cataloging convention rather than a clear date gap. Later printings advance the number line so that 1 is no longer present.
• Lethal White — 2018 · Sphere / Little, BrownCopyright page states 'First published in Great Britain in 2018 by Sphere' with a full number line descending to 1. UK Sphere hardcover ISBN 9780751572858. The US first (Mulholland Books) carries its own number line to 1. Signed copies exist, signed 'Robert Galbraith' on the title page, typically with a Rowling hologram sticker to the verso of the half-title; these were distributed as competition or promotional…. UK Sphere edition is conventionally cataloged as the first edition (published September 2018), released alongside the US Mulholland edition. UK precedence rests on cataloging convention rather than a clear date gap. Later printings advance the number line so that 1 is no longer present.
• Troubled Blood — 2020 · Sphere / Little, BrownCopyright page states 'First published in Great Britain in 2020 by Sphere' with a full number line descending to 1. UK Sphere hardcover. The US first (Mulholland Books) carries its own number line to 1. UK Sphere edition is conventionally cataloged as the first edition (published 15 September 2020), released alongside the US Mulholland edition. UK precedence rests on cataloging convention rather than a clear date gap. Later printings advance the number line so that 1 is no longer present.
• The Ink Black Heart — 2022 · Sphere / Little, BrownCopyright page states 'First published in Great Britain in 2022 by Sphere' with a full number line descending to 1. UK Sphere hardcover. The US first (Mulholland Books) carries its own number line to 1. UK Sphere edition is conventionally cataloged as the first edition (published August 2022), released alongside the US Mulholland edition. UK precedence rests on cataloging convention rather than a clear date gap. Later printings advance the number line so that 1 is no longer present.
• The Running Grave — 2023 · Sphere / Little, BrownCopyright page states 'First published in Great Britain in 2023 by Sphere' with a full number line descending to 1. UK Sphere hardcover. The US first (Mulholland Books) carries its own number line to 1. UK Sphere edition is conventionally cataloged as the first edition (published September 2023), released alongside the US Mulholland edition. UK precedence rests on cataloging convention rather than a clear date gap. Later printings advance the number line so that 1 is no longer present.
• The Hallmarked Man — 2025 · Sphere / Little, BrownCopyright page states 'First published in Great Britain in 2025 by Sphere' with a full number line descending to 1. UK Sphere hardcover; US first by Mulholland Books with its own number line to 1. As with any very recent release, confirm the exact imprint statement and number line on the copy in hand. The eighth Cormoran Strike novel, released 2 September 2025, following The Running Grave. UK Sphere edition is conventionally cataloged as the first, released alongside the US Mulholland edition; points follow the publisher's standard modern-trade convention. Later printings advance the number line so that 1 is no longer present.

More Children's & YA shelves: Robert Lawson, Robert McCloskey, Shel Silverstein, Susan Cooper, Suzanne Collins, Virginia Hamilton.

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