Tony Hillerman First Editions

• The Blessing Way — 1970 · Harper & RowThe true first edition of The Blessing Way is the Harper & Row (New York) 1970 issue, the debut of the Leaphorn series, published in the Joan Kahn-Harper Novel of Suspense series. Identify it by the copyright page stating 'FIRST EDITION' with the number line running to 1 (70 71 72 73 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1). Bound in violet boards with the title printed in red on the spine, collation [i-iv] 1-201 [202]. Issued in…. US Harper & Row (1970) is the true first; Hillerman's debut and the first Joe Leaphorn novel. The most sought Hillerman first, scarce in a fine jacket. Book-club editions and later printings reprint the text but are not the first edition and are far less collectible. Book clubs may retain the words 'First Edition' on the copyright page; always cross-check the number line for the terminal 1 and confirm the boards and jacket. See book-club edition vs. first edition.
• The Fly on the Wall — 1971 · Harper & RowHarper & Row first, 1971 (ISBN 0060118970): copyright page states 'FIRST EDITION' with the Harper number line, 212 pages, octavo. Bound in quarter blue cloth over blue paper boards with the title stamped in blue and white on the spine; first-issue dust jacket designed by Paul Spina, priced on the front flap, which should be present. A non-Navajo political/newsroom thriller. The US Harper & Row edition (1971) is the true first. This is Hillerman's second novel and a standalone (not a Leaphorn/Chee book), and it is genuinely scarcer in collectible condition than the series titles. Binding, pagination, and jacket points are corroborated by the Tony Hillerman Portal (ehillerman.unm.edu) and ABAA dealers. Book-club copies lack the printed jacket price and the stated 'FIRST EDITION' with number line, and are typically on lighter, blind-stamped boards; the trade first retains both the stated line and the Paul Spina jacket with price intact.
• Dance Hall of the Dead — 1973 · Harper & RowCopyright page states 'FIRST EDITION' with the number line ending in 1; issued in the Joan Kahn–Harper Novel of Suspense series; first-issue dust jacket carries the printed price on the front flap. Won the 1974 Edgar Award for Best Novel. The US Harper & Row 1973 edition is the true first (the second Leaphorn novel). The UK edition follows separately. The stated 'FIRST EDITION', intact number line ending in 1, and priced first-issue jacket mark the trade first; book-club copies omit the price and number line and typically carry a blind-stamped board.
• Listening Woman — 1978 · Harper & RowHarper & Row first edition, New York 1978. The copyright page carries the stated line 'FIRST EDITION' followed by the date-and-number key '78 79 80 81 82 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1'; the presence of the numeral 1 marks the first printing. Binding is light yellow cloth-covered boards with a yellow cloth spine lettered in black. The first-issue dust jacket bears the full-color illustration by Frank Bozzo in yellow and…. The US Harper & Row edition (1978) is the true first. Third Leaphorn novel. Book-club copies lack the printed jacket price and the full number line, and the boards and jacket illustration are reproduced at reduced quality.
• People of Darkness — 1980 · Harper & RowUS Harper & Row first edition, 1980. The copyright page states 'FIRST EDITION' with the number line descending to 1. Bound in grey boards with a red spine and silver spine titling. The first-issue dust jacket was designed by Francesca Greene, showing a black stone bear fetish set within a blue, tan, and red geometric design; the front flap carries a synopsis with the printed price present, and the rear flap…. The US Harper & Row 1980 edition is the true first, introducing Jim Chee. The UK edition (Gollancz) is a separate, later issue. Distinguished from reprints and book-club issues by the stated 'FIRST EDITION' and the intact number line ending in 1. Book-club copies lack both, have an unpriced jacket, and typically show a blind stamp (small dot or square) on the rear board.
• The Dark Wind — 1982 · Harper & RowHarper & Row, New York, 1982; a Jim Chee novel in the Leaphorn/Chee series, octavo, 214 pages, ISBN 0-06-014936-2. First edition, first printing states FIRST EDITION on the copyright page with the Harper number line ending in 1. Bound in deep blue boards with a darker blue cloth spine lettered vertically in silver; the first-issue dust jacket carries the printed price on the front flap. A separately produced…. The US Harper & Row edition (1982) is the true first, preceding the UK edition. Book-club copies are blind-stamped, lack the printed jacket price, and do not carry the stated FIRST EDITION with the full Harper number line.
• The Ghostway — 1984 · Dennis McMillan PublicationsThe true first is the Dennis McMillan Publications edition of 1984, a signed and numbered issue limited to 300 copies (part of McMillan's 'The Door Into Darkness' program). It precedes the trade edition. The Harper & Row trade first appeared in 1985 (copyright 1984), with a stated 'FIRST EDITION' and number line ending in 1 and a priced first-state jacket. Correction: the original record's claim that 'US Harper & Row (1984) is the true first trade edition' is inaccurate on two counts. First, the Dennis McMillan limited edition of 1984 (300 signed/numbered copies) precedes everything and is the true first. Second, the Harper & Row trade edition is dated 1985, not 1984 (it carries a 1984 copyright). The UK Victor Gollancz edition also appeared in 1985. For the Harper & Row trade edition, book-club copies lack the printed jacket price and the full number line. The McMillan limited edition is a distinct signed/numbered issue and should not be confused with the trade first.
• Skinwalkers — 1986 · Harper & RowNew York: Harper & Row, 1986. Copyright page carries the 'FIRST EDITION' statement with the publisher's number line. Quarter red cloth over white paper boards, gilt spine lettering; 216 pages; cover art by Peter Thorpe. First-issue dust jacket is price-printed and unclipped. This is the first of Hillerman's Navajo novels to bring Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee together, and the book that lifted him to bestseller status. The US Harper & Row edition of 1986 is the true first. Pairing Leaphorn and Chee in one book for the first time, it marked Hillerman's commercial breakthrough; the UNM Hillerman Portal documents the first edition and the advance reading copy. Book-club copies lack the printed jacket price and the number line, and are typically blind-stamped on the rear board; later printings drop the first-edition statement.
• A Thief of Time — 1988 · Harper & RowCopyright page states 'FIRST EDITION' with the full number line reading 88 89 90 91 92 HC 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1; first-issue jacket carries the printed price. A separate signed, numbered, slipcased limited issue of 250 copies also exists. The US Harper & Row 1988 trade edition is the true first; a small signed limited issue was produced simultaneously and is identified by its limitation statement and slipcase. Book-club copies lack the printed price and the number line; later printings drop the line down toward higher numbers and may omit 'FIRST EDITION'.
• Talking God — 1989 · Harper & Row, New YorkHarper & Row, New York, 1989; ISBN 0-06-016118-3; ninth Leaphorn/Chee novel. The copyright leaf ([viii]) reads "FIRST EDITION... 89 90 91 92 93 CC/HC 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1" — the statement plus Harper's complete code line ending in "1"; read the lowest digit, not just the statement. Hardback 24 x 16 cm, collating [i-xiv] 1-239 [240-242]. Bound in light yellowish-brown boards with a deep purplish-blue cloth spine…. The census claim is confirmed. Harper & Row, New York, 1989, is the true first; the UK first (Michael Joseph, London, 1990; ISBN 0-7181-3376-5, jacket by Leslie Howell) followed a year later, so US precedence is unambiguous and there is no simultaneity question. One further issue of the first edition is collected alongside the trade and should be named: the publisher's limited issue (Hieb A11b; ISBN…. Book-club copies exist and are common; dealers list both a hardcover book-club issue and a Detective Book Club omnibus issue (Roslyn, N.Y., 1989) — the latter in stiff pictorial paper wraps with cream and gold lettering. Standard period tells apply: no price at the jacket flap, or "Book Club Edition" printed at the foot of the front flap; reduced trim and lighter bulk on thinner paper; a blind stamp or small dot….
• Coyote Waits — 1990 · Harper & Row, New YorkHarper & Row, New York, 1990; ISBN 0-06-016370-4; tenth Leaphorn/Chee novel. The copyright leaf ([vi]) states "FIRST EDITION" above Harper's code line "90 91 92 93 94 CC/HC 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1"; multiple specialist dealers require the complete line "to 1" for a first printing. CAUTION: the University of New Mexico's Tony Hillerman Portal transcribes its catalogued copy with the code line ending at "2" while the…. The census claim is confirmed. Harper & Row, New York, 1990, is the true first; the UK first (Michael Joseph, London, 1991; ISBN 0-7181-3377-3) followed a year later, so US precedence is unambiguous. As with Talking God, a publisher's limited issue of the first edition is collected alongside the trade and should be named: ISBN 0-06-026370-4 (note the different ISBN from the trade), with a limitation leaf at [i]…. No title-specific book-club issue was confirmed in the sources consulted; general period tells apply — no price at the jacket flap or "Book Club Edition" printed at the front flap, reduced trim and lighter bulk, a blind stamp or dot on the rear board, and no Harper "FIRST EDITION" line. Separately, do not confuse the trade first with the other 1990 Harper issues catalogued by the UNM Hillerman Portal — the Large….
• Sacred Clowns — 1993 · HarperCollinsThe trade first is HarperCollins, New York, 1993 (ISBN 0-06-016767-X), octavo, 305 pp., bound in half white cloth over rust-colored boards, in a priced jacket with cover art by Peter Thorpe depicting a koshare (Pueblo sacred clown) against a pueblo village in an oval. Dealers identify the first printing by the "FIRST EDITION" statement on the copyright page; the Quill & Brush publisher guide records that…. The census claim of a "US-only first" is incorrect: a first UK edition was published by Michael Joseph, London, also dated 1993 (ISBN 0-7181-3527-X, jacket illustration by Janet Pontin), recorded by the Tony Hillerman Portal (University of New Mexico); some listings date the Michael Joseph 1994. The US HarperCollins printing is the edition collected as the true first for this American author and American…. Sacred Clowns was a Mystery Guild selection and a Literary Guild / Doubleday Book Club alternate, so club copies are common. Tells: a blind stamp (dot, circle, square or similar) impressed into the rear board near the spine; no price present at the jacket flap; frequently a small contrasting code block on the rear panel and a vertical string of numbers near the margin of the last page. A club copy can still print….

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