# Is ""B" Is for Burglar" by Sue Grafton a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of "B" Is for Burglar by Sue Grafton (Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1985) is identified by: First printing has the complete number line 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2 on the copyright page (the '1' is the key point; a later state drops the '1'). US Holt, Rinehart and Winston is the true first, 1985; second Kinsey Millhone novel and a scarce collecting point in the alphabet series.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing has the complete number line 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2 on the copyright page (the '1' is the key point; a later state drops the '1')
- Trade first has a priced dust jacket
- Publisher imprint reads Holt, Rinehart and Winston
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Sue Grafton |
| Publisher | Holt, Rinehart and Winston |
| Year | 1985 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing has the complete number line 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2 on the copyright page… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First printing has the complete number line 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2 on the copyright page (the '1' is the key point; a later state drops the '1'). Trade first has a priced dust jacket.

## Is this the true first?
US Holt, Rinehart and Winston is the true first, 1985; second Kinsey Millhone novel and a scarce collecting point in the alphabet series. Winner of the Shamus and Anthony awards.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book club edition lacks a printed jacket price and typically shows a blind-stamped dimple on the rear board; do not confuse this with Grafton's personal-library blindstamp seen on a few copies.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *"B" Is for Burglar* by Sue Grafton a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/b-is-for-burglar
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.