# Is "Better Off Dead" by Lee Child and Andrew Child a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Better Off Dead by Lee Child and Andrew Child (Delacorte Press, 2021) is identified by: First printing states 'First Edition' on the copyright page above a complete descending number line ending in 1. US Delacorte Press first American edition (2021); twenty-sixth Reacher novel.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing states 'First Edition' on the copyright page above a complete descending number line ending in 1
- The binding is yellow boards with the title and authors stamped in gilt on the spine
- The first-issue dust jacket carries a red night-sky illustration on the front panel and the two authors' photographs on the rear panel; the jacket should retain its printed cover price on the front flap
- Publisher-signed copies are signed by both Lee and Andrew Child on a tipped-in leaf bound in after the front free endpaper, and are still first printings identifiable by the same 'First Edition' statement and number line ending in 1
- Publisher imprint reads Delacorte Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Lee Child and Andrew Child |
| Publisher | Delacorte Press |
| Year | 2021 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing states 'First Edition' on the copyright page above a complete descending… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First printing states 'First Edition' on the copyright page above a complete descending number line ending in 1. The binding is yellow boards with the title and authors stamped in gilt on the spine. The first-issue dust jacket carries a red night-sky illustration on the front panel and the two authors' photographs on the rear panel; the jacket should retain its printed cover price on the front flap. Publisher-signed copies are signed by both Lee and Andrew Child on a tipped-in leaf bound in after the front free endpaper, and are still first printings identifiable by the same 'First Edition' statement and number line ending in 1.

## Is this the true first?
US Delacorte Press first American edition (2021); twenty-sixth Reacher novel. The UK Bantam Press edition was released the same day, so the US and UK hardcovers are effectively simultaneous co-first editions. Note that UK retailer-exclusive printings (for example a Waterstones issue with sprayed page edges and added interview material) are distinct trade variants, not the American first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No significant book club edition issue for identification; the trade first is confirmed by the stated 'First Edition', the full number line ending in 1, the yellow boards with gilt spine, and the jacket bearing its printed cover price. Retailer-exclusive UK printings with sprayed edges are separate variants rather than book-club states.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Better Off Dead* by Lee Child and Andrew Child a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/better-off-dead
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.