# Is "Blood Test" by Jonathan Kellerman a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Blood Test by Jonathan Kellerman (Atheneum, 1986) is identified by: The first edition is identified by the words First Edition stated on the copyright page with no additional printing statement. US Atheneum hardcover is the true first, published 1986; the second Alex Delaware novel.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The first edition is identified by the words First Edition stated on the copyright page with no additional printing statement
- It is an octavo in cloth-backed boards bound in brown and black with gilt lettering to the spine, issued in a pictorial dust jacket designed by Paul Bacon; the jacket should retain its printed price at the flap corner
- Publisher imprint reads Atheneum
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Jonathan Kellerman |
| Publisher | Atheneum |
| Year | 1986 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | The first edition is identified by the words First Edition stated on the copyright page… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
The first edition is identified by the words First Edition stated on the copyright page with no additional printing statement. It is an octavo in cloth-backed boards bound in brown and black with gilt lettering to the spine, issued in a pictorial dust jacket designed by Paul Bacon; the jacket should retain its printed price at the flap corner.

## Is this the true first?
US Atheneum hardcover is the true first, published 1986; the second Alex Delaware novel.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The book-club edition lacks the printed jacket price and typically carries a blindstamp to the rear board, with boards often slightly smaller than the trade issue.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Blood Test* by Jonathan Kellerman a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/blood-test
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.