# Is "Book of the Dead" by Patricia Cornwell a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Book of the Dead by Patricia Cornwell (G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2007) is identified by: First printing has the complete number line 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 (all numerals present, including the 1) on the copyright page. US G.P.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing has the complete number line 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 (all numerals present, including the 1) on the copyright page
- Published October 23, 2007
- ISBN 0-399-15393-4
- Bound in red quarter cloth with black spine lettering over gray boards, with the pictorial dust jacket art by Lisa Amoroso and jacket lettering by Walter Harper
- The unclipped first-issue jacket should retain its printed price on the front flap
- Publisher imprint reads G.P. Putnam's Sons
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Patricia Cornwell |
| Publisher | G.P. Putnam's Sons |
| Year | 2007 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing has the complete number line 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 (all numerals present… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First printing has the complete number line 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 (all numerals present, including the 1) on the copyright page. Published October 23, 2007; ISBN 0-399-15393-4. Bound in red quarter cloth with black spine lettering over gray boards, with the pictorial dust jacket art by Lisa Amoroso and jacket lettering by Walter Harper. The unclipped first-issue jacket should retain its printed price on the front flap.

## Is this the true first?
US G.P. Putnam's Sons is the true first edition; fifteenth Kay Scarpetta novel. Jacket art by Lisa Amoroso.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No significant book-club issue affecting first-edition identification.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Book of the Dead* by Patricia Cornwell a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/book-of-the-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.