# Is "Chase" by K.R. Dwyer (Dean Koontz) a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Chase by K.R. Dwyer (Dean Koontz) (Random House, 1972) is identified by: Copyright page states FIRST EDITION with the Random House number line 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 (ending in 2, the house convention for firsts). Random House true first; the Dwyer pseudonym makes it a key early Koontz collectible.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Copyright page states FIRST EDITION with the Random House number line 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 (ending in 2, the house convention for firsts)
- A quirk of this printing: the ISBN on the copyright page begins with the letter O rather than the numeral 0
- Jacket rear panel carries a Koontz photograph noting that Dwyer is a pseudonym
- As by K.R. Dwyer, an early Koontz pseudonym
- Publisher imprint reads Random House
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | K.R. Dwyer (Dean Koontz) |
| Publisher | Random House |
| Year | 1972 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Copyright page states FIRST EDITION with the Random House number line 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 (ending in 2, the house convention for firsts) |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Copyright page states FIRST EDITION with the Random House number line 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 (ending in 2, the house convention for firsts). A quirk of this printing: the ISBN on the copyright page begins with the letter O rather than the numeral 0. Jacket rear panel carries a Koontz photograph noting that Dwyer is a pseudonym. As by K.R. Dwyer, an early Koontz pseudonym.

## Is this the true first?
Random House true first; the Dwyer pseudonym makes it a key early Koontz collectible. Only one hardcover printing is recorded.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book club edition is documented for this title; be wary of copies lacking the FIRST EDITION statement or the priced jacket.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Chase* by K.R. Dwyer (Dean Koontz) a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/chase
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-04.