# Is "City of Bones" by Michael Connelly a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of City of Bones by Michael Connelly (Little, Brown, 2002) is identified by: "First Edition" stated on the copyright page above a complete Little, Brown number line that includes the numeral 1; the priced, unclipped dust jacket should retain its printed jacket-flap price, which dealers treat as necessary for a genuine first. The US Little, Brown and Company hardcover, published April 16, 2002, is the true first edition, preceding the UK Orion edition; the eighth Harry Bosch novel and an Anthony and Barry Award winner for Best Novel.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- "First Edition" stated on the copyright page above a complete Little, Brown number line that includes the numeral 1; the priced, unclipped dust jacket should retain its printed jacket-flap price, which dealers treat as necessary for a genuine first
- Confirm there is no remainder mark to the page edges
- Publisher imprint reads Little, Brown
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Michael Connelly |
| Publisher | Little, Brown |
| Year | 2002 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | "First Edition" stated on the copyright page above a complete Little, Brown number line… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
"First Edition" stated on the copyright page above a complete Little, Brown number line that includes the numeral 1; the priced, unclipped dust jacket should retain its printed jacket-flap price, which dealers treat as necessary for a genuine first. Confirm there is no remainder mark to the page edges.

## Is this the true first?
The US Little, Brown and Company hardcover, published April 16, 2002, is the true first edition, preceding the UK Orion edition; the eighth Harry Bosch novel and an Anthony and Barry Award winner for Best Novel.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book club editions lack the number line and carry no printed price on the front jacket flap; the boards are typically thinner and lighter, and a small blindstamp (dot or gutter code) is usually present on the rear board.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *City of Bones* by Michael Connelly a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/city-of-bones
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.