# Is "Clete" by James Lee Burke a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Clete by James Lee Burke (Atlantic Monthly Press, 2024) is identified by: First edition stated on the copyright page with a full number line ending in 1. The US Atlantic Monthly Press (Grove Atlantic) hardcover is the true first, ISBN 9780802163073.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition stated on the copyright page with a full number line ending in 1
- Published June 2024
- The first-printing hardcover is bound in red boards with gilt stamping to the spine; the first-state pictorial dust jacket carries the printed cover price at the top of the front flap (an unclipped flap confirms an unfaded price but a price-clipped jacket does not by itself indicate a later state)
- Publisher imprint reads Atlantic Monthly Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | James Lee Burke |
| Publisher | Atlantic Monthly Press |
| Year | 2024 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition stated on the copyright page with a full number line ending in 1 |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First edition stated on the copyright page with a full number line ending in 1. Published June 2024. The first-printing hardcover is bound in red boards with gilt stamping to the spine; the first-state pictorial dust jacket carries the printed cover price at the top of the front flap (an unclipped flap confirms an unfaded price but a price-clipped jacket does not by itself indicate a later state).

## Is this the true first?
The US Atlantic Monthly Press (Grove Atlantic) hardcover is the true first, ISBN 9780802163073. Subtitled A Dave Robicheaux Novel, centered on Clete Purcel.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
None significant for the first printing.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Clete* by James Lee Burke a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/clete
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.