# Is "Cruel and Unusual" by Patricia Cornwell a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Cruel and Unusual by Patricia Cornwell (Charles Scribner's Sons, 1993) is identified by: The first printing has "First Edition" stated on the copyright page with a complete number line descending to 1 (10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1). The US Charles Scribner's Sons edition (New York, 1993) is the true first; the fourth Kay Scarpetta novel.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The first printing has "First Edition" stated on the copyright page with a complete number line descending to 1 (10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1)
- The binding is light gray boards with a black cloth spine lettered in red, and the author's name blind-stamped on the front board
- Issued in a pictorial dust jacket that should retain its printed price on the front flap (the true first is priced; a price-clipped copy is still a first, but the printed price should originally have been present)
- Publisher imprint reads Charles Scribner's Sons
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Patricia Cornwell |
| Publisher | Charles Scribner's Sons |
| Year | 1993 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | The first printing has "First Edition" stated on the copyright page with a complete… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
The first printing has "First Edition" stated on the copyright page with a complete number line descending to 1 (10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1). The binding is light gray boards with a black cloth spine lettered in red, and the author's name blind-stamped on the front board. Issued in a pictorial dust jacket that should retain its printed price on the front flap (the true first is priced; a price-clipped copy is still a first, but the printed price should originally have been present).

## Is this the true first?
The US Charles Scribner's Sons edition (New York, 1993) is the true first; the fourth Kay Scarpetta novel.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club editions exist and are identified by an unpriced jacket flap and a blindstamp or small impressed dot on the rear board, lacking the stated "First Edition" line and the full number line to 1.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Cruel and Unusual* by Patricia Cornwell a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/cruel-and-unusual
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.