# Is ""D" Is for Deadbeat" by Sue Grafton a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of "D" Is for Deadbeat by Sue Grafton (Henry Holt, 1987) is identified by: The copyright page carries a stated First Edition with a complete number line ending in 1. US Henry Holt and Company is the true first, 1987; this is the fourth Kinsey Millhone novel.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The copyright page carries a stated First Edition with a complete number line ending in 1
- The book is bound in black paper-covered boards with pink lettering on the spine (the spine lettering is prone to fading, so bright pink spine text is a good-condition marker), collating roughly [10], 229, [1] pages
- The trade first is issued in a priced dust jacket; a first-issue jacket retains its printed front-flap price and is not clipped
- Publisher imprint reads Henry Holt
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Sue Grafton |
| Publisher | Henry Holt |
| Year | 1987 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | The copyright page carries a stated First Edition with a complete number line ending in 1 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
The copyright page carries a stated First Edition with a complete number line ending in 1. The book is bound in black paper-covered boards with pink lettering on the spine (the spine lettering is prone to fading, so bright pink spine text is a good-condition marker), collating roughly [10], 229, [1] pages. The trade first is issued in a priced dust jacket; a first-issue jacket retains its printed front-flap price and is not clipped.

## Is this the true first?
US Henry Holt and Company is the true first, 1987; this is the fourth Kinsey Millhone novel.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The book club edition lacks the printed jacket price and is typically identified by a clipped or price-less front flap; a blind-stamped dimple on the rear board is the usual book-club tell, and book-club copies generally lack the stated-first number line.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *"D" Is for Deadbeat* by Sue Grafton a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/d-is-for-deadbeat
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.