# Is "Deception" by Jonathan Kellerman a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Deception by Jonathan Kellerman (Ballantine, 2010) is identified by: Copyright page states 'First Edition' together with a number line in which the 1 is present, the first-printing tell for Ballantine hardcovers. US Ballantine Books is the true first edition; twenty-fifth Alex Delaware novel.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Copyright page states 'First Edition' together with a number line in which the 1 is present, the first-printing tell for Ballantine hardcovers
- Ballantine Books, New York, 2010 (ISBN 978-0-345-50567-5)
- Bound in black quarter cloth with gilt lettering on the spine over black boards; the first-issue photographic dust jacket shows a blurred image of a young woman against a gold ground and should retain its printed price on the front flap
- Publisher imprint reads Ballantine
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Jonathan Kellerman |
| Publisher | Ballantine |
| Year | 2010 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Copyright page states 'First Edition' together with a number line in which the 1 is… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
Copyright page states 'First Edition' together with a number line in which the 1 is present, the first-printing tell for Ballantine hardcovers. Ballantine Books, New York, 2010 (ISBN 978-0-345-50567-5). Bound in black quarter cloth with gilt lettering on the spine over black boards; the first-issue photographic dust jacket shows a blurred image of a young woman against a gold ground and should retain its printed price on the front flap.

## Is this the true first?
US Ballantine Books is the true first edition; twenty-fifth Alex Delaware novel.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
None significant.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Deception* by Jonathan Kellerman a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/deception
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.