# Is "Destination: Morgue!" by James Ellroy a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Destination: Morgue! by James Ellroy (Century, 2004) is identified by: The true first edition is the UK Century hardcover of 2004, which is the first appearance of the collection in hardcover and the first published edition. UK Century hardcover is the true first; the US Vintage release is a paperback original and is 'first thus' only, not the primary first edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The true first edition is the UK Century hardcover of 2004, which is the first appearance of the collection in hardcover and the first published edition
- The US Vintage edition is a trade paperback original, so it is a first US printing and first paperback appearance but not the overall true first
- Collectors seeking the first edition should look to the Century hardcover with no additional printing indicated on the copyright page
- Publisher imprint reads Century
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | James Ellroy |
| Publisher | Century |
| Year | 2004 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | The true first edition is the UK Century hardcover of 2004, which is the first appearance… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
The true first edition is the UK Century hardcover of 2004, which is the first appearance of the collection in hardcover and the first published edition. The US Vintage edition is a trade paperback original, so it is a first US printing and first paperback appearance but not the overall true first. Collectors seeking the first edition should look to the Century hardcover with no additional printing indicated on the copyright page.

## Is this the true first?
UK Century hardcover is the true first; the US Vintage release is a paperback original and is 'first thus' only, not the primary first edition.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book club edition of note.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Destination: Morgue!* by James Ellroy a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/destination-morgue
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.