# Is "Devil in a Blue Dress" by Walter Mosley a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Devil in a Blue Dress by Walter Mosley (W.W. Norton, 1990) is identified by: Norton first printing, stated "First Edition" on the copyright page above a complete descending number line ending in 1. US Norton 1990 is the true first, preceding the UK Serpent's Tail/Pan editions.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- W.W. Norton first printing, stated "First Edition" on the copyright page above a complete descending number line ending in 1
- Bound in orange boards with a yellow cloth spine lettered in blue, with a blindstamped stylized geometric figure to the front board that is repeated on the title page
- First-issue dust jacket carries John Jinks's cubistic painting of a woman in a blue dress and must retain its printed price on the front flap
- Mosley's debut and first Easy Rawlins novel
- Publisher imprint reads W.W. Norton
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Walter Mosley |
| Publisher | W.W. Norton |
| Year | 1990 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | W.W. Norton first printing, stated "First Edition" on the copyright page above a complete descending number line ending in 1 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
W.W. Norton first printing, stated "First Edition" on the copyright page above a complete descending number line ending in 1. Bound in orange boards with a yellow cloth spine lettered in blue, with a blindstamped stylized geometric figure to the front board that is repeated on the title page. First-issue dust jacket carries John Jinks's cubistic painting of a woman in a blue dress and must retain its printed price on the front flap. Mosley's debut and first Easy Rawlins novel.

## Is this the true first?
US Norton 1990 is the true first, preceding the UK Serpent's Tail/Pan editions. The US first with the full number line and stated First Edition is the collectible; signed copies are sought.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings show a number line no longer reaching 1. No prominent cloth book-club edition; the stated First Edition and complete number line are the deciding factors.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Devil in a Blue Dress* by Walter Mosley a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/devil-in-a-blue-dress
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-04.