# Is "Down by the River Where the Dead Men Go" by George Pelecanos a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Down by the River Where the Dead Men Go by George Pelecanos (St. Martin's Press, 1995) is identified by: First Edition stated on copyright page with full number line ending in 1. US St.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First Edition stated on copyright page with full number line ending in 1
- Publisher imprint reads St. Martin's Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | George Pelecanos |
| Publisher | St. Martin's Press |
| Year | 1995 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First Edition stated on copyright page with full number line ending in 1 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First Edition stated on copyright page with full number line ending in 1

## Is this the true first?
US St. Martin's Press hardcover (1995) is the true first; third Nick Stefanos novel. A UK Serpent's Tail edition also appeared in 1995 but the US issue preceded it

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book club edition; scarce

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Down by the River Where the Dead Men Go* by George Pelecanos a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/down-by-the-river-where-the-dead-men-go
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.