# Is "From Doon with Death" by Ruth Rendell a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of From Doon with Death by Ruth Rendell (John Long, 1964) is identified by: John Long (Hutchinson group) first, 1964; publisher's green cloth boards lettered in gilt; first-issue dust jacket designed by William Randell and with its printed price on the front flap (unclipped). UK John Long (1964) is the true first; the US Doubleday edition (1965) followed.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- John Long (Hutchinson group) first, 1964; publisher's green cloth boards lettered in gilt; first-issue dust jacket designed by William Randell and with its printed price on the front flap (unclipped)
- Copyright page carries a single first-published statement with no later impression line
- Publisher imprint reads John Long
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Ruth Rendell |
| Publisher | John Long |
| Year | 1964 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | John Long (Hutchinson group) first, 1964; publisher's green cloth boards lettered in gilt; first-issue dust jacket designed by William… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
John Long (Hutchinson group) first, 1964; publisher's green cloth boards lettered in gilt; first-issue dust jacket designed by William Randell and with its printed price on the front flap (unclipped). Copyright page carries a single first-published statement with no later impression line.

## Is this the true first?
UK John Long (1964) is the true first; the US Doubleday edition (1965) followed. Rendell's debut novel and the first Inspector Wexford book. Many copies went into UK lending libraries, so unmarked copies in jacket are genuinely scarce.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later John Long impressions add a printing statement; price-clipped jackets lose the original the printed price flap price. The US Doubleday first is later.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *From Doon with Death* by Ruth Rendell a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/from-doon-with-death
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.