# Is "Gathering Prey" by John Sandford a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Gathering Prey by John Sandford (G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2015) is identified by: First printing carries the words "First edition" stated on the copyright page together with a complete number line descending to 1 (10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1); a line stopping short of 1 indicates a later printing. US G.P.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing carries the words "First edition" stated on the copyright page together with a complete number line descending to 1 (10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1); a line stopping short of 1 indicates a later printing
- Issued as a trade hardcover of 407 pages in a full-color priced dust jacket, with the printed price present on the front flap
- Publisher imprint reads G.P. Putnam's Sons
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | John Sandford |
| Publisher | G.P. Putnam's Sons |
| Year | 2015 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing carries the words "First edition" stated on the copyright page together… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First printing carries the words "First edition" stated on the copyright page together with a complete number line descending to 1 (10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1); a line stopping short of 1 indicates a later printing. Issued as a trade hardcover of 407 pages in a full-color priced dust jacket, with the printed price present on the front flap.

## Is this the true first?
US G.P. Putnam's Sons is the true first, published April 2015; twenty-fifth Prey (Lucas Davenport) novel. The UK Simon & Schuster hardcover is a separate same-year issue, not the true first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No US book-club edition was issued for this modern Putnam title, so book-club confusion is not a practical concern; confirm the stated "First edition" line and the full number line.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Gathering Prey* by John Sandford a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/gathering-prey
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.