# Is "Gorky Park" by Martin Cruz Smith a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Gorky Park by Martin Cruz Smith (Random House, 1981) is identified by: US Random House first, 1981, with the number line 2 4 6 8 9 7 5 3 on the copyright page and FIRST EDITION stated below it. The US Random House 1981 edition is the true first; the UK Collins 1981 edition is a first-thus, consistent with the American author and American publication.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- US Random House first, 1981, with the number line 2 4 6 8 9 7 5 3 on the copyright page and FIRST EDITION stated below it
- Bound in white boards stamped with the author's initials on the front cover, with a black cloth spine lettered in silver
- The first-issue dust jacket carries three review quotes on the rear panel from P. D. James, Peter Matthiessen, and Harrison Salisbury, and the printed price should be present on the front flap
- The first Arkady Renko novel; won the 1981 CWA Gold Dagger
- Publisher imprint reads Random House
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Martin Cruz Smith |
| Publisher | Random House |
| Year | 1981 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | US Random House first, 1981, with the number line 2 4 6 8 9 7 5 3 on the copyright page and FIRST EDITION stated below it |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
US Random House first, 1981, with the number line 2 4 6 8 9 7 5 3 on the copyright page and FIRST EDITION stated below it. Bound in white boards stamped with the author's initials on the front cover, with a black cloth spine lettered in silver. The first-issue dust jacket carries three review quotes on the rear panel from P. D. James, Peter Matthiessen, and Harrison Salisbury, and the printed price should be present on the front flap. The first Arkady Renko novel; won the 1981 CWA Gold Dagger.

## Is this the true first?
The US Random House 1981 edition is the true first; the UK Collins 1981 edition is a first-thus, consistent with the American author and American publication.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-of-the-Month Club editions are slightly smaller, lack the jacket price and the blind-stamped gutter code, and omit the FIRST EDITION statement and the 2 4 6 8 9 7 5 3 number line.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Gorky Park* by Martin Cruz Smith a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/gorky-park
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.