# Is "Heaven's Prisoners" by James Lee Burke a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Heaven's Prisoners by James Lee Burke (Henry Holt, 1988) is identified by: Henry Holt and Company, New York, 1988. US Henry Holt edition is the true first; second Dave Robicheaux novel.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Henry Holt and Company, New York, 1988
- The copyright page states 'First Edition' with a full number line ending in 1
- Octavo in cloth-backed boards (black cloth spine, gray boards) with silver spine lettering; jacket design by Irving Freeman, the first-issue jacket retaining its printed front-flap price (present, unclipped, for a first issue)
- Second Dave Robicheaux novel
- Publisher imprint reads Henry Holt
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | James Lee Burke |
| Publisher | Henry Holt |
| Year | 1988 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Henry Holt and Company, New York, 1988 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Henry Holt and Company, New York, 1988. The copyright page states 'First Edition' with a full number line ending in 1. Octavo in cloth-backed boards (black cloth spine, gray boards) with silver spine lettering; jacket design by Irving Freeman, the first-issue jacket retaining its printed front-flap price (present, unclipped, for a first issue). Second Dave Robicheaux novel.

## Is this the true first?
US Henry Holt edition is the true first; second Dave Robicheaux novel. The UK edition followed later and does not have precedence.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club editions are typically smaller, lack the number line, carry a blindstamp on the rear board, and come with an unpriced jacket.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Heaven's Prisoners* by James Lee Burke a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/heavens-prisoners
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.