# Is "Hell to Pay" by George Pelecanos a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Hell to Pay by George Pelecanos (Little, Brown, 2002) is identified by: US Little, Brown trade hardcover, stated "First Edition" on the copyright page accompanied by a full descending number line ending in 1. US Little, Brown true first; second Derek Strange / Terry Quinn novel.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- US Little, Brown trade hardcover, stated "First Edition" on the copyright page accompanied by a full descending number line ending in 1
- Issued in quarter cloth over paper-covered boards with the pictorial dust jacket bearing the printed cover price on the front flap; a correct first will retain that printed price
- ISBN 0316695068
- Publisher imprint reads Little, Brown
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | George Pelecanos |
| Publisher | Little, Brown |
| Year | 2002 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | US Little, Brown trade hardcover, stated "First Edition" on the copyright page… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
US Little, Brown trade hardcover, stated "First Edition" on the copyright page accompanied by a full descending number line ending in 1. Issued in quarter cloth over paper-covered boards with the pictorial dust jacket bearing the printed cover price on the front flap; a correct first will retain that printed price. ISBN 0316695068.

## Is this the true first?
US Little, Brown true first; second Derek Strange / Terry Quinn novel. A separate signed limited edition was later issued by Dennis McMillan Publications in quarter morocco with slipcase; that deluxe issue is distinct from and does not precede the Little, Brown trade first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No significant U.S. book-club issue tell noted; confirm identity by the stated First Edition with the intact number line ending in 1 rather than by jacket alone.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Hell to Pay* by George Pelecanos a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/hell-to-pay
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.