# Is "Hope to Die" by Lawrence Block a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Hope to Die by Lawrence Block (William Morrow, 2001) is identified by: 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page together with a complete number line; the presence of the '1' in the line indicates the first printing. US William Morrow edition is the true first; fifteenth Matthew Scudder novel.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page together with a complete number line; the presence of the '1' in the line indicates the first printing
- Publisher imprint reads William Morrow
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Lawrence Block |
| Publisher | William Morrow |
| Year | 2001 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page together with a complete number line; the… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
'First Edition' stated on the copyright page together with a complete number line; the presence of the '1' in the line indicates the first printing.

## Is this the true first?
US William Morrow edition is the true first; fifteenth Matthew Scudder novel. By this date William Morrow was a HarperCollins imprint (ISBN prefix 006), but the title-page imprint remained William Morrow.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No significant book-club-edition confusion is documented for this title.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Hope to Die* by Lawrence Block a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/hope-to-die
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.