# Is "In the Woods" by Tana French a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of In the Woods by Tana French (Hodder Headline Ireland, 2007) is identified by: The world first is the Irish trade-paperback original from Hodder Headline Ireland, 2007 (ISBN 9780340937969); no hardcover preceded it. Publication order is unusual.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The world first is the Irish trade-paperback original from Hodder Headline Ireland, 2007 (ISBN 9780340937969); no hardcover preceded it
- It shows the number '1' in the printing line on the copyright page
- The UK Hodder & Stoughton hardcover and the US Viking hardcover (both 2007) are the first hardcover editions and follow the Irish paperback; each carries a number line including '1' on first printings
- Publisher imprint reads Hodder Headline Ireland
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Tana French |
| Publisher | Hodder Headline Ireland |
| Year | 2007 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | The world first is the Irish trade-paperback original from Hodder Headline Ireland, 2007 (ISBN 9780340937969); no hardcover preceded it |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
The world first is the Irish trade-paperback original from Hodder Headline Ireland, 2007 (ISBN 9780340937969); no hardcover preceded it. It shows the number '1' in the printing line on the copyright page. The UK Hodder & Stoughton hardcover and the US Viking hardcover (both 2007) are the first hardcover editions and follow the Irish paperback; each carries a number line including '1' on first printings.

## Is this the true first?
Publication order is unusual. The literal world first is the Irish trade-paperback original (Hodder Headline Ireland, 2007); the UK Hodder & Stoughton hardcover is the first hardcover; the US Viking hardcover is the US first. French's debut and first Dublin Murder Squad novel, it won the Edgar, Anthony, Macavity, and Barry awards for best first novel.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club editions of the hardcovers lack the complete number line to '1', may carry a blind-stamp or 'Book Club' notice on the flap, and use lighter bulked paper; later impressions state the impression number.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *In the Woods* by Tana French a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/in-the-woods
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.