# Is "Indemnity Only" by Sara Paretsky a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Indemnity Only by Sara Paretsky (The Dial Press, 1982) is identified by: US Dial Press first edition, 1982, in first-issue dust jacket. US Dial Press (1982) is the true first, Paretsky's debut; the UK Gollancz edition follows.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- US Dial Press first edition, 1982, in first-issue dust jacket
- The first printing is identified by the words First Printing stated on the copyright page (rather than a number line)
- Paretsky's debut and the first V. I. Warshawski novel
- Publisher imprint reads The Dial Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Sara Paretsky |
| Publisher | The Dial Press |
| Year | 1982 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | US Dial Press first edition, 1982, in first-issue dust jacket |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
US Dial Press first edition, 1982, in first-issue dust jacket. The first printing is identified by the words First Printing stated on the copyright page (rather than a number line). Paretsky's debut and the first V. I. Warshawski novel.

## Is this the true first?
US Dial Press (1982) is the true first, Paretsky's debut; the UK Gollancz edition follows. Scarce in fine jacketed first-printing state.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The book-club edition lacks the First Printing statement, bears a blind-stamped mark on the rear board, has no flap price, and is on lighter bulked paper.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Indemnity Only* by Sara Paretsky a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/indemnity-only
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.