# Is "Killer" by Jonathan Kellerman a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Killer by Jonathan Kellerman (Ballantine Books, 2014) is identified by: The first edition is stated "First Edition" on the copyright page and carries a full descending number line ending in 1; both must be present to identify the trade first. The US Ballantine Books hardcover is the collected first edition, published 2014; it is the twenty-ninth Alex Delaware novel.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The first edition is stated "First Edition" on the copyright page and carries a full descending number line ending in 1; both must be present to identify the trade first
- A first-state dust jacket is unclipped with the publisher's printed price present on the front flap
- Publisher imprint reads Ballantine Books
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Jonathan Kellerman |
| Publisher | Ballantine Books |
| Year | 2014 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | The first edition is stated "First Edition" on the copyright page and carries a full… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
The first edition is stated "First Edition" on the copyright page and carries a full descending number line ending in 1; both must be present to identify the trade first. A first-state dust jacket is unclipped with the publisher's printed price present on the front flap.

## Is this the true first?
The US Ballantine Books hardcover is the collected first edition, published 2014; it is the twenty-ninth Alex Delaware novel. No earlier printing precedes the Ballantine first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No significant book club edition points are recorded; a later printing or club copy would lack the complete number line ending in 1. Identify the trade first by the stated "First Edition" line together with the full descending number line.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Killer* by Jonathan Kellerman a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/killer
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.