# Is "L.A. Confidential" by James Ellroy a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of L.A. Confidential by James Ellroy (Mysterious Press, 1990) is identified by: Copyright page states 'First Printing: June 1990' with the number line 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1. US Mysterious Press (1990) is the true first; the third of the L.A.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Copyright page states 'First Printing: June 1990' with the number line 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
- Quarter black cloth over black boards, spine title stamped in silver; first-issue jacket illustrated by Stephen Peringer and designed by Paul Gamarello, with the printed price on the front flap
- ISBN 0-89296-293-3
- Publisher imprint reads Mysterious Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | James Ellroy |
| Publisher | Mysterious Press |
| Year | 1990 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Copyright page states 'First Printing: June 1990' with the number line 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Copyright page states 'First Printing: June 1990' with the number line 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1. Quarter black cloth over black boards, spine title stamped in silver; first-issue jacket illustrated by Stephen Peringer and designed by Paul Gamarello, with the printed price on the front flap. 496 pp. ISBN 0-89296-293-3.

## Is this the true first?
US Mysterious Press (1990) is the true first; the third of the L.A. Quartet. UK edition follows.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club edition lacks the 'First Printing: June 1990' statement and the priced flap, is on lighter paper, and often shows a blind-stamped dot on the rear board.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *L.A. Confidential* by James Ellroy a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/la-confidential
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.