# Is "LaBrava" by Elmore Leonard a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of LaBrava by Elmore Leonard (Arbor House, 1983) is identified by: US Arbor House first edition, 1983; first printing has the full number line ending in 1 on the copyright page. US Arbor House (1983) is the true first; won the 1984 Edgar Award for Best Novel.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- US Arbor House first edition, 1983; first printing has the full number line ending in 1 on the copyright page
- Black half cloth over red paper-covered boards, gilt spine lettering; grey-and-red dust jacket, first issue with the printed price intact on the front flap
- Publisher imprint reads Arbor House
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Elmore Leonard |
| Publisher | Arbor House |
| Year | 1983 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | US Arbor House first edition, 1983; first printing has the full number line ending in 1 on the copyright page |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
US Arbor House first edition, 1983; first printing has the full number line ending in 1 on the copyright page. Black half cloth over red paper-covered boards, gilt spine lettering; grey-and-red dust jacket, first issue with the printed price intact on the front flap. 283 pp.

## Is this the true first?
US Arbor House (1983) is the true first; won the 1984 Edgar Award for Best Novel. UK Viking edition (1984) follows. Distinct from the separately listed Get Shorty and The Big Bounce.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club edition is distinguished chiefly by the absence of a price on the jacket front flap; it also lacks the full number line to 1 and is on lighter bulked paper, often with a blind-stamped dot on the rear board.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *LaBrava* by Elmore Leonard a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/labrava
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.