# Is "Mona (a.k.a. Grifter's Game)" by Lawrence Block a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Mona (a.k.a. Grifter's Game) by Lawrence Block (Gold Medal, 1961) is identified by: Paperback original published as 'Mona' by Fawcett Gold Medal in 1961, catalog number s1085 (corrected from s1095). The true first is the 1961 US Gold Medal paperback original titled 'Mona,' Block's first novel under his own name.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Paperback original published as 'Mona' by Fawcett Gold Medal in 1961, catalog number s1085 (corrected from s1095)
- First printing carries the s1085 designation
- Publisher imprint reads Gold Medal
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Lawrence Block |
| Publisher | Gold Medal |
| Year | 1961 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Paperback original published as 'Mona' by Fawcett Gold Medal in 1961, catalog number… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Paperback original published as 'Mona' by Fawcett Gold Medal in 1961, catalog number s1085 (corrected from s1095). First printing carries the s1085 designation.

## Is this the true first?
The true first is the 1961 US Gold Medal paperback original titled 'Mona,' Block's first novel under his own name. Later retitled 'Grifter's Game' (Hard Case Crime, 2005) and reissued under other titles; none of the reissues is the true first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book club; retitled reissues are not the true first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Mona (a.k.a. Grifter's Game)* by Lawrence Block a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/mona-aka-grifters-game
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.