# Is "Mortal Prey" by John Sandford a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Mortal Prey by John Sandford (G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2002) is identified by: The first printing carries the G.P. US G.P.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The first printing carries the G.P. Putnam's Sons title-page imprint and a complete number line on the copyright page reading 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 (the lowest number, 1, present, indicating a first printing), with no statement of a later printing
- Issued in cloth-and-boards binding in a pictorial dust jacket that should retain its printed price
- Publisher imprint reads G.P. Putnam's Sons
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | John Sandford |
| Publisher | G.P. Putnam's Sons |
| Year | 2002 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | The first printing carries the G.P. Putnam's Sons title-page imprint and a complete… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
The first printing carries the G.P. Putnam's Sons title-page imprint and a complete number line on the copyright page reading 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 (the lowest number, 1, present, indicating a first printing), with no statement of a later printing. Issued in cloth-and-boards binding in a pictorial dust jacket that should retain its printed price.

## Is this the true first?
US G.P. Putnam's Sons is the true first edition; thirteenth novel in the Lucas Davenport (Prey) series.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
A book-club edition exists, identifiable by a blind gutter/blind-stamp code near the spine, a clipped or price-absent jacket, and the absence of the number line found in the trade first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Mortal Prey* by John Sandford a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/mortal-prey
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.