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

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Motive by Jonathan Kellerman (Ballantine Books, 2015) is identified by: First edition so stated on the copyright page, with the Ballantine house even-descending number line 2 4 6 8 9 7 5 3 1 present on a true first printing. US Ballantine hardcover is the collected first edition; thirtieth Alex Delaware novel.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition so stated on the copyright page, with the Ballantine house even-descending number line 2 4 6 8 9 7 5 3 1 present on a true first printing
- Bound in black boards with a monogram device on the front cover and the title and author stamped in silver on the black spine
- The first-issue dust jacket carries the jacket design credited to Scott Biel with jacket imagery by Roc Canals; the printed price should be present on the front flap of an unclipped example
- Publisher imprint reads Ballantine Books
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Jonathan Kellerman |
| Publisher | Ballantine Books |
| Year | 2015 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition so stated on the copyright page, with the Ballantine house even-descending… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First edition so stated on the copyright page, with the Ballantine house even-descending number line 2 4 6 8 9 7 5 3 1 present on a true first printing. Bound in black boards with a monogram device on the front cover and the title and author stamped in silver on the black spine. The first-issue dust jacket carries the jacket design credited to Scott Biel with jacket imagery by Roc Canals; the printed price should be present on the front flap of an unclipped example.

## Is this the true first?
US Ballantine hardcover is the collected first edition; thirtieth Alex Delaware novel. No earlier trade hardcover precedes it.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No significant book club edition points; identify the trade first by the stated first edition line together with the complete 2 4 6 8 9 7 5 3 1 number line, which drops digits from the left on later printings.

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