# Is "Mr. Murder" by Dean Koontz a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Mr. Murder by Dean Koontz (G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1993) is identified by: Putnam first US edition, 1993, with a full number line ending in 1 on the copyright page. The UK Headline hardcover (1993) precedes the American edition and is the true first; the Putnam hardcover is the first US edition, published October 1993.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Putnam first US edition, 1993, with a full number line ending in 1 on the copyright page
- Bound in quarter black cloth over gray paper-covered boards, with silver spine lettering and gray endpapers
- The dust jacket should retain its printed front-flap price (price-clipping does not by itself disqualify a first)
- Published October 1993
- Publisher imprint reads G.P. Putnam's Sons
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Dean Koontz |
| Publisher | G.P. Putnam's Sons |
| Year | 1993 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Putnam first US edition, 1993, with a full number line ending in 1 on the copyright page |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
Putnam first US edition, 1993, with a full number line ending in 1 on the copyright page. Bound in quarter black cloth over gray paper-covered boards, with silver spine lettering and gray endpapers. The dust jacket should retain its printed front-flap price (price-clipping does not by itself disqualify a first). Published October 1993.

## Is this the true first?
The UK Headline hardcover (1993) precedes the American edition and is the true first; the Putnam hardcover is the first US edition, published October 1993.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The Book-of-the-Month Club / later reprint lacks the number line and typically has a jacket with no printed price.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Mr. Murder* by Dean Koontz a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/mr-murder
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.