# Is "Mystery" by Peter Straub a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Mystery by Peter Straub (E.P. Dutton, 1990) is identified by: Dutton US first edition, ISBN 0-525-24818-8: copyright page states First Edition with the full number line 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1. US Dutton is the true first; the UK edition followed from Grafton the same year.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Dutton US first edition, ISBN 0-525-24818-8: copyright page states First Edition with the full number line 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
- Bound in blue and black cloth lettered in silver, with green and red foil decoration to the spine; jacket art by Paul Bacon
- Second book of the loosely linked Blue Rose trilogy, between Koko and The Throat
- Publisher imprint reads E.P. Dutton
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Peter Straub |
| Publisher | E.P. Dutton |
| Year | 1990 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Dutton US first edition, ISBN 0-525-24818-8: copyright page states First Edition with the full number line 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Dutton US first edition, ISBN 0-525-24818-8: copyright page states First Edition with the full number line 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1. Bound in blue and black cloth lettered in silver, with green and red foil decoration to the spine; jacket art by Paul Bacon. Second book of the loosely linked Blue Rose trilogy, between Koko and The Throat.

## Is this the true first?
US Dutton is the true first; the UK edition followed from Grafton the same year.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book club editions lack the stated First Edition and number line and lack the jacket flap price, and may carry a blind stamp on the rear board.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Mystery* by Peter Straub a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/mystery
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.