# Is "Naked in Death" by J.D. Robb (Nora Roberts) a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Naked in Death by J.D. Robb (Nora Roberts) (Berkley Books, 1995) is identified by: Mass-market paperback original from Berkley Books, July 1995, with a full Berkley first-printing number line ending in 1. Paperback original is the true first; there was no earlier hardcover.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Mass-market paperback original from Berkley Books, July 1995, with a full Berkley first-printing number line ending in 1
- The first 'In Death' novel and the first use of the J.D. Robb pen name
- Publisher imprint reads Berkley Books
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | J.D. Robb (Nora Roberts) |
| Publisher | Berkley Books |
| Year | 1995 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Mass-market paperback original from Berkley Books, July 1995, with a full Berkley… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Mass-market paperback original from Berkley Books, July 1995, with a full Berkley first-printing number line ending in 1. The first 'In Death' novel and the first use of the J.D. Robb pen name.

## Is this the true first?
Paperback original is the true first; there was no earlier hardcover. The J.D. Robb identity was not publicly tied to Nora Roberts at launch, which contributed to the desirability of early first printings.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings show a shortened number line; no book club edition applies to this paperback original.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Naked in Death* by J.D. Robb (Nora Roberts) a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/naked-in-death
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.