# Is "Nothing to Lose" by Lee Child a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Nothing to Lose by Lee Child (Delacorte Press, 2008) is identified by: On the US Delacorte Press edition, the copyright page states 'First Edition' and carries a complete number line descending to 1 (the Delacorte form 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1); the '1' must be present for the first printing. The true first edition is the UK Bantam Press hardcover, published March 2008, which preceded the US Delacorte Press edition (published 3 June 2008).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- On the US Delacorte Press edition, the copyright page states 'First Edition' and carries a complete number line descending to 1 (the Delacorte form 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1); the '1' must be present for the first printing
- The book is issued in publisher's boards with a dust jacket, and the first-issue jacket should retain its printed price on the front flap (its presence, not any amount, is the point)
- Signed copies are typically signed by Child on the title page
- Publisher imprint reads Delacorte Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Lee Child |
| Publisher | Delacorte Press |
| Year | 2008 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | On the US Delacorte Press edition, the copyright page states 'First Edition' and carries… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
On the US Delacorte Press edition, the copyright page states 'First Edition' and carries a complete number line descending to 1 (the Delacorte form 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1); the '1' must be present for the first printing. The book is issued in publisher's boards with a dust jacket, and the first-issue jacket should retain its printed price on the front flap (its presence, not any amount, is the point). Signed copies are typically signed by Child on the title page.

## Is this the true first?
The true first edition is the UK Bantam Press hardcover, published March 2008, which preceded the US Delacorte Press edition (published 3 June 2008). The Delacorte printing is the genuine US first edition but not the first appearance in print. Twelfth Reacher novel.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No significant book-club edition issue on the stated-first US Delacorte printing; the stated 'First Edition' with number line to 1 identifies the first printing.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Nothing to Lose* by Lee Child a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/nothing-to-lose
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.