# Is "Ocean Prey" by John Sandford a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Ocean Prey by John Sandford (G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2021) is identified by: The first printing carries the full number line 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 on the copyright page, the terminal 1 denoting the first printing. The US G.P.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The first printing carries the full number line 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 on the copyright page, the terminal 1 denoting the first printing
- The book is bound in black quarter cloth with silver lettering on the spine over bright blue boards, and runs to 423 pages
- It is issued in a photographic dust jacket with a blue water/bubbles design; on an unaltered first-issue copy the printed price is present on the front flap
- Signed first printings were issued with the author's signature on a publisher's tipped-in front leaf rather than signed on the title page
- Publisher imprint reads G.P. Putnam's Sons
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | John Sandford |
| Publisher | G.P. Putnam's Sons |
| Year | 2021 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | The first printing carries the full number line 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 on the copyright… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
The first printing carries the full number line 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 on the copyright page, the terminal 1 denoting the first printing. The book is bound in black quarter cloth with silver lettering on the spine over bright blue boards, and runs to 423 pages. It is issued in a photographic dust jacket with a blue water/bubbles design; on an unaltered first-issue copy the printed price is present on the front flap. Signed first printings were issued with the author's signature on a publisher's tipped-in front leaf rather than signed on the title page.

## Is this the true first?
The US G.P. Putnam's Sons edition, published April 13, 2021, is the true first; the UK Simon & Schuster edition followed on April 15, 2021, so the Putnam printing precedes it by two days. Thirty-first Prey novel, featuring both Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No significant book club edition concerns for this recent trade hardcover; confirm the complete descending number line ending in 1, as later printings drop the terminal 1.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Ocean Prey* by John Sandford a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/ocean-prey
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.