The points of issue
First UK edition, London, Barrie & Jenkins, 12 October 1972, with an Osbert Lancaster front jacket illustration. The US edition followed on 6 August 1973 from Simon & Schuster under the title The Plot That Thickened, with a Paul Bacon jacket illustration.
Is this the true first?
UK Barrie & Jenkins is the true first and precedes the US by roughly nine months. The US edition was retitled The Plot That Thickened; the differing titles are the key point.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
US and UK appeared under different titles.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Pearls, Girls and Monty Bodkin a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First UK edition, London, Barrie & Jenkins, 12 October 1972, with an Osbert Lancaster front jacket illustration. The US edition followed on 6 August 1973 from Simon & Schuster under the title The Plot That Thickened, with a Paul Bacon jacket illustration.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. UK Barrie & Jenkins is the true first and precedes the US by roughly nine months. The US edition was retitled The Plot That Thickened; the differing titles are the key point.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
US and UK appeared under different titles.
I have a first edition of Pearls, Girls and Monty Bodkin — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.