# Is "Pegasus Descending" by James Lee Burke a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Pegasus Descending by James Lee Burke (Simon & Schuster, 2006) is identified by: "First Edition" stated on the copyright page above a complete descending number line ending in 1 (10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1). US Simon & Schuster edition (New York, 2006, ISBN 0743277724 / 9780743277723) is the true first; fifteenth Dave Robicheaux novel.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- "First Edition" stated on the copyright page above a complete descending number line ending in 1 (10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1)
- Simon & Schuster hardcover in dust jacket; the first-issue jacket carries the printed cover price on the front flap, which should be present and unclipped on a collector's copy
- Publisher imprint reads Simon & Schuster
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | James Lee Burke |
| Publisher | Simon & Schuster |
| Year | 2006 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | "First Edition" stated on the copyright page above a complete descending number line… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
"First Edition" stated on the copyright page above a complete descending number line ending in 1 (10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1). Simon & Schuster hardcover in dust jacket; the first-issue jacket carries the printed cover price on the front flap, which should be present and unclipped on a collector's copy.

## Is this the true first?
US Simon & Schuster edition (New York, 2006, ISBN 0743277724 / 9780743277723) is the true first; fifteenth Dave Robicheaux novel. The first printing was a large trade run, so unsophisticated stated-First-Edition copies with the full number line are the identifying issue.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition is likely to be confused with the true first; the stated First Edition with full number line ending in 1 identifies the first printing. Later printings drop the 1 from the number line.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Pegasus Descending* by James Lee Burke a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/pegasus-descending
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.