# Is "Portrait of a Killer: Jack the Ripper—Case Closed" by Patricia Cornwell a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Portrait of a Killer: Jack the Ripper—Case Closed by Patricia Cornwell (G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2002) is identified by: First printing has the full number line ending in 1 on the copyright page. US G.P.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing has the full number line ending in 1 on the copyright page
- ISBN 0-399-14932-5
- 387 pages; nonfiction
- Bound in quarter cloth: black boards with a black cloth overlay on the spine, gilt spine lettering, the author's initials in gilt on the front board, and red endpapers
- The unclipped first-issue dust jacket retains its printed price on the front flap
- Publisher imprint reads G.P. Putnam's Sons
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Patricia Cornwell |
| Publisher | G.P. Putnam's Sons |
| Year | 2002 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing has the full number line ending in 1 on the copyright page |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First printing has the full number line ending in 1 on the copyright page. ISBN 0-399-14932-5; 387 pages; nonfiction. Bound in quarter cloth: black boards with a black cloth overlay on the spine, gilt spine lettering, the author's initials in gilt on the front board, and red endpapers. The unclipped first-issue dust jacket retains its printed price on the front flap.

## Is this the true first?
US G.P. Putnam's Sons is the true first; nonfiction Jack the Ripper investigation arguing Walter Sickert as the killer.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
None significant.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Portrait of a Killer: Jack the Ripper—Case Closed* by Patricia Cornwell a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/portrait-of-a-killer-jack-the-ripper-case-closed
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.