# Is "Postmortem" by Patricia Cornwell a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Postmortem by Patricia Cornwell (Charles Scribner's Sons, 1990) is identified by: US Scribner's first edition: copyright page dated 1990 with the full number line 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1. Cornwell's debut and the first Kay Scarpetta novel; won the 1991 Edgar Award for Best First Novel.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- US Scribner's first edition: copyright page dated 1990 with the full number line 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
- Quarter black cloth over red paper-covered boards, gilt spine lettering; first-issue jacket with the printed price on the front flap
- Publisher imprint reads Charles Scribner's Sons
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Patricia Cornwell |
| Publisher | Charles Scribner's Sons |
| Year | 1990 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | US Scribner's first edition: copyright page dated 1990 with the full number line 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
US Scribner's first edition: copyright page dated 1990 with the full number line 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1. Quarter black cloth over red paper-covered boards, gilt spine lettering; first-issue jacket with the printed price on the front flap. 293 pp.

## Is this the true first?
Cornwell's debut and the first Kay Scarpetta novel; won the 1991 Edgar Award for Best First Novel. The recognized true first edition is the US Charles Scribner's Sons printing (US publication preceded the UK). A UK Macdonald (London) edition also appeared in 1990 in a small printing and is highly sought, but the earlier claim that the UK edition is the 'true first' is contested and not the standard view; both editions are scarce in the first printing.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club edition lacks the full number line to 1 and the priced flap, is on lighter bulked paper, and often shows a blind-stamped dot or depression on the rear board.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Postmortem* by Patricia Cornwell a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/postmortem
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-04.