# Is "Promised Land" by Robert B. Parker a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Promised Land by Robert B. Parker (Houghton Mifflin, 1976) is identified by: First printing has a complete number line 1 through 10 on the copyright page. The US Houghton Mifflin edition (1976) is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing has a complete number line 1 through 10 on the copyright page
- First-issue dust jacket carries the printed price on the front flap and was designed by Paul Bacon
- Fourth Spenser novel; winner of the Edgar Award for Best Novel
- Publisher imprint reads Houghton Mifflin
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Robert B. Parker |
| Publisher | Houghton Mifflin |
| Year | 1976 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing has a complete number line 1 through 10 on the copyright page |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First printing has a complete number line 1 through 10 on the copyright page. First-issue dust jacket carries the printed price on the front flap and was designed by Paul Bacon. Fourth Spenser novel; winner of the Edgar Award for Best Novel (1977).

## Is this the true first?
The US Houghton Mifflin edition (1976) is the true first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club editions are common: blind-stamped dot or square on the rear board, no price on the jacket, and a gutter code present; the boards bulk thinner than the trade first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Promised Land* by Robert B. Parker a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/promised-land
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.