# Is "Purple Cane Road" by James Lee Burke a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Purple Cane Road by James Lee Burke (Doubleday, 2000) is identified by: The first US trade printing states "First Edition" on the copyright page together with a full number line descending to 1 (9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1). The US Doubleday edition (New York, 2000) is the true first edition; eleventh Dave Robicheaux novel.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The first US trade printing states "First Edition" on the copyright page together with a full number line descending to 1 (9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1)
- Issued in a pictorial dust jacket that should retain its printed price on the front flap (the true first is priced; a price-clipped copy is still a first, but the printed price should originally have been present)
- Confirm the stated "First Edition" line accompanies the complete number line
- Publisher imprint reads Doubleday
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | James Lee Burke |
| Publisher | Doubleday |
| Year | 2000 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | The first US trade printing states "First Edition" on the copyright page together with a… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
The first US trade printing states "First Edition" on the copyright page together with a full number line descending to 1 (9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1). Issued in a pictorial dust jacket that should retain its printed price on the front flap (the true first is priced; a price-clipped copy is still a first, but the printed price should originally have been present). Confirm the stated "First Edition" line accompanies the complete number line.

## Is this the true first?
The US Doubleday edition (New York, 2000) is the true first edition; eleventh Dave Robicheaux novel. A separate British edition (Orion/Weidenfeld) followed and does not precede the US Doubleday first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
None significant for the trade first edition; the stated "First Edition" line plus full number line to 1 distinguishes the first Doubleday printing.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Purple Cane Road* by James Lee Burke a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/purple-cane-road
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.