# Is "Right as Rain" by George Pelecanos a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Right as Rain by George Pelecanos (Little, Brown, 2001) is identified by: US Little, Brown hardcover, stated "First Edition" on the copyright page with a complete number line ending in 1. US Little, Brown true first; first Derek Strange / Terry Quinn novel.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- US Little, Brown hardcover, stated "First Edition" on the copyright page with a complete number line ending in 1
- Dust jacket designed by Paul Sahre incorporating a photograph by Michael Northrup, with the printed cover price present on the front flap of a first-issue jacket
- ISBN 0316695262
- Publisher imprint reads Little, Brown
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | George Pelecanos |
| Publisher | Little, Brown |
| Year | 2001 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | US Little, Brown hardcover, stated "First Edition" on the copyright page with a complete… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
US Little, Brown hardcover, stated "First Edition" on the copyright page with a complete number line ending in 1. Dust jacket designed by Paul Sahre incorporating a photograph by Michael Northrup, with the printed cover price present on the front flap of a first-issue jacket. ISBN 0316695262.

## Is this the true first?
US Little, Brown true first; first Derek Strange / Terry Quinn novel. A UK hardcover was published by Orion the same year (2001); available sources do not establish clear precedence between the two, so the Little, Brown printing stands as the US true first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
None significant; verify via the stated First Edition and full number line ending in 1.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Right as Rain* by George Pelecanos a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/right-as-rain
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.