# Is "Running Blind (UK: The Visitor)" by Lee Child a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Running Blind (UK: The Visitor) by Lee Child (G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2000) is identified by: First printing carries the complete number line 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2 and the first-state pictorial dust jacket with the printed cover price on the front flap (an unclipped flap shows the original price; clipping alone does not indicate a later state). The novel first appeared in the UK as 'The Visitor' (Bantam Press, April 2000, ISBN 0593043995); Putnam issued it in the US as 'Running Blind' in July 2000.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing carries the complete number line 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2 and the first-state pictorial dust jacket with the printed cover price on the front flap (an unclipped flap shows the original price; clipping alone does not indicate a later state)
- Publisher imprint reads G.P. Putnam's Sons
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Lee Child |
| Publisher | G.P. Putnam's Sons |
| Year | 2000 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing carries the complete number line 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2 and the first-state… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First printing carries the complete number line 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2 and the first-state pictorial dust jacket with the printed cover price on the front flap (an unclipped flap shows the original price; clipping alone does not indicate a later state).

## Is this the true first?
The novel first appeared in the UK as 'The Visitor' (Bantam Press, April 2000, ISBN 0593043995); Putnam issued it in the US as 'Running Blind' in July 2000. Putnam felt 'The Visitor' sounded too much like science fiction. The UK edition under its own title is the true global first; the Putnam printing (ISBN 9780399146237) is the first US edition and first under the 'Running Blind' title.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book Club Edition is unpriced with a blindstamp to the rear board and lacks the full number line.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Running Blind (UK: The Visitor)* by Lee Child a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/running-blind-uk-the-visitor
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.