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

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Scarpetta by Patricia Cornwell (G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2008) is identified by: First printing has the full number line ending in the numeral 1 on the copyright page. US G.P.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing has the full number line ending in the numeral 1 on the copyright page
- The first-issue binding is black quarter cloth with silver spine lettering over mauve paper-covered boards with the author's PC monogram blind-stamped to the front board
- The first-issue dust jacket carries jacket art by Richard Hasselberger and should retain the printed price at the top of the front flap, with the jacket unclipped
- Publisher imprint reads G.P. Putnam's Sons
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Patricia Cornwell |
| Publisher | G.P. Putnam's Sons |
| Year | 2008 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing has the full number line ending in the numeral 1 on the copyright page |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First printing has the full number line ending in the numeral 1 on the copyright page. The first-issue binding is black quarter cloth with silver spine lettering over mauve paper-covered boards with the author's PC monogram blind-stamped to the front board. The first-issue dust jacket carries jacket art by Richard Hasselberger and should retain the printed price at the top of the front flap, with the jacket unclipped.

## Is this the true first?
US G.P. Putnam's Sons is the true first edition; sixteenth Kay Scarpetta novel. A Little, Brown UK edition appeared the same season, but the Putnam printing is the first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No significant book-club issue affecting first-edition identification; identify the true first by the intact number line ending in 1 and the priced, unclipped Hasselberger jacket.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Scarpetta* by Patricia Cornwell a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/scarpetta
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.