# Is "Serpentine" by Jonathan Kellerman a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Serpentine by Jonathan Kellerman (Ballantine, 2021) is identified by: First edition so stated on the copyright page ('First Edition') with a full number line including 1. US Ballantine hardcover, published February 2, 2021, is the true first; thirty-sixth Alex Delaware novel.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition so stated on the copyright page ('First Edition') with a full number line including 1
- Ballantine (Random House) hardcover in dust jacket
- ISBN 9780525618553
- The first-issue jacket should retain its printed cover price and the ISBN barcode on the rear panel
- Publisher imprint reads Ballantine
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Jonathan Kellerman |
| Publisher | Ballantine |
| Year | 2021 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition so stated on the copyright page ('First Edition') with a full number line… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First edition so stated on the copyright page ('First Edition') with a full number line including 1. Ballantine (Random House) hardcover in dust jacket; ISBN 9780525618553. The first-issue jacket should retain its printed cover price and the ISBN barcode on the rear panel.

## Is this the true first?
US Ballantine hardcover, published February 2, 2021, is the true first; thirty-sixth Alex Delaware novel. The UK Century edition appeared in the same month and does not precede the US stated first edition.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No significant book-club edition issue for the first printing. Any copy without the stated 'First Edition' and full number line, or with a price-less and barcode-less jacket, is a later or club-style printing rather than the trade first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Serpentine* by Jonathan Kellerman a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/serpentine
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.