# Is "Shock Wave" by John Sandford a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Shock Wave by John Sandford (G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2011) is identified by: First printing carries the full number line reading down to 1 on the copyright page under the G.P. US G.P.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing carries the full number line reading down to 1 on the copyright page under the G.P. Putnam's Sons imprint
- Trade hardcover, ISBN 9780399157691, published 2011
- The first-issue dust jacket should retain the printed price on the front flap (price-clipping alone does not disqualify a first-issue jacket)
- A later printing is identifiable by a number line beginning higher, such as 5 6 7 8 9 10
- Publisher imprint reads G.P. Putnam's Sons
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | John Sandford |
| Publisher | G.P. Putnam's Sons |
| Year | 2011 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing carries the full number line reading down to 1 on the copyright page under… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First printing carries the full number line reading down to 1 on the copyright page under the G.P. Putnam's Sons imprint. Trade hardcover, ISBN 9780399157691, published 2011. The first-issue dust jacket should retain the printed price on the front flap (price-clipping alone does not disqualify a first-issue jacket). A later printing is identifiable by a number line beginning higher, such as 5 6 7 8 9 10.

## Is this the true first?
US G.P. Putnam's Sons is the true first; this is the fifth Virgil Flowers novel, published 2011.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No significant book-club edition issue is recorded for this title; confirm the first printing via the complete number line ending in 1 (a line starting at 5 or higher indicates a later printing).

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Shock Wave* by John Sandford a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/shock-wave
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.