The points of issue
Faber and Faber first, 1971; publisher's red cloth lettered in gilt on the spine; first-issue dust jacket priced £2.00 net (unclipped). Copyright verso carries a single first-published statement with no later-impression line.
Is this the true first?
The UK Faber edition of 1971 precedes the US Scribner edition of the same year. Fourth Adam Dalgliesh novel; a recognised, award-noted title.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later impressions add a printing statement to the verso. Price-clipped jackets lose the £2.00 net point. The US first is a separate first American edition.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Shroud for a Nightingale a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Faber and Faber first, 1971; publisher's red cloth lettered in gilt on the spine; first-issue dust jacket priced £2.00 net (unclipped). Copyright verso carries a single first-published statement with no later-impression line.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. The UK Faber edition of 1971 precedes the US Scribner edition of the same year. Fourth Adam Dalgliesh novel; a recognised, award-noted title.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later impressions add a printing statement to the verso. Price-clipped jackets lose the £2.00 net point. The US first is a separate first American edition.
I have a first edition of Shroud for a Nightingale — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.