# Is "Shroud for a Nightingale" by P.D. James a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Shroud for a Nightingale by P.D. James (Faber and Faber, 1971) is identified by: Faber and Faber first, 1971; publisher's red cloth lettered in gilt on the spine; first-issue dust jacket with its printed price (unclipped). The UK Faber edition of 1971 precedes the US Scribner edition of the same year.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Faber and Faber first, 1971; publisher's red cloth lettered in gilt on the spine; first-issue dust jacket with its printed price (unclipped)
- Copyright verso carries a single first-published statement with no later-impression line
- Publisher imprint reads Faber and Faber
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | P.D. James |
| Publisher | Faber and Faber |
| Year | 1971 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Faber and Faber first, 1971; publisher's red cloth lettered in gilt on the spine; first-issue dust jacket with its printed price (unclipped) |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
Faber and Faber first, 1971; publisher's red cloth lettered in gilt on the spine; first-issue dust jacket with its printed price (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 printed price point. The US first is a separate first American edition.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Shroud for a Nightingale* by P.D. James a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/shroud-for-a-nightingale
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-04.