# Is "Slayground (Parker #14)" by Richard Stark (Donald E. Westlake) a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Slayground (Parker #14) by Richard Stark (Donald E. Westlake) (Random House, 1971) is identified by: Random House hardcover, 1971 (183 pp). US Random House hardcover is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Random House hardcover, 1971 (183 pp)
- The copyright page shows both 1969 and 1971 (the opening chapter is shared with the 1969 Grofield novel The Blackbird), but the first edition itself is the 1971 Random House hardcover
- Fourteenth Parker novel
- Publisher imprint reads Random House
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Richard Stark (Donald E. Westlake) |
| Publisher | Random House |
| Year | 1971 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Random House hardcover, 1971 (183 pp) |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Random House hardcover, 1971 (183 pp). The copyright page shows both 1969 and 1971 (the opening chapter is shared with the 1969 Grofield novel The Blackbird), but the first edition itself is the 1971 Random House hardcover. Fourteenth Parker novel.

## Is this the true first?
US Random House hardcover is the true first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club edition has a blind-stamped dot on the rear board and an unpriced jacket.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Slayground (Parker #14)* by Richard Stark (Donald E. Westlake) a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/slayground-parker-14
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.