# Is "Small Mercies" by Dennis Lehane a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Small Mercies by Dennis Lehane (Harper, 2023) is identified by: US Harper (HarperCollins) hardcover, New York, published 25 April 2023 (trade ISBN 9780062129482), roughly 299-303 pp. US Harper (HarperCollins imprint) hardcover is the true first; a standalone novel set in 1974 Boston, published April 2023.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- US Harper (HarperCollins) hardcover, New York, published 25 April 2023 (trade ISBN 9780062129482), roughly 299-303 pp
- First printing states First Edition on the copyright page with a complete number line whose lowest digit is 1; a line ending in a higher digit (for example ending in 5) denotes a later printing
- Binding is black paper over boards
- The dust jacket should retain its printed price
- A Barnes & Noble exclusive edition exists under a separate ISBN with additional bonus material (an End of Summer essay) and is a distinct issue, not the trade first
- Publisher imprint reads Harper
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Dennis Lehane |
| Publisher | Harper |
| Year | 2023 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | US Harper (HarperCollins) hardcover, New York, published 25 April 2023 (trade ISBN… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
US Harper (HarperCollins) hardcover, New York, published 25 April 2023 (trade ISBN 9780062129482), roughly 299-303 pp. First printing states First Edition on the copyright page with a complete number line whose lowest digit is 1; a line ending in a higher digit (for example ending in 5) denotes a later printing. Binding is black paper over boards. The dust jacket should retain its printed price. A Barnes & Noble exclusive edition exists under a separate ISBN with additional bonus material (an End of Summer essay) and is a distinct issue, not the trade first.

## Is this the true first?
US Harper (HarperCollins imprint) hardcover is the true first; a standalone novel set in 1974 Boston, published April 2023. Collect the trade Harper first printing (number line to 1), distinct from the Barnes & Noble exclusive.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings are identified by a number line not reaching 1 (e.g. ending in 5 for a fifth printing). The Barnes & Noble exclusive with bonus material is a separate issue, not a book-club reprint.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Small Mercies* by Dennis Lehane a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/small-mercies
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.