# Is "Soul Circus" by George Pelecanos a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Soul Circus by George Pelecanos (Little, Brown, 2003) is identified by: US Little, Brown hardcover, stated "First Edition" on the copyright page with a full number line ending in 1. US Little, Brown true first; third Derek Strange / Terry Quinn novel.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- US Little, Brown hardcover, stated "First Edition" on the copyright page with a full number line ending in 1
- Bound in quarter black paper over grey paper-covered boards with red spine lettering; dust jacket designed by Scott Levine, with the printed cover price present on the front flap of a first-issue jacket
- ISBN 0316608432
- Publisher imprint reads Little, Brown
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | George Pelecanos |
| Publisher | Little, Brown |
| Year | 2003 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | US Little, Brown hardcover, stated "First Edition" on the copyright page with a full… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
US Little, Brown hardcover, stated "First Edition" on the copyright page with a full number line ending in 1. Bound in quarter black paper over grey paper-covered boards with red spine lettering; dust jacket designed by Scott Levine, with the printed cover price present on the front flap of a first-issue jacket. ISBN 0316608432.

## Is this the true first?
US Little, Brown true first; third Derek Strange / Terry Quinn novel.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
None significant; confirm by the stated First Edition with the number line ending in 1.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Soul Circus* by George Pelecanos a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/soul-circus
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.