# Is "Spadework (LaBrava)" by Elmore Leonard a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Spadework (LaBrava) by Elmore Leonard (Arbor House, 1983) is identified by: The Edgar winner is 'LaBrava', US Arbor House first, 1983, with a full number line counting down to 1 on the copyright page and the 1983 price intact on the front jacket flap. The US Arbor House 1983 'LaBrava' is the true first; the UK Viking/Allen Lane edition is a first-thus.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The Edgar winner is 'LaBrava', US Arbor House first, 1983, with a full number line counting down to 1 on the copyright page and the 1983 price intact on the front jacket flap
- Won the 1984 Edgar Award for Best Novel
- Publisher imprint reads Arbor House
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Elmore Leonard |
| Publisher | Arbor House |
| Year | 1983 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | The Edgar winner is 'LaBrava', US Arbor House first, 1983, with a full number line counting down to 1 on the copyright page and the 1983… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
The Edgar winner is 'LaBrava', US Arbor House first, 1983, with a full number line counting down to 1 on the copyright page and the 1983 price intact on the front jacket flap. Won the 1984 Edgar Award for Best Novel.

## Is this the true first?
The US Arbor House 1983 'LaBrava' is the true first; the UK Viking/Allen Lane edition is a first-thus.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club editions are usually smaller and lack the jacket price; later printings drop the terminal 1 from the number line.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Spadework (LaBrava)* by Elmore Leonard a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/spadework-labrava
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.