# Is "Sudden Prey" by John Sandford a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Sudden Prey by John Sandford (G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1996) is identified by: First edition so stated on the copyright page with a complete descending number line ending in 1 (1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10). US G.P.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition so stated on the copyright page with a complete descending number line ending in 1 (1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10)
- Putnam's Sons New York imprint
- Publisher imprint reads G.P. Putnam's Sons
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | John Sandford |
| Publisher | G.P. Putnam's Sons |
| Year | 1996 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition so stated on the copyright page with a complete descending number line… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First edition so stated on the copyright page with a complete descending number line ending in 1 (1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10). Putnam's Sons New York imprint.

## Is this the true first?
US G.P. Putnam's Sons is the true first edition; eighth Lucas Davenport Prey novel. No prior foreign edition precedes it.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No significant book-club edition issue for the first printing.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Sudden Prey* by John Sandford a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/sudden-prey
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.