# Is "Suicide Hill" by James Ellroy a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Suicide Hill by James Ellroy (Mysterious Press, 1986) is identified by: First hardcover, The Mysterious Press, New York, 1986 (ISBN 0892962356), the third and final Lloyd Hopkins novel, collating 280 pages. The US Mysterious Press edition is the true first and the third and final Lloyd Hopkins novel.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First hardcover, The Mysterious Press, New York, 1986 (ISBN 0892962356), the third and final Lloyd Hopkins novel, collating 280 pages
- Bound in cloth-backed boards; the copyright page states the first printing with a complete number line, and the first-issue dust jacket carries the jacket painting by Gamache and prints its front-flap price (which should be present and unclipped on a true first)
- Publisher imprint reads Mysterious Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | James Ellroy |
| Publisher | Mysterious Press |
| Year | 1986 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First hardcover, The Mysterious Press, New York, 1986 (ISBN 0892962356), the third and… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First hardcover, The Mysterious Press, New York, 1986 (ISBN 0892962356), the third and final Lloyd Hopkins novel, collating 280 pages. Bound in cloth-backed boards; the copyright page states the first printing with a complete number line, and the first-issue dust jacket carries the jacket painting by Gamache and prints its front-flap price (which should be present and unclipped on a true first).

## Is this the true first?
The US Mysterious Press edition is the true first and the third and final Lloyd Hopkins novel. The correct publication year is 1986, not 1985.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club copies lack the printed jacket price and typically show a blind-stamp on the rear board; the stated first printing with the priced, Gamache-illustrated jacket marks the true first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Suicide Hill* by James Ellroy a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/suicide-hill
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.