# Is "Taken" by Robert Crais a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Taken by Robert Crais (G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2012) is identified by: The trade first printing states "First Edition" on the copyright page beneath a complete number line retaining the numeral 1; later printings drop the low numbers. The US G.P.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The trade first printing states "First Edition" on the copyright page beneath a complete number line retaining the numeral 1; later printings drop the low numbers
- Issued in Putnam boards with a pictorial dust jacket carrying the publisher's printed price on the front flap, so an unclipped flap assists identification
- Publisher imprint reads G.P. Putnam's Sons
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Robert Crais |
| Publisher | G.P. Putnam's Sons |
| Year | 2012 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | The trade first printing states "First Edition" on the copyright page beneath a complete… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
The trade first printing states "First Edition" on the copyright page beneath a complete number line retaining the numeral 1; later printings drop the low numbers. Issued in Putnam boards with a pictorial dust jacket carrying the publisher's printed price on the front flap, so an unclipped flap assists identification.

## Is this the true first?
The US G.P. Putnam's Sons hardcover (ISBN 9780399158278) is the true first trade edition, the fourth Elvis Cole and Joe Pike novel, published in 2012. The Mysterious Bookshop also issued a signed, numbered limited edition of the title, distinct from and preceding the ordinary trade issue for collectors of the deluxe form.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book club edition affects the true first; the trade first is identified by the "First Edition" statement with an intact number line, as distinct from the signed limited issue.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Taken* by Robert Crais a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/taken
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.