# Is "Talking God" by Tony Hillerman a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Talking God by Tony Hillerman (Harper & Row, New York, 1989) is identified by: Harper & Row, New York, 1989; ISBN 0-06-016118-3; ninth Leaphorn/Chee novel. The census claim is confirmed.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Harper & Row, New York, 1989
- ISBN 0-06-016118-3; ninth Leaphorn/Chee novel
- The copyright leaf ([viii]) reads "FIRST EDITION... 89 90 91 92 93 CC/HC 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1" — the statement plus Harper's complete code line ending in "1"; read the lowest digit, not just the statement
- Hardback 24 x 16 cm, collating [i-xiv] 1-239 [240-242]. Bound in light yellowish-brown boards with a deep purplish-blue cloth spine lettered in bronze: [vertically] TONY HILLERMAN [device] TALKING GOD, [horizontally] HARPER & ROW. Illustrated multicolour jacket designed by Peter Thorpe — the mask of Talking God centred between Washington, D.C. buildings and monuments; jacket should be unclipped with the price at the front flap
- Book designed by Alma Orenstein
- Recorded as Hieb
- Publisher imprint reads Harper & Row, New York

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Tony Hillerman |
| Publisher | Harper & Row, New York |
| Year | 1989 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Harper & Row, New York, 1989 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Harper & Row, New York, 1989; ISBN 0-06-016118-3; ninth Leaphorn/Chee novel. The copyright leaf ([viii]) reads "FIRST EDITION... 89 90 91 92 93 CC/HC 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1" — the statement plus Harper's complete code line ending in "1"; read the lowest digit, not just the statement. Hardback 24 x 16 cm, collating [i-xiv] 1-239 [240-242]. Bound in light yellowish-brown boards with a deep purplish-blue cloth spine lettered in bronze: [vertically] TONY HILLERMAN [device] TALKING GOD, [horizontally] HARPER & ROW. Illustrated multicolour jacket designed by Peter Thorpe — the mask of Talking God centred between Washington, D.C. buildings and monuments; jacket should be unclipped with the price at the front flap. Book designed by Alma Orenstein. Recorded as Hieb (1990) A11a.

## Is this the true first?
The census claim is confirmed. Harper & Row, New York, 1989, is the true first; the UK first (Michael Joseph, London, 1990; ISBN 0-7181-3376-5, jacket by Leslie Howell) followed a year later, so US precedence is unambiguous and there is no simultaneity question. One further issue of the first edition is collected alongside the trade and should be named: the publisher's limited issue (Hieb A11b; ISBN 0-06-016153-1), with a limitation leaf at [i] reading "Of the first edition of Talking God three hundred copies have been specially bound and slipcased. Each copy is signed and numbered by the author." It is distinguished from the trade by a WHITE cloth spine over light brown boards lettered in metallic copper, the signed and numbered limitation leaf, and a Peter Thorpe-designed slipcase (Navajo sandstone scene front, Washington, D.C. scene back). Same copyright-page statement and code line as the trade.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club copies exist and are common; dealers list both a hardcover book-club issue and a Detective Book Club omnibus issue (Roslyn, N.Y., 1989) — the latter in stiff pictorial paper wraps with cream and gold lettering. Standard period tells apply: no price at the jacket flap, or "Book Club Edition" printed at the foot of the front flap; reduced trim and lighter bulk on thinner paper; a blind stamp or small dot on the rear board near the spine; and no Harper "FIRST EDITION" line on the copyright page.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Talking God* by Tony Hillerman a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/talking-god
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.