# Is "The Big Empty" by Robert Crais a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Big Empty by Robert Crais (G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2025) is identified by: Putnam's Sons first edition (2025): number line ending in 1 with 'First Edition' stated; first-issue jacket carries the printed price. The US G.P.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- G.P. Putnam's Sons first edition
- : number line ending in 1 with 'First Edition' stated; first-issue jacket carries the printed price
- Twentieth Elvis Cole and Joe Pike novel
- Won the Edgar Award for Best Novel in 2026
- 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 | 2025 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | G.P. Putnam's Sons first edition |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
G.P. Putnam's Sons first edition (2025): number line ending in 1 with 'First Edition' stated; first-issue jacket carries the printed price. Twentieth Elvis Cole and Joe Pike novel. Won the Edgar Award for Best Novel in 2026.

## Is this the true first?
The US G.P. Putnam's Sons edition of 2025 is the true first. Signed first printings are widely available.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No meaningful book-club edition; the main distinction is signed versus unsigned trade first printings.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Big Empty* by Robert Crais a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-big-empty
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.