# Is "The Big Nowhere" by James Ellroy a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Big Nowhere by James Ellroy (Mysterious Press, 1988) is identified by: First hardcover; copyright page states First Printing: September 1988 with a full number line ending in 1. The US Mysterious Press edition of 1988 is the true first and the second novel of the L.A.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First hardcover; copyright page states First Printing: September 1988 with a full number line ending in 1
- Jacket illustration by Stephen Peringer, and the jacket carries its original front-flap price
- Publisher imprint reads Mysterious Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | James Ellroy |
| Publisher | Mysterious Press |
| Year | 1988 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First hardcover; copyright page states First Printing: September 1988 with a full number… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First hardcover; copyright page states First Printing: September 1988 with a full number line ending in 1. Jacket illustration by Stephen Peringer, and the jacket carries its original front-flap price.

## Is this the true first?
The US Mysterious Press edition of 1988 is the true first and the second novel of the L.A. Quartet.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book club copies lack a jacket price and generally carry a blind-stamp on the rear board. The stated First Printing: September 1988 line with priced jacket marks the true first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Big Nowhere* by James Ellroy a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-big-nowhere
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.