# Is "The Black Dahlia" by James Ellroy a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Black Dahlia by James Ellroy (Mysterious Press, 1987) is identified by: Copyright page states 'First Printing: September 1987' with the full number line 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1. US Mysterious Press (1987) is the true first and the first of the L.A.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Copyright page states 'First Printing: September 1987' with the full number line 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
- Black cloth backed lavender/purple boards, title stamped in metallic purple on spine; lavender endpapers
- First-issue blood-red Dahlia jacket with the printed price on the flap
- Octavo, 325 pp
- ISBN 0-89296-206-2
- Publisher imprint reads Mysterious Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | James Ellroy |
| Publisher | Mysterious Press |
| Year | 1987 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Copyright page states 'First Printing: September 1987' with the full number line 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Copyright page states 'First Printing: September 1987' with the full number line 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1. Black cloth backed lavender/purple boards, title stamped in metallic purple on spine; lavender endpapers. First-issue blood-red Dahlia jacket with the printed price on the flap. Octavo, 325 pp. ISBN 0-89296-206-2.

## Is this the true first?
US Mysterious Press (1987) is the true first and the first of the L.A. Quartet; scarce, as a small first printing reportedly sold slowly with copies remaindered/pulped.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club edition lacks the 'First Printing: September 1987' statement and the priced flap, is on lighter bulked paper, and often shows a blind-stamped dot or depression on the rear board.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Black Dahlia* by James Ellroy a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-black-dahlia
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.