# Is "The Body Farm" by Patricia Cornwell a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Body Farm by Patricia Cornwell (Charles Scribner's Sons, 1994) is identified by: First printing has 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page together with the full number line 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 descending to 1. US Charles Scribner's Sons is the true first; the fifth Kay Scarpetta novel, in which Scarpetta, Benton Wesley and Pete Marino pursue the serial killer Temple Gault at the request of North Carolina authorities.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing has 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page together with the full number line 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 descending to 1
- Published by Charles Scribner's Sons, New York, on 12 September 1994; octavo, approximately 387 pages
- The first-state dust jacket should retain its printed cover price to the front flap (unclipped); a price should be present, with jacket art and rear-panel author photo matching the trade issue
- Publisher imprint reads Charles Scribner's Sons
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Patricia Cornwell |
| Publisher | Charles Scribner's Sons |
| Year | 1994 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing has 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page together with the full… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First printing has 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page together with the full number line 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 descending to 1. Published by Charles Scribner's Sons, New York, on 12 September 1994; octavo, approximately 387 pages. The first-state dust jacket should retain its printed cover price to the front flap (unclipped); a price should be present, with jacket art and rear-panel author photo matching the trade issue.

## Is this the true first?
US Charles Scribner's Sons is the true first; the fifth Kay Scarpetta novel, in which Scarpetta, Benton Wesley and Pete Marino pursue the serial killer Temple Gault at the request of North Carolina authorities.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book club editions of this bestseller exist and are identified by an unpriced jacket and a blindstamp or small impressed dot on the rear board, lacking the stated 'First Edition' and full number line. Book-club copies are also typically smaller and lighter than the trade first, printed on thinner boards.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Body Farm* by Patricia Cornwell a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-body-farm
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.