# Is "The Bone Bed" by Patricia Cornwell a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Bone Bed by Patricia Cornwell (G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2012) is identified by: First printing carries the full descending number line 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 on the copyright page. US G.P.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing carries the full descending number line 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 on the copyright page
- Bound in red boards with copper lettering stamped on the front cover and a black spine also lettered in copper
- The first-issue dust jacket, designed by Richard Hasselberger, should retain its printed price on the front flap (an unclipped jacket is the collector's ideal, though clipping does not affect the edition itself)
- Publisher imprint reads G.P. Putnam's Sons
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Patricia Cornwell |
| Publisher | G.P. Putnam's Sons |
| Year | 2012 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing carries the full descending number line 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 on the… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First printing carries the full descending number line 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 on the copyright page. Bound in red boards with copper lettering stamped on the front cover and a black spine also lettered in copper. The first-issue dust jacket, designed by Richard Hasselberger, should retain its printed price on the front flap (an unclipped jacket is the collector's ideal, though clipping does not affect the edition itself).

## Is this the true first?
US G.P. Putnam's Sons is the true first; twentieth Scarpetta novel, and among the last Putnam-published Scarpetta titles before the series moved to William Morrow.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No significant book-club issue distinct enough to confuse with the trade first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Bone Bed* by Patricia Cornwell a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-bone-bed
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.