# Is "The Burglar in the Library" by Lawrence Block a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Burglar in the Library by Lawrence Block (Dutton, 1997) is identified by: First printing states 'First Edition' with a number line ending in 1. US Dutton is the true first edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing states 'First Edition' with a number line ending in 1
- Distinguishing first-printing point: a text error on the opening line reads 'settle' where later printings read 'settled'; this error prompted a recall
- ISBN 0525943013
- Publisher imprint reads Dutton
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Lawrence Block |
| Publisher | Dutton |
| Year | 1997 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing states 'First Edition' with a number line ending in 1 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First printing states 'First Edition' with a number line ending in 1. Distinguishing first-printing point: a text error on the opening line reads 'settle' where later printings read 'settled'; this error prompted a recall. ISBN 0525943013.

## Is this the true first?
US Dutton is the true first edition. This is the eighth Bernie Rhodenbarr (Burglar) novel, not the seventh.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No significant book-club issue identified. A separate signed British Scorpion Press edition exists but is not the true first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Burglar in the Library* by Lawrence Block a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-burglar-in-the-library
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.