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

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Burglar in the Rye by Lawrence Block (Dutton, 1999) is identified by: First printing states 'First Edition' on the copyright page with a full number line reading 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1. US Dutton (a Penguin Putnam imprint) is the true first edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing states 'First Edition' on the copyright page with a full number line reading 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
- ISBN 0525945008
- Bound in quarter cloth, octavo, roughly 280 pages, in a priced dust jacket; a first-state jacket should retain its printed price unclipped
- Publisher imprint reads Dutton
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Lawrence Block |
| Publisher | Dutton |
| Year | 1999 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing states 'First Edition' on the copyright page with a full number line… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First printing states 'First Edition' on the copyright page with a full number line reading 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1. ISBN 0525945008. Bound in quarter cloth, octavo, roughly 280 pages, in a priced dust jacket; a first-state jacket should retain its printed price unclipped.

## Is this the true first?
US Dutton (a Penguin Putnam imprint) is the true first edition. This is the ninth Bernie Rhodenbarr (Burglar) novel; the number line to 1 and stated 'First Edition' together identify the first printing.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No significant book-club issue identified.

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