# Is "The Chatham School Affair" by Thomas H. Cook a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Chatham School Affair by Thomas H. Cook (Bantam Books, 1996) is identified by: US Bantam first, 1996: the copyright page states 'First Edition' with a number line ending in 1, and the book is bound in black boards with a grey backstrip, the spine lettered in gilt. US Bantam Books 1996 is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- US Bantam first, 1996: the copyright page states 'First Edition' with a number line ending in 1, and the book is bound in black boards with a grey backstrip, the spine lettered in gilt
- The first-issue jacket retains its printed price on the flap
- It won the 1997 Edgar Award for Best Novel from the Mystery Writers of America, a genuine long-tail winner
- Publisher imprint reads Bantam Books
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Thomas H. Cook |
| Publisher | Bantam Books |
| Year | 1996 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | US Bantam first, 1996: the copyright page states 'First Edition' with a number line ending in 1, and the book is bound in black boards with… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
US Bantam first, 1996: the copyright page states 'First Edition' with a number line ending in 1, and the book is bound in black boards with a grey backstrip, the spine lettered in gilt. The first-issue jacket retains its printed price on the flap. It won the 1997 Edgar Award for Best Novel from the Mystery Writers of America, a genuine long-tail winner.

## Is this the true first?
US Bantam Books 1996 is the true first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
A number line not ending in 1 indicates a later printing; book-club editions lack the jacket price and are physically smaller.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Chatham School Affair* by Thomas H. Cook a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-chatham-school-affair
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.