# Is "The Cold Dish" by Craig Johnson a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Cold Dish by Craig Johnson (Viking, 2004) is identified by: US Viking first, 2004. The US Viking 2004 edition is the true first; UK editions are later.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- US Viking first, 2004
- The copyright page states 'FIRST EDITION' with a number line that includes the 1, and the first issue carries an unclipped jacket with the original price
- This is Johnson's debut and the first Walt Longmire mystery
- Publisher imprint reads Viking
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Craig Johnson |
| Publisher | Viking |
| Year | 2004 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | US Viking first, 2004 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
US Viking first, 2004. The copyright page states 'FIRST EDITION' with a number line that includes the 1, and the first issue carries an unclipped jacket with the original price. This is Johnson's debut and the first Walt Longmire mystery.

## Is this the true first?
The US Viking 2004 edition is the true first; UK editions are later.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
A number line that does not include the 1 indicates a later printing; book-club editions lack the printed jacket price.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Cold Dish* by Craig Johnson a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-cold-dish
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.