# Is "The Darkest Evening of the Year" by Dean Koontz a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Darkest Evening of the Year by Dean Koontz (Bantam, 2007) is identified by: The first printing has the copyright page reading A Bantam Book with the full number line ending in 1 (form 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1, preceded by Bantam's house letters). Bantam US trade hardcover (released November 27, 2007) is the true first; the Charnel House limited followed in 2008.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The first printing has the copyright page reading A Bantam Book with the full number line ending in 1 (form 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1, preceded by Bantam's house letters)
- Bound in black paper boards with the author's name blocked on the front and a black cloth spine lettered in gilt; book design by Virginia Norey
- The jacket montage is by Jorge Martinez and Craig DeCamps with tree art by Manuela Keggenhoff; a first-issue jacket retains the printed price on the front flap
- Publisher imprint reads Bantam
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Dean Koontz |
| Publisher | Bantam |
| Year | 2007 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | The first printing has the copyright page reading A Bantam Book with the full number line ending in 1 (form 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1, preceded… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
The first printing has the copyright page reading A Bantam Book with the full number line ending in 1 (form 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1, preceded by Bantam's house letters). Bound in black paper boards with the author's name blocked on the front and a black cloth spine lettered in gilt; book design by Virginia Norey. The jacket montage is by Jorge Martinez and Craig DeCamps with tree art by Manuela Keggenhoff; a first-issue jacket retains the printed price on the front flap.

## Is this the true first?
Bantam US trade hardcover (released November 27, 2007) is the true first; the Charnel House limited followed in 2008.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book club and large print club editions were issued simultaneously; they lack the number line and the printed jacket price.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Darkest Evening of the Year* by Dean Koontz a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-darkest-evening-of-the-year
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.