# Is "The Devil Knows You're Dead" by Lawrence Block a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Devil Knows You're Dead by Lawrence Block (William Morrow, 1993) is identified by: 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page together with a complete number line; the presence of the '1' in the line indicates the first printing. US William Morrow edition is the true first; eleventh Matthew Scudder novel.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page together with a complete number line; the presence of the '1' in the line indicates the first printing
- Publisher imprint reads William Morrow
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Lawrence Block |
| Publisher | William Morrow |
| Year | 1993 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page together with a complete number line; the… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
'First Edition' stated on the copyright page together with a complete number line; the presence of the '1' in the line indicates the first printing.

## Is this the true first?
US William Morrow edition is the true first; eleventh Matthew Scudder novel.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No significant book-club-edition confusion is documented for this title. Any book-club printing would lack the stated 'First Edition' line and number line.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Devil Knows You're Dead* by Lawrence Block a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-devil-knows-youre-dead
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.