# Is "The Double" by George Pelecanos a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Double by George Pelecanos (Little, Brown, 2013) is identified by: Little, Brown and Company first US edition, 2013 (ISBN 9780316239899), the second Spero Lucas novel, published October 2013. US Little, Brown hardcover is the true first; the second Spero Lucas novel, published October 2013.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Little, Brown and Company first US edition, 2013 (ISBN 9780316239899), the second Spero Lucas novel, published October 2013
- The first printing states 'First Edition' (or 'First Printing') on the copyright page accompanied by a full descending number line ending in 1; the dust jacket should retain its printed price
- Publisher imprint reads Little, Brown
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | George Pelecanos |
| Publisher | Little, Brown |
| Year | 2013 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Little, Brown and Company first US edition, 2013 (ISBN 9780316239899), the second Spero… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
Little, Brown and Company first US edition, 2013 (ISBN 9780316239899), the second Spero Lucas novel, published October 2013. The first printing states 'First Edition' (or 'First Printing') on the copyright page accompanied by a full descending number line ending in 1; the dust jacket should retain its printed price.

## Is this the true first?
US Little, Brown hardcover is the true first; the second Spero Lucas novel, published October 2013.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
None significant.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Double* by George Pelecanos a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-double
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.