# Is "The First Rule" by Robert Crais a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The First Rule by Robert Crais (G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2010) is identified by: The first printing states "First Edition" on the copyright page beneath a complete number line that still includes the numeral 1. The US G.P.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The first printing states "First Edition" on the copyright page beneath a complete number line that still includes the numeral 1
- The binding is distinctive: black quarter cloth with silver spine lettering over powder-blue boards, the initials "RC" stamped in silver on the front board
- The first-issue dust jacket carries a cityscape photograph credited to Ted Wilcox and shows the publisher's printed price on the front flap, so an unclipped flap aids identification
- Publisher imprint reads G.P. Putnam's Sons
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Robert Crais |
| Publisher | G.P. Putnam's Sons |
| Year | 2010 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | The first printing states "First Edition" on the copyright page beneath a complete number… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
The first printing states "First Edition" on the copyright page beneath a complete number line that still includes the numeral 1. The binding is distinctive: black quarter cloth with silver spine lettering over powder-blue boards, the initials "RC" stamped in silver on the front board. The first-issue dust jacket carries a cityscape photograph credited to Ted Wilcox and shows the publisher's printed price on the front flap, so an unclipped flap aids identification.

## Is this the true first?
The US G.P. Putnam's Sons hardcover (ISBN 9780399156137) is the true first edition, a Joe Pike novel published in 2010, identified by the "First Edition" statement, the intact number line, and the black-and-powder-blue binding with silver "RC" device.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No significant book club edition affects the true first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The First Rule* by Robert Crais a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-first-rule
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.