# Is "The Forgotten Man" by Robert Crais a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Forgotten Man by Robert Crais (Doubleday, 2005) is identified by: The first printing states "First Edition" on the copyright page accompanied by a complete number line descending to and including the numeral 1; the presence of the 1 in the number row is the decisive point, as later printings carry the same "First Edition" wording but a number line that no longer terminates in 1. The US Doubleday hardcover is the true first edition; it precedes the UK Orion/Weidenfeld & Nicolson printing.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The first printing states "First Edition" on the copyright page accompanied by a complete number line descending to and including the numeral 1; the presence of the 1 in the number row is the decisive point, as later printings carry the same "First Edition" wording but a number line that no longer terminates in 1
- Issued by Doubleday in 2005 (ISBN 0-385-50428-4) as the tenth Elvis Cole novel
- The first-issue dust jacket should retain the printed cover price at the top of the front flap; the price being present (not clipped) is the collector's expectation for a first issue, though clipping alone does not change the printing
- Publisher imprint reads Doubleday
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Robert Crais |
| Publisher | Doubleday |
| Year | 2005 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | The first printing states "First Edition" on the copyright page accompanied by a complete… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
The first printing states "First Edition" on the copyright page accompanied by a complete number line descending to and including the numeral 1; the presence of the 1 in the number row is the decisive point, as later printings carry the same "First Edition" wording but a number line that no longer terminates in 1. Issued by Doubleday in 2005 (ISBN 0-385-50428-4) as the tenth Elvis Cole novel. The first-issue dust jacket should retain the printed cover price at the top of the front flap; the price being present (not clipped) is the collector's expectation for a first issue, though clipping alone does not change the printing.

## Is this the true first?
The US Doubleday hardcover is the true first edition; it precedes the UK Orion/Weidenfeld & Nicolson printing. It is the tenth novel in the Elvis Cole series.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
A book club edition is not a concern for this title; the trade first printing is identified by the stated "First Edition" line together with the full number line ending in 1, whereas any later state lacks the terminal 1.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Forgotten Man* by Robert Crais a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-forgotten-man
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.