# Is "The Hilliker Curse" by James Ellroy a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Hilliker Curse by James Ellroy (Knopf, 2010) is identified by: Memoir subtitled 'My Pursuit of Women.' US Alfred A. US Knopf first trade edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Memoir subtitled 'My Pursuit of Women.' US Alfred A. Knopf (Borzoi) first trade printing states 'First Edition' on the copyright page with a number line descending to 1
- A separate signed limited edition of the first (100 numbered and 26 lettered copies) also exists and is distinct from the trade first
- Publisher imprint reads Knopf
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | James Ellroy |
| Publisher | Knopf |
| Year | 2010 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Memoir subtitled 'My Pursuit of Women.' US Alfred A. Knopf (Borzoi) first trade printing… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Memoir subtitled 'My Pursuit of Women.' US Alfred A. Knopf (Borzoi) first trade printing states 'First Edition' on the copyright page with a number line descending to 1. A separate signed limited edition of the first (100 numbered and 26 lettered copies) also exists and is distinct from the trade first.

## Is this the true first?
US Knopf first trade edition. A UK William Heinemann edition also appeared in 2010; the two are effectively contemporaneous, so the Knopf printing is the US true first rather than a demonstrably global first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book club edition of note.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Hilliker Curse* by James Ellroy a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-hilliker-curse
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.