# Is "The Hot Rock" by Donald E. Westlake a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Hot Rock by Donald E. Westlake (Simon & Schuster, 1970) is identified by: US Simon & Schuster first, 1970: an octavo in buff cloth-backed boards with a pictorial dust jacket; first printing carries the Simon & Schuster first-edition statement on the copyright page with no later-printing line. US Simon & Schuster 1970 is the true first; the UK Hodder & Stoughton edition is a first-thus.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- US Simon & Schuster first, 1970: an octavo in buff cloth-backed boards with a pictorial dust jacket; first printing carries the Simon & Schuster first-edition statement on the copyright page with no later-printing line
- The first Dortmunder novel, introducing comic-caper protagonist John Dortmunder, and a cornerstone of comic crime fiction
- Jacket priced for 1970
- Publisher imprint reads Simon & Schuster
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Donald E. Westlake |
| Publisher | Simon & Schuster |
| Year | 1970 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | US Simon & Schuster first, 1970: an octavo in buff cloth-backed boards with a pictorial dust jacket; first printing carries the Simon &… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
US Simon & Schuster first, 1970: an octavo in buff cloth-backed boards with a pictorial dust jacket; first printing carries the Simon & Schuster first-edition statement on the copyright page with no later-printing line. The first Dortmunder novel, introducing comic-caper protagonist John Dortmunder, and a cornerstone of comic crime fiction. Jacket priced for 1970.

## Is this the true first?
US Simon & Schuster 1970 is the true first; the UK Hodder & Stoughton edition is a first-thus.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club editions of this era are typically identifiable by a blind-stamped dot or square on the rear board and by a jacket with no printed price on the front flap. The specific book-club tell was not independently confirmed, so rely on the general points and the absence of the stated FIRST PRINTING line.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Hot Rock* by Donald E. Westlake a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-hot-rock
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-04.