# Is "The Husband" by Dean Koontz a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Husband by Dean Koontz (Bantam, 2006) is identified by: First printing carries the full printer's key BVG 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 on the copyright page, with the code BVG preceding the descending number line. The Bantam US trade hardcover, published May 30, 2006, is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing carries the full printer's key BVG 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 on the copyright page, with the code BVG preceding the descending number line
- The trade issue is a full-size hardcover in a priced pictorial dust jacket; the printed jacket price should be present on the front flap
- Publisher imprint reads Bantam
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Dean Koontz |
| Publisher | Bantam |
| Year | 2006 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing carries the full printer's key BVG 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 on the copyright page, with the code BVG preceding the descending… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First printing carries the full printer's key BVG 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 on the copyright page, with the code BVG preceding the descending number line. The trade issue is a full-size hardcover in a priced pictorial dust jacket; the printed jacket price should be present on the front flap.

## Is this the true first?
The Bantam US trade hardcover, published May 30, 2006, is the true first. The UK edition and the Charnel House signed limited edition both followed in 2007.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book club editions lack the BVG number line, omit the printed jacket price, and are noticeably smaller than the trade hardcover.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Husband* by Dean Koontz a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-husband
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.