# Is "The King of Torts" by John Grisham a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The King of Torts by John Grisham (Doubleday, 2003) is identified by: "First Edition" stated on the copyright page beneath the full number line 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2; the presence of both the statement and the complete line identifies the first printing. US Doubleday first edition, February 2003; the true first for this title.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- "First Edition" stated on the copyright page beneath the full number line 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2; the presence of both the statement and the complete line identifies the first printing
- Issued in a quarter-bound binding of blue cloth spine over black paper-covered boards, with silver metallic spine lettering
- The first-issue dust jacket carries the cover photograph credited to eyewire/Getty Images with jacket design by MJC Design, and the printed cover price should be present on the front flap (jackets are commonly encountered price-clipped, which does not by itself unmake a first)
- Publisher imprint reads Doubleday
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | John Grisham |
| Publisher | Doubleday |
| Year | 2003 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | "First Edition" stated on the copyright page beneath the full number line 1 3 5 7 9 10 8… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
"First Edition" stated on the copyright page beneath the full number line 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2; the presence of both the statement and the complete line identifies the first printing. Issued in a quarter-bound binding of blue cloth spine over black paper-covered boards, with silver metallic spine lettering. The first-issue dust jacket carries the cover photograph credited to eyewire/Getty Images with jacket design by MJC Design, and the printed cover price should be present on the front flap (jackets are commonly encountered price-clipped, which does not by itself unmake a first).

## Is this the true first?
US Doubleday first edition, February 2003; the true first for this title.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The Doubleday book-club edition lacks the "First Edition" statement and number line and is identified by a small blindstamp (dot or square) on the lower rear board; book-club copies are also lighter in weight and use thinner boards.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The King of Torts* by John Grisham a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-king-of-torts
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.