# Is "The Last Good Kiss" by James Crumley a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Last Good Kiss by James Crumley (Random House, 1978) is identified by: 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page with the Random House number line whose lowest number is '2' (Random House practice: 'First Edition' stated together with '2' as the lowest figure in the line denotes the first printing). US Random House is the true first; the novel introduces C.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page with the Random House number line whose lowest number is '2' (Random House practice: 'First Edition' stated together with '2' as the lowest figure in the line denotes the first printing)
- Quarter cloth over boards; first-issue jacket bears the printed price on the front flap
- Publisher imprint reads Random House
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | James Crumley |
| Publisher | Random House |
| Year | 1978 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page with the Random House number line whose lowest number is '2' (Random House practice: 'First… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
'First Edition' stated on the copyright page with the Random House number line whose lowest number is '2' (Random House practice: 'First Edition' stated together with '2' as the lowest figure in the line denotes the first printing). Quarter cloth over boards; first-issue jacket bears the printed price on the front flap. 259 pp.

## Is this the true first?
US Random House is the true first; the novel introduces C. W. Sughrue and is widely regarded as one of the finest American private-eye novels. UK editions follow.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club edition lacks the stated 'First Edition' and the number line, bears a blind-stamp on the rear board, has no flap price, and is on lighter paper.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Last Good Kiss* by James Crumley a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-last-good-kiss
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.