# Is "The Poet" by Michael Connelly a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Poet by Michael Connelly (Little, Brown and Company, 1996) is identified by: US Little, Brown first: a complete number line ending in '1' on the copyright page (first printings show the full line). The US Little, Brown edition (1996) is the true first; Connelly's first non-Bosch standalone, introducing Jack McEvoy.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- US Little, Brown first: a complete number line ending in '1' on the copyright page (first printings show the full line)
- Quarter black paper over brown paper boards, red lettering to the spine; first-issue jacket carries the printed price on the front flap
- 8vo, about 434 pp
- Publisher imprint reads Little, Brown and Company
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Michael Connelly |
| Publisher | Little, Brown and Company |
| Year | 1996 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | US Little, Brown first: a complete number line ending in '1' on the copyright page (first printings show the full line) |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
US Little, Brown first: a complete number line ending in '1' on the copyright page (first printings show the full line). Quarter black paper over brown paper boards, red lettering to the spine; first-issue jacket carries the printed price on the front flap. 8vo, about 434 pp.

## Is this the true first?
The US Little, Brown edition (1996) is the true first; Connelly's first non-Bosch standalone, introducing Jack McEvoy. The UK Orion edition follows. Distinct from his debut, The Black Echo.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club editions lack the complete number line to '1', commonly bear a blind-stamped dot on the rear board, carry no printed price on the flap, and are on lighter bulked paper.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Poet* by Michael Connelly a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-poet
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.