# Is "The Racketeer" by John Grisham a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Racketeer by John Grisham (Doubleday, 2012) is identified by: The Doubleday first printing states "First Edition" on the copyright page and carries the publisher's split number line "1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2" reading down to 1. The true first is the US Doubleday edition, published October 2012.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The Doubleday first printing states "First Edition" on the copyright page and carries the publisher's split number line "1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2" reading down to 1
- Published October 2012 (ISBN 9780385535144)
- Bound in publisher's cloth with a pictorial dust jacket; a true first has the printed price present on the jacket flap (an unclipped jacket is preferred)
- Later printings drop the "First Edition" statement and show a number line no longer reaching 1
- Publisher imprint reads Doubleday
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | John Grisham |
| Publisher | Doubleday |
| Year | 2012 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | The Doubleday first printing states "First Edition" on the copyright page and carries the… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
The Doubleday first printing states "First Edition" on the copyright page and carries the publisher's split number line "1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2" reading down to 1. Published October 2012 (ISBN 9780385535144). Bound in publisher's cloth with a pictorial dust jacket; a true first has the printed price present on the jacket flap (an unclipped jacket is preferred). Later printings drop the "First Edition" statement and show a number line no longer reaching 1.

## Is this the true first?
The true first is the US Doubleday edition, published October 2012.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club and later printings lack the stated "First Edition" line and the full number line reaching 1; a book-club edition also typically lacks the printed jacket price and is lighter with blind-stamped boards.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Racketeer* by John Grisham a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-racketeer
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.