The points of issue
US Frederick A. Stokes Company, New York, 1929 is the true first edition, octavo, publisher's red cloth lettered in black, 325 pages. This is the first Ellery Queen novel and a Haycraft-Queen cornerstone title. The book's well-known textual features, the J.J. McC. introduction, the printed List of Characters, and the Challenge to the Reader that breaks before the solution, are present in the text and help confirm the title and edition, but they are not points that distinguish the first printing from later impressions; they appear in reprints as well. The genuine scarcity lies in a first printing in the original printed dust jacket, since the jacket rarely survives. Confirm the Stokes imprint on the title page and the absence of any later-impression notice on the copyright page.
Is this the true first?
US Stokes 1929 is the true first; the UK Victor Gollancz edition of 1929 is a first-thus and follows the American printing.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Grosset & Dunlap and Triangle reprints are common later issues carrying their own imprints. A genuine first must show the Stokes title-page imprint and no later-printing statement.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Roman Hat Mystery a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: US Frederick A. Stokes Company, New York, 1929 is the true first edition, octavo, publisher's red cloth lettered in black, 325 pages. This is the first Ellery Queen novel and a Haycraft-Queen cornerstone title. The book's well-known textual features, the J.J. McC. introduction, the printed List of Characters, and the Challenge to the Reader that breaks before the solution, are present in the text and help confirm the title and edition, but they are not points that distinguish the first printing from later impressions; they appear in reprints as well. The ge
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. US Stokes 1929 is the true first; the UK Victor Gollancz edition of 1929 is a first-thus and follows the American printing.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Grosset & Dunlap and Triangle reprints are common later issues carrying their own imprints. A genuine first must show the Stokes title-page imprint and no later-printing statement.
I have a first edition of The Roman Hat Mystery — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.