# Is "The Runaway Jury" by John Grisham a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Runaway Jury by John Grisham (Doubleday, 1996) is identified by: The first printing states 'First Edition' (with 'June 1996' dated on the copyright page) together with the Doubleday split number line 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2. US Doubleday hardcover (New York, June 1996) is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The first printing states 'First Edition' (with 'June 1996' dated on the copyright page) together with the Doubleday split number line 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2
- Issued in gray boards with the author's name gilt to the front cover and a black cloth spine with gilt spine lettering; the pictorial dust jacket should retain the original printed issue price (unclipped) on the front flap
- ISBN 0-385-47294-3
- Publisher imprint reads Doubleday
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | John Grisham |
| Publisher | Doubleday |
| Year | 1996 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | The first printing states 'First Edition' (with 'June 1996' dated on the copyright page)… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
The first printing states 'First Edition' (with 'June 1996' dated on the copyright page) together with the Doubleday split number line 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2. Issued in gray boards with the author's name gilt to the front cover and a black cloth spine with gilt spine lettering; the pictorial dust jacket should retain the original printed issue price (unclipped) on the front flap. ISBN 0-385-47294-3.

## Is this the true first?
US Doubleday hardcover (New York, June 1996) is the true first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club edition is a smaller, lighter volume with a blindstamp to the rear board, lacks the 'First Edition' / 'June 1996' statement and the split number line, and carries no printed price on the jacket flap.

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