# Is "The Secret" by Lee Child and Andrew Child a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Secret by Lee Child and Andrew Child (Delacorte Press, 2023) is identified by: First printing states 'First Edition' on the copyright page above a complete descending number line ending in 1. US Delacorte Press first American edition (2023); twenty-eighth Reacher novel.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing states 'First Edition' on the copyright page above a complete descending number line ending in 1
- The binding is black paper-covered boards with the title stamped in gold on the black spine, issued in a first-issue dust jacket that should retain its printed cover price on the front flap
- Publisher-signed first printings signed by both authors carry the same 'First Edition' statement and number line and are otherwise identical to the unsigned trade first
- Publisher imprint reads Delacorte Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Lee Child and Andrew Child |
| Publisher | Delacorte Press |
| Year | 2023 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing states 'First Edition' on the copyright page above a complete descending… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First printing states 'First Edition' on the copyright page above a complete descending number line ending in 1. The binding is black paper-covered boards with the title stamped in gold on the black spine, issued in a first-issue dust jacket that should retain its printed cover price on the front flap. Publisher-signed first printings signed by both authors carry the same 'First Edition' statement and number line and are otherwise identical to the unsigned trade first.

## Is this the true first?
US Delacorte Press first American edition (2023); twenty-eighth Reacher novel. The UK Bantam Press edition published the same day, so the US and UK hardcovers are effectively simultaneous co-first editions.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No significant book club edition issue for identification; the trade first is confirmed by the stated 'First Edition', the full number line ending in 1, and the black boards with gold-stamped spine.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Secret* by Lee Child and Andrew Child a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-secret
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.