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

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Sentinel by Lee Child and Andrew Child (Delacorte Press, 2020) is identified by: First printing states 'First Edition' on the copyright page above a complete descending number line ending in 1, issued in a first-issue dust jacket that should retain its printed cover price on the front flap. US Delacorte Press first American edition, published October 27, 2020; twenty-fifth Reacher novel and the first co-written with Andrew Child.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing states 'First Edition' on the copyright page above a complete descending number line ending in 1, issued in a first-issue dust jacket that should retain its printed cover price on the front flap
- As the first Reacher novel co-written with Andrew Child, publisher-signed copies signed by both brothers on a tipped-in leaf are found; these are still first printings identifiable by the same 'First Edition' statement and number line
- Publisher imprint reads Delacorte Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Lee Child and Andrew Child |
| Publisher | Delacorte Press |
| Year | 2020 |
| 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, issued in a first-issue dust jacket that should retain its printed cover price on the front flap. As the first Reacher novel co-written with Andrew Child, publisher-signed copies signed by both brothers on a tipped-in leaf are found; these are still first printings identifiable by the same 'First Edition' statement and number line.

## Is this the true first?
US Delacorte Press first American edition, published October 27, 2020; twenty-fifth Reacher novel and the first co-written with Andrew Child. The UK Bantam Press edition was released on the same day, so the two are effectively simultaneous co-first editions rather than the US being the sole true first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No significant book club edition issue for identification; confirm the trade first by the stated 'First Edition', the full number line ending in 1, and the jacket bearing its printed cover price.

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