# Is "The Sins of the Fathers" by Lawrence Block a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Sins of the Fathers by Lawrence Block (Dell, 1976) is identified by: Dell paperback original (Dell number 7991), first printing stated on the copyright page; no prior hardcover exists. The US Dell paperback original is the true first (1976); it introduces Matthew Scudder, the melancholy, alcoholic ex-cop protagonist.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Dell paperback original (Dell number 7991), first printing stated on the copyright page; no prior hardcover exists
- The wraps carry a James M. Cain cover blurb ('Very Superior!') and Dell's 'New York's answer to Lew Archer' promotion, consistent with the 1976 first issue
- Publisher imprint reads Dell
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Lawrence Block |
| Publisher | Dell |
| Year | 1976 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Dell paperback original (Dell number 7991), first printing stated on the copyright page… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Dell paperback original (Dell number 7991), first printing stated on the copyright page; no prior hardcover exists. The wraps carry a James M. Cain cover blurb ('Very Superior!') and Dell's 'New York's answer to Lew Archer' promotion, consistent with the 1976 first issue.

## Is this the true first?
The US Dell paperback original is the true first (1976); it introduces Matthew Scudder, the melancholy, alcoholic ex-cop protagonist. Hardcover editions of the title appeared only years later.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book club edition; the Dell paperback original is the true first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Sins of the Fathers* by Lawrence Block a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-sins-of-the-fathers
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.