# Is "The Spy in the Ointment" by Donald E. Westlake a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Spy in the Ointment by Donald E. Westlake (Random House, 1966) is identified by: Random House (New York) 1966 hardcover is the first edition, a comic spy thriller. The US Random House hardcover is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Random House (New York) 1966 hardcover is the first edition, a comic spy thriller
- Bound in quarter dark-blue paper over blue-patterned boards, lettered with the publisher's device in gilt on the spine and with a light-blue topstain
- The first-issue dust jacket was designed by Martin Pickwick and carries the original price on the front flap (present but any amount unstated)
- Publisher imprint reads Random House
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Donald E. Westlake |
| Publisher | Random House |
| Year | 1966 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Random House (New York) 1966 hardcover is the first edition, a comic spy thriller |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Random House (New York) 1966 hardcover is the first edition, a comic spy thriller. Bound in quarter dark-blue paper over blue-patterned boards, lettered with the publisher's device in gilt on the spine and with a light-blue topstain. The first-issue dust jacket was designed by Martin Pickwick and carries the original price on the front flap (present but any amount unstated).

## Is this the true first?
The US Random House hardcover is the true first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club editions of this era are typically identifiable by a blind-stamped dot or square on the rear board and by a jacket with no printed price on the front flap.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Spy in the Ointment* by Donald E. Westlake a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-spy-in-the-ointment
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.