# Is "The Thief Who Couldn't Sleep" by Lawrence Block a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Thief Who Couldn't Sleep by Lawrence Block (Fawcett Gold Medal, 1966) is identified by: Paperback original from Fawcett Gold Medal (Gold Medal d1637); no prior hardcover. True first is the US Fawcett Gold Medal paperback original of 1966.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Paperback original from Fawcett Gold Medal (Gold Medal d1637); no prior hardcover
- Identify by the Gold Medal wrappers and cover price, with the Gold Medal catalog number on the cover and spine; the first hardcover edition did not appear until The Armchair Detective Library in 1994
- Publisher imprint reads Fawcett Gold Medal
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Lawrence Block |
| Publisher | Fawcett Gold Medal |
| Year | 1966 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Paperback original from Fawcett Gold Medal (Gold Medal d1637); no prior hardcover |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Paperback original from Fawcett Gold Medal (Gold Medal d1637); no prior hardcover. Identify by the Gold Medal wrappers and cover price, with the Gold Medal catalog number on the cover and spine; the first hardcover edition did not appear until The Armchair Detective Library in 1994.

## Is this the true first?
True first is the US Fawcett Gold Medal paperback original of 1966. This is the first Evan Tanner novel; there was no earlier hardcover.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
As a paperback original, the Gold Medal wrappered first printing is the true first. No book club edition is relevant.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Thief Who Couldn't Sleep* by Lawrence Block a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-thief-who-couldnt-sleep
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.