# Is "The Triumph of Evil" by Lawrence Block a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Triumph of Evil by Lawrence Block (The World Publishing Company, 1971) is identified by: First edition under the pen name Paul Kavanagh. US World Publishing Company (New York/Cleveland) true first, issued under the byline Paul Kavanagh.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition under the pen name Paul Kavanagh
- First printing in blue cloth, spine stamped in gilt and metallic green, with a priced dust jacket and no later-printing statement
- Publisher imprint reads The World Publishing Company
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Lawrence Block |
| Publisher | The World Publishing Company |
| Year | 1971 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition under the pen name Paul Kavanagh |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First edition under the pen name Paul Kavanagh. First printing in blue cloth, spine stamped in gilt and metallic green, with a priced dust jacket and no later-printing statement.

## Is this the true first?
US World Publishing Company (New York/Cleveland) true first, issued under the byline Paul Kavanagh. Second of three Kavanagh novels.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No significant book-club edition confirmed; verify the trade first by the priced jacket and absence of a later-printing statement.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Triumph of Evil* by Lawrence Block a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-triumph-of-evil
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.