# Is "The Vengeful Virgin" by Gil Brewer a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Vengeful Virgin by Gil Brewer (Crest Books, 1958) is identified by: True first is the paperback original, Fawcett Crest s375 (1958). Paperback is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- True first is the paperback original, Fawcett Crest s375
- Paperback wraps; no hardcover precedes it
- Crest imprint and catalog number; classic Gil Brewer PBO noir
- Reprinted by Hard Case Crime in 2007 (a modern first-thus)
- Publisher imprint reads Crest Books
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Gil Brewer |
| Publisher | Crest Books |
| Year | 1958 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | True first is the paperback original, Fawcett Crest s375 |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
True first is the paperback original, Fawcett Crest s375 (1958). Paperback wraps; no hardcover precedes it. Crest imprint and catalog number; classic Gil Brewer PBO noir. Reprinted by Hard Case Crime in 2007 (a modern first-thus).

## Is this the true first?
Paperback is the true first. Gil Brewer was a Gold Medal/Crest paperback-original author; the vintage Crest is the first appearance.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition. Distinguish the vintage Crest first from the 2007 Hard Case Crime reprint.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Vengeful Virgin* by Gil Brewer a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-vengeful-virgin
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-04.