# Is "The Way Some People Die" by Ross Macdonald (as John Ross Macdonald) a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Way Some People Die by Ross Macdonald (as John Ross Macdonald) (Alfred A. Knopf, 1951) is identified by: Knopf, 1951, with 'FIRST EDITION' stated on the copyright page and no later-printing notice. The US Knopf edition is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Alfred A. Knopf, 1951, with 'FIRST EDITION' stated on the copyright page and no later-printing notice
- The third Lew Archer novel, bylined John Ross Macdonald to distinguish it from the work of John D. MacDonald
- Issued in paper-covered boards in a blue and white scheme, in the pictorial Knopf dust jacket; the jacket should retain its printed price and, on an unmarked copy, is unclipped
- Publisher imprint reads Alfred A. Knopf
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Ross Macdonald (as John Ross Macdonald) |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
| Year | 1951 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Alfred A. Knopf, 1951, with 'FIRST EDITION' stated on the copyright page and no… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
Alfred A. Knopf, 1951, with 'FIRST EDITION' stated on the copyright page and no later-printing notice. The third Lew Archer novel, bylined John Ross Macdonald to distinguish it from the work of John D. MacDonald. Issued in paper-covered boards in a blue and white scheme, in the pictorial Knopf dust jacket; the jacket should retain its printed price and, on an unmarked copy, is unclipped.

## Is this the true first?
The US Knopf edition is the true first. The book was bylined John Ross Macdonald, the pseudonym Kenneth Millar used for this and the following novels to separate them from the popular John D. MacDonald.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later Knopf printings drop the 'FIRST EDITION' statement from the copyright page; the stated-first, first-printing sheets are the point.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Way Some People Die* by Ross Macdonald (as John Ross Macdonald) a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-way-some-people-die
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.