# Is "The Whistler" by John Grisham a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Whistler by John Grisham (Doubleday, 2016) is identified by: First edition, first printing. US Doubleday edition is the true first, published October 25, 2016.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition, first printing. 'First Edition' is stated on the copyright page and the complete number line reads 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2; the first printing retains both the 'First Edition' statement and the 1 in the line
- An octavo of about 374 pages, bound in black paper over boards with a black cloth spine lettered in silver, issued in a matte pictorial dust jacket with red and silver lettering on covers and spine
- The jacket should carry its printed price
- ISBN 9780385541190
- Publisher imprint reads Doubleday
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | John Grisham |
| Publisher | Doubleday |
| Year | 2016 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition, first printing. 'First Edition' is stated on the copyright page and the… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First edition, first printing. 'First Edition' is stated on the copyright page and the complete number line reads 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2; the first printing retains both the 'First Edition' statement and the 1 in the line. An octavo of about 374 pages, bound in black paper over boards with a black cloth spine lettered in silver, issued in a matte pictorial dust jacket with red and silver lettering on covers and spine. The jacket should carry its printed price. ISBN 9780385541190.

## Is this the true first?
US Doubleday edition is the true first, published October 25, 2016.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later trade printings drop the 'First Edition' statement and the 1 from the number line. Book-club printings lack the 'First Edition' line, are typically on lighter bulk stock, and often show the usual book-club tells (unpriced jacket, no headbands, blind-stamp to the rear board).

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Whistler* by John Grisham a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-whistler
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.