# Is "The Zebra-Striped Hearse" by Ross Macdonald a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Zebra-Striped Hearse by Ross Macdonald (Alfred A. Knopf, 1962) is identified by: Knopf, 1962; the tenth Lew Archer novel. The US Knopf edition is the true first, published 1962.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Alfred A. Knopf, 1962; the tenth Lew Archer novel
- The first edition is stated 'FIRST EDITION' on the copyright page beneath the Borzoi device (Knopf's convention is a stated first with no number line)
- Collation runs to 277 pages of text
- Binding is quarter black cloth over yellow (canary) paper boards, with a decoration blocked in blind on the front board and gilt lettering and decoration on the spine; the top edge carries a pink topstain
- In Bruccoli's descriptive bibliography it is A.17.1.a (Ahearn APG 017a)
- The first-issue dust jacket should retain its printed price on the front flap and is unclipped in the best copies
- Publisher imprint reads Alfred A. Knopf

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Ross Macdonald |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
| Year | 1962 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Alfred A. Knopf, 1962; the tenth Lew Archer novel |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Alfred A. Knopf, 1962; the tenth Lew Archer novel. The first edition is stated 'FIRST EDITION' on the copyright page beneath the Borzoi device (Knopf's convention is a stated first with no number line). Collation runs to 277 pages of text. Binding is quarter black cloth over yellow (canary) paper boards, with a decoration blocked in blind on the front board and gilt lettering and decoration on the spine; the top edge carries a pink topstain. In Bruccoli's descriptive bibliography it is A.17.1.a (Ahearn APG 017a). The first-issue dust jacket should retain its printed price on the front flap and is unclipped in the best copies.

## Is this the true first?
The US Knopf edition is the true first, published 1962.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later Knopf printings and reprints drop the stated 'FIRST EDITION' line on the copyright page; book-club issues use blind-stamped boards and bulkier, lower-grade paper and lack the stated first line.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Zebra-Striped Hearse* by Ross Macdonald a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-zebra-striped-hearse
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.