# Is "Trace" by Patricia Cornwell a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Trace by Patricia Cornwell (G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2004) is identified by: Putnam's Sons first printing (September 2004), with the Putnam-style number line reading 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2 on the copyright page. US G.P.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- US G.P. Putnam's Sons first printing (September 2004), with the Putnam-style number line reading 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2 on the copyright page
- ISBN 0-399-15219-9; full title Trace: A Scarpetta Novel; approximately 448 pages
- Issued in a dust jacket that should retain its printed price to the flap (unclipped)
- Publisher imprint reads G.P. Putnam's Sons
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Patricia Cornwell |
| Publisher | G.P. Putnam's Sons |
| Year | 2004 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | US G.P. Putnam's Sons first printing (September 2004), with the Putnam-style number line… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
US G.P. Putnam's Sons first printing (September 2004), with the Putnam-style number line reading 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2 on the copyright page. ISBN 0-399-15219-9; full title Trace: A Scarpetta Novel; approximately 448 pages. Issued in a dust jacket that should retain its printed price to the flap (unclipped).

## Is this the true first?
US G.P. Putnam's Sons is the true first; thirteenth Kay Scarpetta novel.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
None significant.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Trace* by Patricia Cornwell a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/trace
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.