# Is "Tripwire" by Lee Child a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Tripwire by Lee Child (G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1999) is identified by: Putnam's Sons US first edition (1999). US Putnam hardcover is the collected US first; the third Jack Reacher novel, and among the first five Reacher titles Putnam issued in hardcover.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- G.P. Putnam's Sons US first edition
- The first printing carries a complete number line ending in 1 on the copyright page and is bound in cloth-backed boards
- The first-issue dust jacket should be unclipped, retaining the printed front-flap price
- Publisher imprint reads G.P. Putnam's Sons
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Lee Child |
| Publisher | G.P. Putnam's Sons |
| Year | 1999 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | G.P. Putnam's Sons US first edition |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
G.P. Putnam's Sons US first edition (1999). The first printing carries a complete number line ending in 1 on the copyright page and is bound in cloth-backed boards. The first-issue dust jacket should be unclipped, retaining the printed front-flap price.

## Is this the true first?
US Putnam hardcover is the collected US first; the third Jack Reacher novel, and among the first five Reacher titles Putnam issued in hardcover. The UK Bantam Press edition was published mid-June 1999, days before the US release.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book Club Edition is unpriced, carries a blindstamped indent to the rear board, and lacks the number line; it is printed on lighter, thinner stock than the Putnam first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Tripwire* by Lee Child a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/tripwire
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.