The points of issue
Faber and Faber first, 1967; publisher's red boards lettered in silver/gilt on the spine; copyright verso carries a single first-published statement with no later-impression line. First-issue dust jacket unclipped.
Is this the true first?
The UK Faber edition of 1967 precedes the US Scribner edition; the Scribner copyright code A-8.67 dates the American printing to August 1967, after Faber. Third Adam Dalgliesh novel. UK Faber is the true first.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later impressions add a printing statement to the verso. Price-clipped jackets lose the original price point. The US Scribner is a separate first American edition, not the true first.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Unnatural Causes a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Faber and Faber first, 1967; publisher's red boards lettered in silver/gilt on the spine; copyright verso carries a single first-published statement with no later-impression line. First-issue dust jacket unclipped.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. The UK Faber edition of 1967 precedes the US Scribner edition; the Scribner copyright code A-8.67 dates the American printing to August 1967, after Faber. Third Adam Dalgliesh novel. UK Faber is the true first.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later impressions add a printing statement to the verso. Price-clipped jackets lose the original price point. The US Scribner is a separate first American edition, not the true first.
I have a first edition of Unnatural Causes — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.