# Is "Unnatural Death (US: The Dawson Pedigree)" by Dorothy L. Sayers a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Unnatural Death (US: The Dawson Pedigree) by Dorothy L. Sayers (Ernest Benn, 1927) is identified by: UK Ernest Benn 1927 is the true first (Gilbert A5a), in publisher's yellow cloth lettered in black with a printed dust jacket. UK Ernest Benn 1927 is the true first, preceding the US Dial Press 1928 edition, which was issued under the variant title The Dawson Pedigree.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- UK Ernest Benn 1927 is the true first (Gilbert A5a), in publisher's yellow cloth lettered in black with a printed dust jacket
- The third Lord Peter Wimsey novel; introduces Miss Climpson
- The first US edition was The Dial Press, New York, 1928, retitled The Dawson Pedigree
- Publisher imprint reads Ernest Benn
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Dorothy L. Sayers |
| Publisher | Ernest Benn |
| Year | 1927 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | UK Ernest Benn 1927 is the true first (Gilbert A5a), in publisher's yellow cloth lettered… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
UK Ernest Benn 1927 is the true first (Gilbert A5a), in publisher's yellow cloth lettered in black with a printed dust jacket. The third Lord Peter Wimsey novel; introduces Miss Climpson. The first US edition was The Dial Press, New York, 1928, retitled The Dawson Pedigree.

## Is this the true first?
UK Ernest Benn 1927 is the true first, preceding the US Dial Press 1928 edition, which was issued under the variant title The Dawson Pedigree.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later UK and US reprints follow the 1927 Benn first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Unnatural Death (US: The Dawson Pedigree)* by Dorothy L. Sayers a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/unnatural-death-us-the-dawson-pedigree
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.