# Is "When the Bough Breaks" by Jonathan Kellerman a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of When the Bough Breaks by Jonathan Kellerman (Atheneum, 1985) is identified by: The first edition is identified by the words First Edition stated on the copyright page with no additional printing statement. US Atheneum hardcover is the true first, published 1985; Kellerman's debut and the first Alex Delaware novel, winner of the Edgar Award for Best First Novel and the Anthony Award, a key modern collectible.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The first edition is identified by the words First Edition stated on the copyright page with no additional printing statement
- It is an octavo quarter-bound in burgundy cloth over grey boards with silver lettering to the spine, issued in a pictorial dust jacket that should retain its printed price at the flap corner
- Publisher imprint reads Atheneum
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Jonathan Kellerman |
| Publisher | Atheneum |
| Year | 1985 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | The first edition is identified by the words First Edition stated on the copyright page… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
The first edition is identified by the words First Edition stated on the copyright page with no additional printing statement. It is an octavo quarter-bound in burgundy cloth over grey boards with silver lettering to the spine, issued in a pictorial dust jacket that should retain its printed price at the flap corner.

## Is this the true first?
US Atheneum hardcover is the true first, published 1985; Kellerman's debut and the first Alex Delaware novel, winner of the Edgar Award for Best First Novel and the Anthony Award, a key modern collectible.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The book-club edition typically lacks the printed jacket price and carries a blindstamp to the rear board; boards are often slightly smaller than the trade issue.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *When the Bough Breaks* by Jonathan Kellerman a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/when-the-bough-breaks
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.