# Is "When the Sacred Ginmill Closes" by Lawrence Block a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of When the Sacred Ginmill Closes by Lawrence Block (Arbor House, 1986) is identified by: US Arbor House first edition, 1986, 239 pages; the first printing is indicated by the full number line descending to 1 on the copyright page, consistent with Arbor House practice of the period, in a first-issue priced dust jacket. US Arbor House (1986) is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- US Arbor House first edition, 1986, 239 pages; the first printing is indicated by the full number line descending to 1 on the copyright page, consistent with Arbor House practice of the period, in a first-issue priced dust jacket
- Publisher imprint reads Arbor House
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Lawrence Block |
| Publisher | Arbor House |
| Year | 1986 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | US Arbor House first edition, 1986, 239 pages; the first printing is indicated by the full number line descending to 1 on the copyright… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
US Arbor House first edition, 1986, 239 pages; the first printing is indicated by the full number line descending to 1 on the copyright page, consistent with Arbor House practice of the period, in a first-issue priced dust jacket.

## Is this the true first?
US Arbor House (1986) is the true first. A pivotal Matthew Scudder novel, developed from the earlier story By the Dawn's Early Light, widely regarded as one of the strongest in the series.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The book-club edition lacks the full number line to 1, carries a blind-stamped mark on the rear board, has no flap price, and is on lighter paper.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *When the Sacred Ginmill Closes* by Lawrence Block a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/when-the-sacred-ginmill-closes
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-04.