The points of issue
TRUE FIRST is the US Boni & Liveright edition, 1923, which PRECEDES the UK T. Fisher Unwin edition (also 1923). US first: copyright page with 1923 Boni & Liveright imprint; the first appearance of Lord Peter Wimsey. Sayers's debut novel.
Is this the true first?
Precedence point: the US Boni & Liveright (1923) precedes the UK Fisher Unwin (1923). The US is the true world first of the first Wimsey novel; the UK first is separately collected.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings/reprints carry their own imprints; confirm by the 1923 Boni & Liveright title-page and absence of later-printing notice.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Whose Body? a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: TRUE FIRST is the US Boni & Liveright edition, 1923, which PRECEDES the UK T. Fisher Unwin edition (also 1923). US first: copyright page with 1923 Boni & Liveright imprint; the first appearance of Lord Peter Wimsey. Sayers's debut novel.
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. Precedence point: the US Boni & Liveright (1923) precedes the UK Fisher Unwin (1923). The US is the true world first of the first Wimsey novel; the UK first is separately collected.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later printings/reprints carry their own imprints; confirm by the 1923 Boni & Liveright title-page and absence of later-printing notice.
I have a first edition of Whose Body? — 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.