NMLP P-018689 · True-first precedence · minted 2026-07-04

A Stab in the Dark

Lawrence Block · Arbor House · 1981

US Arbor House hardcover of 1981 is the true first. This is the fourth Matthew Scudder novel and the first Scudder title to be published first in hardcover (the earlier three appeared as Dell paperback originals).

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New Mexico Literacy Project — True-first precedence NMLP P-018689 for "A Stab in the Dark" by Lawrence Block (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/id/point/p-018689, CC BY 4.0, dataset DOI 10.5281/zenodo.21184548).