# Is "Bank Shot (Dortmunder #2)" by Donald E. Westlake a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Bank Shot (Dortmunder #2) by Donald E. Westlake (Simon & Schuster, 1972) is identified by: Simon & Schuster (New York), 1972 hardcover is the first edition. The US Simon & Schuster hardcover is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Simon & Schuster (New York), 1972 hardcover is the first edition
- For Simon & Schuster titles of this period (1937 to 1973), the first printing carries NO printing or edition notice and no date on the copyright page; the presence of any later-printing line or added date indicates a subsequent printing
- Bound in light green boards with yellow spine lettering, in a predominantly white dust jacket bearing its printed price on the front flap
- The second Dortmunder novel
- Publisher imprint reads Simon & Schuster
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Donald E. Westlake |
| Publisher | Simon & Schuster |
| Year | 1972 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Simon & Schuster (New York), 1972 hardcover is the first edition |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Simon & Schuster (New York), 1972 hardcover is the first edition. For Simon & Schuster titles of this period (1937 to 1973), the first printing carries NO printing or edition notice and no date on the copyright page; the presence of any later-printing line or added date indicates a subsequent printing. Bound in light green boards with yellow spine lettering, in a predominantly white dust jacket bearing its printed price on the front flap. The second Dortmunder novel.

## Is this the true first?
The US Simon & Schuster hardcover is the true first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club editions of this era are typically identifiable by a blind-stamped dot or square on the rear board and by a jacket with no printed price on the front flap.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Bank Shot (Dortmunder #2)* by Donald E. Westlake a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/bank-shot-dortmunder-2
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.