# Is "Butcher's Moon (Parker #16)" by Richard Stark (Donald E. Westlake) a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Butcher's Moon (Parker #16) by Richard Stark (Donald E. Westlake) (Random House, 1974) is identified by: Random House, New York, 1974, first edition, first printing. US Random House hardcover is the true first; a high spot of the Stark run.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Random House, New York, 1974, first edition, first printing
- Quarter black cloth over orange paper boards with silver lettering on the spine; octavo, paginated [9], 3-307, [5]. The first printing is identified by the Random House convention of the words First Edition on the copyright page together with a number line whose lowest numeral is 2 (Random House retains the 2 on true firsts rather than a 1)
- The dust jacket was designed by Ira Teichberg and should carry its printed price on the front flap
- Sixteenth Parker novel, the last for over two decades and by far the longest in the run
- Publisher imprint reads Random House
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Richard Stark (Donald E. Westlake) |
| Publisher | Random House |
| Year | 1974 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Random House, New York, 1974, first edition, first printing |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Random House, New York, 1974, first edition, first printing. Quarter black cloth over orange paper boards with silver lettering on the spine; octavo, paginated [9], 3-307, [5]. The first printing is identified by the Random House convention of the words First Edition on the copyright page together with a number line whose lowest numeral is 2 (Random House retains the 2 on true firsts rather than a 1). The dust jacket was designed by Ira Teichberg and should carry its printed price on the front flap. Sixteenth Parker novel, the last for over two decades and by far the longest in the run.

## Is this the true first?
US Random House hardcover is the true first; a high spot of the Stark run. Cataloged as Henderson 1073 and Hubin 766.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club edition has a blind-stamped dot on the rear board and an unpriced jacket, and lacks the First Edition / number-line statement of the trade printing.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Butcher's Moon (Parker #16)* by Richard Stark (Donald E. Westlake) a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/butchers-moon-parker-16
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.