# Is "Cause of Death" by Patricia Cornwell a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Cause of Death by Patricia Cornwell (G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1996) is identified by: The trade first printing (G.P. US G.P.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The trade first printing (G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1996, ISBN 0399141464) carries a complete Putnam number line reading 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 on the copyright page and a first-issue dust jacket with the printed price present on the front flap
- Separately, a signed limited edition of 185 specially bound copies (ISBN 0399141707) was issued in a cloth-covered slipcase with no dust jacket as issued, individually numbered and signed by Cornwell on the limitation page
- Publisher imprint reads G.P. Putnam's Sons
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Patricia Cornwell |
| Publisher | G.P. Putnam's Sons |
| Year | 1996 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | The trade first printing (G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1996, ISBN 0399141464) carries a complete Putnam number line reading 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 on… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
The trade first printing (G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1996, ISBN 0399141464) carries a complete Putnam number line reading 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 on the copyright page and a first-issue dust jacket with the printed price present on the front flap. Separately, a signed limited edition of 185 specially bound copies (ISBN 0399141707) was issued in a cloth-covered slipcase with no dust jacket as issued, individually numbered and signed by Cornwell on the limitation page.

## Is this the true first?
US G.P. Putnam's Sons is the true first; the seventh Kay Scarpetta novel and Cornwell's first with Putnam after leaving Scribner's. The trade first and the 185-copy signed limited were issued concurrently by the same publisher.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
A book club edition of this bestseller exists (commonly ISBN 0783817924) and is identified by an unpriced jacket and a blindstamp or small impressed dot on the rear board, lacking the full 10-to-1 number line.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Cause of Death* by Patricia Cornwell a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/cause-of-death
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.