# Is ""E" Is for Evidence" by Sue Grafton a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of "E" Is for Evidence by Sue Grafton (Henry Holt and Company, 1988) is identified by: The copyright page states "First Edition" and carries a complete number line ending in the 1 that denotes the first printing. US Henry Holt edition is the true first; fifth Kinsey Millhone novel.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The copyright page states "First Edition" and carries a complete number line ending in the 1 that denotes the first printing
- The book is an octavo of about 227 pages bound in quarter black cloth over grey paper boards, with the title stamped in silver on the black cloth spine
- The first-issue dust jacket was designed by Abby Kagan and depicts a Christmas-wrapped gift box with explosive devices just visible inside; a correct first jacket retains the original printed price on the front flap
- Publisher imprint reads Henry Holt and Company
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Sue Grafton |
| Publisher | Henry Holt and Company |
| Year | 1988 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | The copyright page states "First Edition" and carries a complete number line ending in the 1 that denotes the first printing |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
The copyright page states "First Edition" and carries a complete number line ending in the 1 that denotes the first printing. The book is an octavo of about 227 pages bound in quarter black cloth over grey paper boards, with the title stamped in silver on the black cloth spine. The first-issue dust jacket was designed by Abby Kagan and depicts a Christmas-wrapped gift box with explosive devices just visible inside; a correct first jacket retains the original printed price on the front flap.

## Is this the true first?
US Henry Holt edition is the true first; fifth Kinsey Millhone novel.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book club edition is identified by a blindstamp impressed in the rear board and by a dust jacket with no printed price on the flap.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *"E" Is for Evidence* by Sue Grafton a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/e-is-for-evidence
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.