# Is "Even the Wicked" by Lawrence Block a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Even the Wicked by Lawrence Block (William Morrow, 1997) is identified by: First trade hardcover, ISBN 0-688-14181-1. The US William Morrow edition is the true first; thirteenth Matthew Scudder novel.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First trade hardcover, ISBN 0-688-14181-1
- In William Morrow's house style the first printing carries 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page together with a complete descending number line ending in 1 (10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1); the presence of that terminal '1' confirms the first printing
- The first-issue dust jacket should retain its printed price on the front flap (a price-clipped example is still a first, but the printed price should originally have been present)
- Publisher imprint reads William Morrow
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Lawrence Block |
| Publisher | William Morrow |
| Year | 1997 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First trade hardcover, ISBN 0-688-14181-1 |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First trade hardcover, ISBN 0-688-14181-1. In William Morrow's house style the first printing carries 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page together with a complete descending number line ending in 1 (10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1); the presence of that terminal '1' confirms the first printing. The first-issue dust jacket should retain its printed price on the front flap (a price-clipped example is still a first, but the printed price should originally have been present).

## Is this the true first?
The US William Morrow edition is the true first; thirteenth Matthew Scudder novel. A later British hardcover exists, but the Morrow printing precedes it.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No significant book-club-edition confusion is documented for this title. A book-club printing would lack the stated 'First Edition' line and the full Morrow number line, and its jacket would carry no printed price.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Even the Wicked* by Lawrence Block a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/even-the-wicked
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.