# Is "Find a Victim" by Ross Macdonald (as John Ross Macdonald) a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Find a Victim by Ross Macdonald (as John Ross Macdonald) (Alfred A. Knopf, 1954) is identified by: Knopf (Borzoi), 1954, with 'FIRST EDITION' stated on the copyright page. The US Knopf edition is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Alfred A. Knopf (Borzoi), 1954, with 'FIRST EDITION' stated on the copyright page
- Octavo, 215 pp, bound in patterned red paper boards with the title stamped in black on the spine and the top edge dyed blue
- First-state jacket carries the printed price on the front flap
- Fifth Lew Archer novel; bylined John Ross Macdonald (the Knopf jacket also identifies the author as Kenneth Millar)
- Publisher imprint reads Alfred A. Knopf
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Ross Macdonald (as John Ross Macdonald) |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
| Year | 1954 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Alfred A. Knopf (Borzoi), 1954, with 'FIRST EDITION' stated on the copyright page |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Alfred A. Knopf (Borzoi), 1954, with 'FIRST EDITION' stated on the copyright page. Octavo, 215 pp, bound in patterned red paper boards with the title stamped in black on the spine and the top edge dyed blue. First-state jacket carries the printed price on the front flap. Fifth Lew Archer novel; bylined John Ross Macdonald (the Knopf jacket also identifies the author as Kenneth Millar).

## Is this the true first?
The US Knopf edition is the true first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later Knopf printings drop the 'FIRST EDITION' statement; no book-club edition concern noted for the first printing.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Find a Victim* by Ross Macdonald (as John Ross Macdonald) a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/find-a-victim
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.