# Is "Heat Lightning" by John Sandford a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Heat Lightning by John Sandford (G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2008) is identified by: Putnam's Sons trade hardcover, 2008 (ISBN 9780399155277). The US G.P.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- G.P. Putnam's Sons trade hardcover, 2008 (ISBN 9780399155277)
- The first printing is identified by the Putnam-style staggered printer's key on the copyright page (1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2), in which the lowest number present indicates the printing; on a true first that lowest number is 1
- Issued in the original priced dust jacket, which should be present and unclipped on a first-issue copy
- Publisher imprint reads G.P. Putnam's Sons
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | John Sandford |
| Publisher | G.P. Putnam's Sons |
| Year | 2008 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | G.P. Putnam's Sons trade hardcover, 2008 (ISBN 9780399155277) |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
G.P. Putnam's Sons trade hardcover, 2008 (ISBN 9780399155277). The first printing is identified by the Putnam-style staggered printer's key on the copyright page (1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2), in which the lowest number present indicates the printing; on a true first that lowest number is 1. Issued in the original priced dust jacket, which should be present and unclipped on a first-issue copy.

## Is this the true first?
The US G.P. Putnam's Sons hardcover is the true first; this is the second Virgil Flowers novel, published 2008.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No significant book-club edition issue; confirm the first printing via the complete number line ending in 1.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Heat Lightning* by John Sandford a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/heat-lightning
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.