# Is ""L" Is for Lawless" by Sue Grafton a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of "L" Is for Lawless by Sue Grafton (Henry Holt, 1995) is identified by: First printing carries a complete ascending number line reading 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 on the copyright page (Holt used a count-up line for this title, so the presence of the 1 at the left with the full run to 10 marks the first printing), together with the Henry Holt and Company imprint and no added later-printing statement. The US Henry Holt hardcover is the true first edition; twelfth Kinsey Millhone alphabet novel.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing carries a complete ascending number line reading 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 on the copyright page (Holt used a count-up line for this title, so the presence of the 1 at the left with the full run to 10 marks the first printing), together with the Henry Holt and Company imprint and no added later-printing statement
- Issued in hardcover with dust jacket; the jacket should retain its printed price at the lower corner of the front flap and is not otherwise price-clipped-dependent for identification
- ISBN 0-8050-1937-5
- Publisher imprint reads Henry Holt
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Sue Grafton |
| Publisher | Henry Holt |
| Year | 1995 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing carries a complete ascending number line reading 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 on the copyright page (Holt used a count-up line for… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First printing carries a complete ascending number line reading 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 on the copyright page (Holt used a count-up line for this title, so the presence of the 1 at the left with the full run to 10 marks the first printing), together with the Henry Holt and Company imprint and no added later-printing statement. Issued in hardcover with dust jacket; the jacket should retain its printed price at the lower corner of the front flap and is not otherwise price-clipped-dependent for identification. ISBN 0-8050-1937-5.

## Is this the true first?
The US Henry Holt hardcover is the true first edition; twelfth Kinsey Millhone alphabet novel. Confirm the first printing by the full ascending 1-through-10 number line rather than by the year alone.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No significant book-club edition issue point affecting the true first; later Holt printings advance the number line so that the 1 drops away.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *"L" Is for Lawless* by Sue Grafton a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/l-is-for-lawless
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.