# Is "Phantom Prey" by John Sandford a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Phantom Prey by John Sandford (G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2008) is identified by: The true first is the G.P. The US G.P.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The true first is the G.P. Putnam's Sons hardcover, roughly 6 the printed price by 9 the printed price inches and about 373 pages, bound in black paper-covered boards with a contrasting green spine panel and black spine lettering
- First printing is identified by a complete number line ending in 1 on the copyright page (10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1)
- Putnam printed no First Edition statement and relied on the number line, so the full line with the 1 present marks the first printing
- The first-issue dust jacket should retain its original printed price on the front flap; a clipped flap is a condition matter, but confirming the price was originally present is part of first-issue identification
- 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 | The true first is the G.P. Putnam's Sons hardcover, roughly 6 the printed price by 9 the printed price inches and about 373 pages, bound in… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
The true first is the G.P. Putnam's Sons hardcover, roughly 6 the printed price by 9 the printed price inches and about 373 pages, bound in black paper-covered boards with a contrasting green spine panel and black spine lettering. First printing is identified by a complete number line ending in 1 on the copyright page (10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1); Putnam printed no First Edition statement and relied on the number line, so the full line with the 1 present marks the first printing. The first-issue dust jacket should retain its original printed price on the front flap; a clipped flap is a condition matter, but confirming the price was originally present is part of first-issue identification.

## Is this the true first?
The US G.P. Putnam's Sons edition is the true first. Sandford is an American author published first by Putnam, so there is no UK or Canadian precedence to consider. This is the eighteenth Lucas Davenport (Prey) novel.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No significant book-club edition point of concern; the Putnam trade first is distinguished by the complete number line ending in 1.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Phantom Prey* by John Sandford a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/phantom-prey
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.