# Is "Point of Origin" by Patricia Cornwell a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Point of Origin by Patricia Cornwell (G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1998) is identified by: First printing is identified by a complete number line reading 10 down to 1 on the copyright page. US G.P.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing is identified by a complete number line reading 10 down to 1 on the copyright page
- The binding is quarter burgundy cloth over burgundy paper-covered boards, the spine stamped in gilt, collating to 356 pages
- Issued in a first-issue, unclipped dust jacket that should retain its printed price
- A separate signed, numbered limited issue of 500 copies exists in full burgundy cloth with a matching slipcase, distinct from the trade first
- Publisher imprint reads G.P. Putnam's Sons
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Patricia Cornwell |
| Publisher | G.P. Putnam's Sons |
| Year | 1998 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing is identified by a complete number line reading 10 down to 1 on the copyright page |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First printing is identified by a complete number line reading 10 down to 1 on the copyright page. The binding is quarter burgundy cloth over burgundy paper-covered boards, the spine stamped in gilt, collating to 356 pages. Issued in a first-issue, unclipped dust jacket that should retain its printed price. A separate signed, numbered limited issue of 500 copies exists in full burgundy cloth with a matching slipcase, distinct from the trade first.

## Is this the true first?
US G.P. Putnam's Sons is the true first; ninth novel in the Kay Scarpetta series, following Unnatural Exposure. Confirm by the full number line ending in 1. Putnam from 1993 onward does not print a 'First Edition' statement, so the number line alone establishes the first printing.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No significant book-club state complicates the trade first; verify by the full number line ending in 1. Do not expect a printed 'First Edition' line, as Putnam of this era relies on the number line only.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Point of Origin* by Patricia Cornwell a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/point-of-origin
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.