# Is "Racing the Light" by Robert Crais a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Racing the Light by Robert Crais (G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2022) is identified by: Putnam's Sons hardcover first printing states 'First Edition' on the copyright page with a full number line descending to 1. US Putnam hardcover is the true first, published November 1, 2022; an Elvis Cole and Joe Pike novel (Cole #19 / Pike #8).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- US G.P. Putnam's Sons hardcover first printing states 'First Edition' on the copyright page with a full number line descending to 1
- Issued in a priced dust jacket; the printed jacket price should be present
- Trade first edition carries ISBN 9780525535720
- Elvis Cole #19 and Joe Pike #8
- Publisher imprint reads G.P. Putnam's Sons
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Robert Crais |
| Publisher | G.P. Putnam's Sons |
| Year | 2022 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | US G.P. Putnam's Sons hardcover first printing states 'First Edition' on the copyright page with a full number line descending to 1 |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
US G.P. Putnam's Sons hardcover first printing states 'First Edition' on the copyright page with a full number line descending to 1. Issued in a priced dust jacket; the printed jacket price should be present. Trade first edition carries ISBN 9780525535720 (0525535721). Elvis Cole #19 and Joe Pike #8.

## Is this the true first?
US Putnam hardcover is the true first, published November 1, 2022; an Elvis Cole and Joe Pike novel (Cole #19 / Pike #8).

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
None significant. A publisher signed first-printing issue exists under a separate ISBN but is the same first edition; a UK edition (Simon & Schuster) also appeared and does not affect US precedence.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Racing the Light* by Robert Crais a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/racing-the-light
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.