# Is "The Black Box" by Michael Connelly a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Black Box by Michael Connelly (Little, Brown, 2012) is identified by: The copyright page reads 'First Edition: November 2012' and carries the Little, Brown number line 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2. The US Little, Brown edition is the true first, published November 2012.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The copyright page reads 'First Edition: November 2012' and carries the Little, Brown number line 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2
- The sixteenth Harry Bosch novel, issued in a pictorial dust jacket bearing its printed price on the flap
- First edition, first printing
- Publisher imprint reads Little, Brown
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Michael Connelly |
| Publisher | Little, Brown |
| Year | 2012 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | The copyright page reads 'First Edition: November 2012' and carries the Little, Brown number line 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2 |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
The copyright page reads 'First Edition: November 2012' and carries the Little, Brown number line 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2. The sixteenth Harry Bosch novel, issued in a pictorial dust jacket bearing its printed price on the flap. First edition, first printing.

## Is this the true first?
The US Little, Brown edition is the true first, published November 2012. The UK edition (Orion) is a separate simultaneous-year issue.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No significant book-club edition noted for this title; later printings change the 'First Edition: November 2012' line and shorten the number line.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Black Box* by Michael Connelly a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-black-box
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.