# Is "The Burglar in the Closet" by Lawrence Block a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Burglar in the Closet by Lawrence Block (Random House, 1978) is identified by: Random House, New York, 1978. US Random House edition is the true first; the second Bernie Rhodenbarr novel.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Random House, New York, 1978
- The copyright page states First Edition with a number line whose lowest number is 2, the Random House convention of the period in which the 1 is absent on firsts
- Bound in quarter black paper over light blue boards with silver lettering on the spine; octavo
- The first-issue dust jacket, designed by Emanuel Schengut, should retain its printed price on the front flap
- Publisher imprint reads Random House
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Lawrence Block |
| Publisher | Random House |
| Year | 1978 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Random House, New York, 1978 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Random House, New York, 1978. The copyright page states First Edition with a number line whose lowest number is 2, the Random House convention of the period in which the 1 is absent on firsts. Bound in quarter black paper over light blue boards with silver lettering on the spine; octavo. The first-issue dust jacket, designed by Emanuel Schengut, should retain its printed price on the front flap.

## Is this the true first?
US Random House edition is the true first; the second Bernie Rhodenbarr novel.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book club editions lack the priced jacket and typically show a rear-board blindstamp with no number line.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Burglar in the Closet* by Lawrence Block a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-burglar-in-the-closet
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.