# Is "The Green Ripper" by John D. MacDonald a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Green Ripper by John D. MacDonald (J.B. Lippincott, 1979) is identified by: Lippincott, New York, 1979 (ISBN 0397013620), Travis McGee #18 and winner of the 1980 National Book Award in the mystery category. The US Lippincott hardcover is the true first edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- J.B. Lippincott, New York, 1979 (ISBN 0397013620), Travis McGee #18 and winner of the 1980 National Book Award in the mystery category
- First printing is confirmed by the number line ending in 1 on the copyright page
- Binding is quarter cloth: a grey cloth spine over green paper-covered boards
- First-issue dust jacket carries its original printed front-flap price and is unclipped on a true first-state example
- Publisher imprint reads J.B. Lippincott
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | John D. MacDonald |
| Publisher | J.B. Lippincott |
| Year | 1979 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | J.B. Lippincott, New York, 1979 (ISBN 0397013620), Travis McGee #18 and winner of the 1980 National Book Award in the mystery category |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
J.B. Lippincott, New York, 1979 (ISBN 0397013620), Travis McGee #18 and winner of the 1980 National Book Award in the mystery category. First printing is confirmed by the number line ending in 1 on the copyright page. Binding is quarter cloth: a grey cloth spine over green paper-covered boards. First-issue dust jacket carries its original printed front-flap price and is unclipped on a true first-state example.

## Is this the true first?
The US Lippincott hardcover is the true first edition.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club editions lack the printed jacket price, carry a blind-stamped dot on the rear board, and use lighter boards; confirm the trade binding, the priced jacket, and the number line ending in 1.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Green Ripper* by John D. MacDonald a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-green-ripper
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.