# Is "The Instant Enemy" by Ross Macdonald a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Instant Enemy by Ross Macdonald (Alfred A. Knopf, 1968) is identified by: Knopf, New York, 1968, with 'First edition' stated on the copyright page (the Borzoi colophon present). The US Knopf edition is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1968, with 'First edition' stated on the copyright page (the Borzoi colophon present)
- Yellow boards with blue cloth spine, title stamped in silver
- 227 pp, top edge stained yellow
- Issued in the pictorial dust jacket designed by Muni Lieblein, with the printed price present on the front flap
- A Lew Archer novel
- Publisher imprint reads Alfred A. Knopf
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Ross Macdonald |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
| Year | 1968 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1968, with 'First edition' stated on the copyright page (the Borzoi colophon present) |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1968, with 'First edition' stated on the copyright page (the Borzoi colophon present). Yellow boards with blue cloth spine, title stamped in silver; 227 pp, top edge stained yellow. Issued in the pictorial dust jacket designed by Muni Lieblein, with the printed price present on the front flap. A Lew Archer novel.

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

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings and book-club editions lack the 'First edition' statement on the copyright page; the trade first also shows the printed price on the jacket flap.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Instant Enemy* by Ross Macdonald a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-instant-enemy
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.