# Is "The Neon Rain" by James Lee Burke a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Neon Rain by James Lee Burke (Henry Holt, 1987) is identified by: 'First Edition' is stated on the copyright page with a complete number line descending to 1. The US Henry Holt edition is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- 'First Edition' is stated on the copyright page with a complete number line descending to 1
- The book is quarter-bound in black cloth over grey paper-covered boards, with the title and author lettered in silver on the spine
- The original dust jacket was designed by Irving Freeman; its spine shows black ground with multicolored neon streaks and grey hollow-outline lettering
- The first-issue jacket carries the printed price at the top of the front flap and the code '0387' at its lower edge, and should retain its printed price to be first-state (any amount aside)
- Octavo, roughly 248 pages, Henry Holt, New York, 1987
- ISBN 0805000534
- Publisher imprint reads Henry Holt

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | James Lee Burke |
| Publisher | Henry Holt |
| Year | 1987 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | 'First Edition' is stated on the copyright page with a complete number line descending to 1 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
'First Edition' is stated on the copyright page with a complete number line descending to 1. The book is quarter-bound in black cloth over grey paper-covered boards, with the title and author lettered in silver on the spine. The original dust jacket was designed by Irving Freeman; its spine shows black ground with multicolored neon streaks and grey hollow-outline lettering. The first-issue jacket carries the printed price at the top of the front flap and the code '0387' at its lower edge, and should retain its printed price to be first-state (any amount aside). Octavo, roughly 248 pages, Henry Holt, New York, 1987; ISBN 0805000534.

## Is this the true first?
The US Henry Holt edition is the true first. This is the first Dave Robicheaux novel and a cornerstone modern crime collectible. A later London (UK) edition is a separate, subsequent printing and does not have precedence.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The book-club edition is physically smaller, lacks the stated 'First Edition' and the full number line, and its jacket bears no printed price; the rear board typically carries a blind-stamped dot or square that identifies club copies.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Neon Rain* by James Lee Burke a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-neon-rain
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.