# Is "The Scarecrow" by Michael Connelly a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Scarecrow by Michael Connelly (Little, Brown, 2009) is identified by: US Little, Brown first edition: the copyright page states 'First Edition: May 2009' and carries the full descending number line ending in 1. US Little, Brown is the true first for collecting purposes, stated 'First Edition: May 2009'; a Jack McEvoy novel.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- US Little, Brown first edition: the copyright page states 'First Edition: May 2009' and carries the full descending number line ending in 1
- The book is bound in black cloth with orange spine lettering; the pictorial dust jacket depicts a crow in silhouette on a bare branch and should be present, unclipped, with its printed price
- A Jack McEvoy novel
- ISBN 0-316-16630-8
- Publisher imprint reads Little, Brown
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Michael Connelly |
| Publisher | Little, Brown |
| Year | 2009 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | US Little, Brown first edition: the copyright page states 'First Edition: May 2009' and carries the full descending number line ending in 1 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
US Little, Brown first edition: the copyright page states 'First Edition: May 2009' and carries the full descending number line ending in 1. The book is bound in black cloth with orange spine lettering; the pictorial dust jacket depicts a crow in silhouette on a bare branch and should be present, unclipped, with its printed price. A Jack McEvoy novel; ISBN 0-316-16630-8.

## Is this the true first?
US Little, Brown is the true first for collecting purposes, stated 'First Edition: May 2009'; a Jack McEvoy novel. The UK edition (Orion) appeared at nearly the same time in May 2009, so verify the Little, Brown imprint and the stated 'First Edition' line to confirm the US first printing.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club editions of this era are typically identified by a blind-stamp or dimple on the rear board and a clipped or unpriced jacket; retain the priced, unclipped crow-silhouette jacket and the stated 'First Edition' line to distinguish the trade first.

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