# Is "The Scarlet Ruse" by John D. MacDonald a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Scarlet Ruse by John D. MacDonald (Fawcett Gold Medal, 1973) is identified by: Fawcett Gold Medal paperback original, 1973, first printing, catalog number P2744; Travis McGee series #14. Issued only as a Gold Medal paperback original; the paperback is the true first edition, preceding any later hardbound reissue.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Fawcett Gold Medal paperback original, 1973, first printing, catalog number P2744
- Travis McGee series #14
- The true first is the July 1973 printing: the copyright page carries a bare 'July 1973' with no additional printing statement, whereas later printings retain the same catalog number but show a September or October date
- The cover reads '#14 - The New Travis McGee Novel' and bears the original Gold Medal cover price, which should be present and unclipped
- A further first-printing tell is the mail-order advertisement page at the rear, on which the highest-numbered ad is 2513; later printings update this ad matter
- Publisher imprint reads Fawcett Gold Medal
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | John D. MacDonald |
| Publisher | Fawcett Gold Medal |
| Year | 1973 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Fawcett Gold Medal paperback original, 1973, first printing, catalog number P2744 |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Fawcett Gold Medal paperback original, 1973, first printing, catalog number P2744; Travis McGee series #14. The true first is the July 1973 printing: the copyright page carries a bare 'July 1973' with no additional printing statement, whereas later printings retain the same catalog number but show a September or October date. The cover reads '#14 - The New Travis McGee Novel' and bears the original Gold Medal cover price, which should be present and unclipped. A further first-printing tell is the mail-order advertisement page at the rear, on which the highest-numbered ad is 2513; later printings update this ad matter.

## Is this the true first?
Issued only as a Gold Medal paperback original; the paperback is the true first edition, preceding any later hardbound reissue. Confirm the July 1973 copyright date and catalog number P2744.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition applies. Later printings differ by the dated printing statement (September/October rather than July) and by updated rear advertising while keeping the P2744 catalog number.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Scarlet Ruse* by John D. MacDonald a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-scarlet-ruse
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.