The Death and Life of Bobby Z (1997) Signed First Edition Reference

The Death and Life of Bobby Z was published by Knopf in 1997, Winslow’s first standalone thriller and his breakout from the Neal Carey series. A DEA agent forces ex-marine Tim Kearney to impersonate the legendary drug dealer Bobby Z in a prisoner exchange with a Mexican cartel. The plan goes wrong, and Kearney must survive in a world of surfing, drugs, and violence along the California-Mexico border.

The Book

The novel showcases Winslow’s gifts for pace, dialogue, and California-border atmosphere. The surfing culture, the border drug trade, and the paramilitary violence are rendered with the specificity that would later power the Cartel Trilogy. The book was adapted into a 2007 film starring Paul Walker.

First Edition Identification

Publisher: Knopf, New York Publication date: 1997 Format: Hardcover in dust jacket

Signed Copy Market Values

• Signed first edition, fine/fine: $100–$300
• Inscribed copies: $150–$450
• Unsigned first edition: $20–$50

A transitional Winslow title — moving from the Neal Carey mysteries toward the larger-scale crime novels that would define his career.