These dust jackets are the originals -- the first edition hard cover version of the novel. Each includes the date of publication. If an additional edition has been released in hard cover (like The Christmas Train), the new edition dust jacket image appears in the novel's own gallery.
Absolute Power was David's first novel, published in 1996. Because it has been made into a feature film starring Clint Eastwood (who also directed the film), you'll see Eastwoods photo on the cover of several editions tied to the movie.
Total Control was David's second novel, published in 1997. As the titles in this gallery suggest, the phrases "absolute power" and "total control" sometimes translate into similar versions in other languages. The context of "absolute" in "absolute power" suggests a similar meaning to the "total" of "total control", while the meanings of "power" and "control" are quite similar. As a result, some of the titles, when translated into other languages, appear confusing to English speakers.
The Winner is David's third novel, published in 1998 (the first of two novels published in that year). The common theme of dust jackets from The Winner is money, mostly dollars. But several publishers departed from this theme in unusual ways, from beautiful model/actress depictions (Chinese) to spider webs (UK) to a barren seascape (Japanese).
This Simple Truth is David's fourth book, published in 1998 (the second of David's titles to be published that year). A common theme among dust jackets for The Simple Truth include the concept of justice -- depicted variously as columns (presumeably from the Supreme Court building), a blindfolded Lady Justice holding the scales of justice, and even a bust of Abraham Lincoln from Mt. Rushmore.
Saving Faith is David's fifth novel, published in 1999. The Saving Faith dust jackets don't have a clear common theme from publisher to publisher. The U.S. Capitol building features in several jackets, as do the haunting eyes of two or three different women. Winner of the most bizarre interpretation is the Chinese dust jacket, which features what appears to be a photo of Johnny Depp!
Wish You Well is David's sixth novel, published in 2000. It was the first novel David published that was not a thriller. As the number of jackets in this gallery will attest, it appears that international publishers have been slow to translate and print the book. Perhaps its regional American setting - Appalachia - has generated less interest among international readers.
Last Man Standing is David's seventh novel, published in 2001. International dust jacket designs have not settled on a dominate theme for this novel, so the jackets vary. Most depict a single male figure, although the Chinese jacket features what appear to be European knights above a scene from a Bruce Willis feature film. The title "Last Man Standing" is the title of a Bruce Willis feature film, but David's novel bears no more resemblance than the title to the Willis film.
The Christmas Train is David's eighth novel, published in 2002. It is David's only Christmas-themed novel, so its dust jackets typically depict Christmas and winter holiday scenes. And since a train is involved, several include depictions of trains -- and the Italian edition includes a railroad crossing sign and lights.
Split Second is David's ninth novel, published in 2003. Dust jacket imagery for international editions of Split Second run the gamut from clock faces through sprawled victims to a single bullet.
Hour Game is David's tenth novel, published in 2004. Although the concept of time is implied in the title, clock imagery does not dominate dust jacket imagery for this title. Perhaps publishers intentionally steered away from the "time" concept in developing dust jackets -- or perhaps they used other themes from the novel to inform their design decisions.
The Camel Club is David's eleventh book, published in 2005. Almost every version of this novel's dust jacket depicts the U.S. White House in some way. To date, none of the dust jackets depicts any actual camels, but as more editions arrive, we'll be on the look out!
The Collectors is David's twelfth novel, published in 2006. Since the action of the novel involved the LIbrary of Congress in Washington, DC, the few editions that have been translated and published to date depict the reading room of the Library. A notable, somewhat inexplicable, exception is the Italian edition, which depicts a man ascending what appear to be subway stairs.
