This is the first HarperPaperbacks printing of People of Darkness, published in 1991. It is nearly identical to the second HarperPaperbacks printing, also published in 1991. The cover design and illustration are by Peter Thorpe. The type for the author name and book title is one of the only differences between the two HarperPaperback editions printed in 1991. For this edition, a flat type in nonmetallic gold was used. One other difference is that, below Tony Hillerman's name, he is noted as "Bestselling author of SACRED CLOWNS and A THIEF OF TIME." The cover illustration is in Thorpe's iconic style: a symmetrical Southwest landscape, a central focus, and a framing device taken from Navajo culture. This drawing features a central focus of black stone carved in the shape of a human skull, surrounded by the curved centerpiece of a squash blossom necklace, which extends to each side as the top border of the drawing. The left side of the drawing's background shows a Navajo stone hogan with amber smoke rising from the smoke hole and a shaft of light shining from the doorway, with sandstone formations and a large moon in the night sky behind it. Juxtaposed, on the right side of the central element is a derrick rising behind an industrial-style building, with Mt Taylor against the night sky behind it. On the back cover, a brief synopsis printed in black on white is flanked by two long orange lizards, below a top border formed by two Yei figures resembling turtles drawn horizontally, their heads facing inward toward each other. Below the synopsis is the bar code and price with a small detail drawing below that.
