A Listing of the Book Publications of
Erle Stanley Gardner

Click on the Gardner book series for a title listing of each book...

Mason Novels| Cool and Lam Novels| Doug Selby, D.A. Novels| Terry Clane Novels
The Gramp Wiggins Novels| The Rob Trenton Novel| Novels written under a Pseudonym
The Non-Fiction Novels| The Legal/Crime Non-Fiction Novels
Additional books/short stories

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The Mason Novels

The  MASON NOVELS. The last five Mason Novels were published after Gardner's death. The rarest Mason title is "The Case of The Sulky Girl." This is followed by "The Case of The Velvet Claws." Both of these works were conceived in Ventura, and were issued in two printings by the Morrow Company. An estimated printing of the two issues of each book was probably about 4000 copies per title.
  1. The Case of the Velvet Claws 1933
  2. The Case of the Sulky Girl 1934
  3. The Case of the Lucky Legs 1934
  4. The Case of the Howling Dog 1934
  5. The Case of the Curious Bride 1934
  6. The Case of the Counterfeit Eye 1935
  7. The Case of the Caretaker's Cat 1935
  8. The Case of the Sleepwalker's Niece 1936
  9. The Case of the Stuttering Bishop 1936
  10. The Case of the Dangerous Dowager 1937
  11. The Case of the Lame Canary 1937
  12. The Case of the Subsitute Face 1938
  13. The Case of the Shoplifter's Shoe 1938
  14. The Case of the Perjured Parrot 1939
  15. The Case of the Rolling Bones 1939
  16. The Case of the Baited Hook 1940
  17. The Case of the Silent Partner 1940
  18. The Case of the Haunted Husband 1941
  19. The Case of the Empty Tin 1941
  20. The Case of the Drowning Duck 1942
  21. The Case of the Careless Kitten 1942
  22. The Case of the Buried Clock 1943
  23. The Case of the Drowsy Mosquito 1943
  24. The Case of the Crooked Candle 1944
  25. The Case of the Black-Eyed Blonde 1944
  26. The Case of the Golddigger's Purse 1944
  27. The Case of the Half-Wakened Wife 1945
  28. The Case of the Borrowed Brunette 1946
  29. The Case of the Fandancer's Horse 1947
  30. The Case of the Lazy Lover 1947
  31. The Case of the Lonely Heiress 1948
  32. The Case of the Vagabond Virgin 1948
  33. The Case of the Dubious Bridegroom 1949
  34. The Case of the Cautious Coquette 1949
  35. The Case of the Negligent Nymph 1950
  36. The Case of the One-Eye Witness 1950
  37. The Case of the Fiery Fingers 1951
  38. The Case of the Angry Mourner 1951
  39. The Case of the Moth-Eaten Mink 1952
  40. The Case of the Grinning Gorilla 1952
  41. The Case of the Hesitant Hostess 1953
  42. The Case of the Green-Eyed Sister 1953
  43. The Case of the Fugitive Nurse 1954
  44. The Case of the Runaway Corpse 1954
  45. The Case of the Restless Redhead 1954
  46. The Case of the Glamorous Ghost 1955
  47. The Case of the Sun Bather's Diary 1955
  48. The Case of the Nervous Accomplice 1955
  49. The Case of the Terrified Typist 1956
  50. The Case of the Demure Defendant 1956
  51. The Case of the Gilded Lily 1956
  52. The Case of the Lucky Loser 1957
  53. The Case of the Screaming Woman 1957
  54. The Case of the Daring Decoy 1957
  55. The Case of the Long Legged Models 1958
  56. The Case of the Foot-Loose Doll 1958
  57. The Case of the Calendar Girl 1958
  58. The Case of the Deadly Toy 1959
  59. The Case of the Mythical Monkeys 1959
  60. The Case of the Singing Skirt 1959
  61. The Case of the Waylaid Wolf 1960
  62. The Case of the Duplicate Daughter 1960
  63. The Case of the Shapely Shadow 1960
  64. The Case of the Spurious Spinster 1961
  65. The Case of the Bigamous Spouse 1961
  66. The Case of the Reluctant Model 1962
  67. The Case of the Blonde Bonanza 1962
  68. The Case of the Ice-Cold Hands 1962
  69. The Case of the Mischievous Doll 1963
  70. The Case of the Stepdaughter's Secret 1963
  71. The Case of the Amorous Aunt 1963
  72. The Case of the Daring Divorcee 1964
  73. The Case of the Phantom Fortune 1964
  74. The Case of the Horrifed Heirs 1964
  75. The Case of the Troubled Trustee 1965
  76. The Case of the Beautiful Begger 1965
  77. The Case of the Worried Waitress 1966
  78. The Case of the Queenly Contestant 1967
  79. The Case of the Careless Cupid 1968
  80. The Case of the Fabulous Fake 1969
  81. The Case of the Murderous Bride 1969
  82. The Case of the Crimson Kiss 1971
  83. The Case of the Crying Swallow 1971
  84. The Case of the Irate Witness 1972
  85. The Case of the Fenced-In Woman 1972
  86. The Case of the Postponed Murder 1973
The  MASON NOVELS. The last five Mason Novels were published after Gardner's death. The rarest Mason title is "The Case of The Sulky Girl." This is followed by "The Case of The Velvet Claws." Both of these works were conceived in Ventura, and were issued in two printings by the Morrow Company. An estimated printing of the two issues of each book was probably about 4000 copies per title.
  1. The Case of the Velvet Claws 1933
  2. The Case of the Sulky Girl 1934
  3. The Case of the Lucky Legs 1934
  4. The Case of the Howling Dog 1934
  5. The Case of the Curious Bride 1934
  6. The Case of the Counterfeit Eye 1935
  7. The Case of the Caretaker's Cat 1935
  8. The Case of the Sleepwalker's Niece 1936
  9. The Case of the Stuttering Bishop 1936
  10. The Case of the Dangerous Dowager 1937
  11. The Case of the Lame Canary 1937
  12. The Case of the Subsitute Face 1938
  13. The Case of the Shoplifter's Shoe 1938
  14. The Case of the Perjured Parrot 1939
  15. The Case of the Rolling Bones 1939
  16. The Case of the Baited Hook 1940
  17. The Case of the Silent Partner 1940
  18. The Case of the Haunted Husband 1941
  19. The Case of the Empty Tin 1941
  20. The Case of the Drowning Duck 1942
  21. The Case of the Careless Kitten 1942
  22. The Case of the Buried Clock 1943
  23. The Case of the Drowsy Mosquito 1943
  24. The Case of the Crooked Candle 1944
  25. The Case of the Black-Eyed Blonde 1944
  26. The Case of the Golddigger's Purse 1944
  27. The Case of the Half-Wakened Wife 1945
  28. The Case of the Borrowed Brunette 1946
  29. The Case of the Fandancer's Horse 1947
  30. The Case of the Lazy Lover 1947
  31. The Case of the Lonely Heiress 1948
  32. The Case of the Vagabond Virgin 1948
  33. The Case of the Dubious Bridegroom 1949
  34. The Case of the Cautious Coquette 1949
  35. The Case of the Negligent Nymph 1950
  36. The Case of the One-Eye Witness 1950
  37. The Case of the Fiery Fingers 1951
  38. The Case of the Angry Mourner 1951
  39. The Case of the Moth-Eaten Mink 1952
  40. The Case of the Grinning Gorilla 1952
  41. The Case of the Hesitant Hostess 1953
  42. The Case of the Green-Eyed Sister 1953
  43. The Case of the Fugitive Nurse 1954
  44. The Case of the Runaway Corpse 1954
  45. The Case of the Restless Redhead 1954
  46. The Case of the Glamorous Ghost 1955
  47. The Case of the Sun Bather's Diary 1955
  48. The Case of the Nervous Accomplice 1955
  49. The Case of the Terrified Typist 1956
  50. The Case of the Demure Defendant 1956
  51. The Case of the Gilded Lily 1956
  52. The Case of the Lucky Loser 1957
  53. The Case of the Screaming Woman 1957
  54. The Case of the Daring Decoy 1957
  55. The Case of the Long Legged Models 1958
  56. The Case of the Foot-Loose Doll 1958
  57. The Case of the Calendar Girl 1958
  58. The Case of the Deadly Toy 1959
  59. The Case of the Mythical Monkeys 1959
  60. The Case of the Singing Skirt 1959
  61. The Case of the Waylaid Wolf 1960
  62. The Case of the Duplicate Daughter 1960
  63. The Case of the Shapely Shadow 1960
  64. The Case of the Spurious Spinster 1961
  65. The Case of the Bigamous Spouse 1961
  66. The Case of the Reluctant Model 1962
  67. The Case of the Blonde Bonanza 1962
  68. The Case of the Ice-Cold Hands 1962
  69. The Case of the Mischievous Doll 1963
  70. The Case of the Stepdaughter's Secret 1963
  71. The Case of the Amorous Aunt 1963
  72. The Case of the Daring Divorcee 1964
  73. The Case of the Phantom Fortune 1964
  74. The Case of the Horrifed Heirs 1964
  75. The Case of the Troubled Trustee 1965
  76. The Case of the Beautiful Begger 1965
  77. The Case of the Worried Waitress 1966
  78. The Case of the Queenly Contestant 1967
  79. The Case of the Careless Cupid 1968
  80. The Case of the Fabulous Fake 1969
  81. The Case of the Murderous Bride 1969
  82. The Case of the Crimson Kiss 1971
  83. The Case of the Crying Swallow 1971
  84. The Case of the Irate Witness 1972
  85. The Case of the Fenced-In Woman 1972
  86. The Case of the Postponed Murder 1973

The BERTHA COOL and DONALD LAM  Novels

These novels were written under the pseudonym of A. A. Fair. Twenty-nine novels were written about Donald Lam and Bertha Cool, an unlikley duo that is comprised of huge, crude and direct Bertha, the P.I., and the small, shady and brilliant private eye Donald. This series is the second most popular of Gardner's books. Some readers actually prefer these adventures better than the  Mason novels. "All Grass Isn't Green" was the last novel that was published in Gardner's lifetime. The scarcest titles are the first two in the series, followed by the next seven books. For some reason, his last book is scarce as well.
  1. The Bigger They Come 1939
  2. Turn On The Heat 1940
  3. Gold Comes In Bricks 1940
  4. Spill The Jackpot 1941
  5. Double or Quits 1941
  6. Owls Don't Blink 1942
  7. Bats Fly At Dusk 1942
  8. Cats Prowl At Night 1943
  9. Give 'Em the Ax 1944
  10. Crows Can't Count 1946
  11. Fools Die on Friday 1947
  12. Bedrooms Have Windows 1949
  13. Top Of The Heap 1952
  14. Some Women Won't Wait 1953
  15. Beware The Curves 1956
  16. You Can Die Laughing 1957
  17. Some Slips Don't Show 1957
  18. The Count of Nine 1958
  19. Pass The Gravey 1959
  20. Kept Women Can't Quit 1960
  21. Bachelors Get Lonely 1961
  22. Shills Can't Count Chips 1961
  23. Try Anything Once 1962
  24. Fish or Cut Bait 1963
  25. Up for Grabs 1964
  26. Cut Thin To Win 1965
  27. Widows Wear Weeds 1966
  28. Traps Need Fresh Bait 1967
  29. All Grass Isn't Green 1970

The DOUG SELBY D.A. NOVELS

There were nine of these novels. This is the third major series after the Mason and Lam/Cool novels. These novels are reflections of a younger Gardner as this character portrays a young lawyer in practice in a small county. The scarcest title is the first book in the series, followed by the second book.
  1. The D.A. Calls It Murder 1937
  2. The D.A. Holds A Candle 1938
  3. The D.A. Draws A Circle 1939
  4. The D.A. Goes To Trial 1940
  5. The D.A. Cooks A Goose 1942
  6. The D.A. Calls A Turn 1944
  7. The D.A. Breaks A Seal 1946
  8. The D.A. Takes A Chance 1949
  9. The D.A. Breaks an Egg 1949

The TERRY CLANE Novels

The novels of Terry Clane deal with a district attorney who specializes in cases that deal only with Orientals.
  1. Murder Up My Sleeve 1938
  2. The Case of The Backward Mule 1946

The GRAMPS WIGGINS Novels

The novels of Gramps Wiggins deals with an independent curmudgeon.
  1. The Case of The Turning Tide 1941
  2. The Case of The Smoking Chimney 1943

The BILL ELDON Novel

This novel stars rural sheriff Bill Eldon. The following book is actually two novelletes. Quite scarce to acquire in a jacketed first edition.
  1. Two Clues 1947

The ROB TRENTON Novel

Only one book in this never developed series.
    The Case of the Musical Cow 1950

THE NOVELS OF ERLE STANLEY GARDNER
THAT WERE WRITTEN UNDER A PSEUDONYM

Later editions had the psuedonyms replaced and the word "Clew" was relplaced by "Case" in later editions of this book. Both titles are very rare to acquire in hardback jacketed first editions.
  1. The Clew of The Forgotten Murder. By Carleton Kendrake 1935
  2. This is Murder. Charles G. Kenny 1937

The NON-FICTION Books of Erle Stanley Gardner

There are thirteen of these "nature" books. None of these books are really scarce. All had multiple printings in hardcover. Frequently you will see inscribed copies by Erle Stanley Gardner, as he loved to give and and inscribe these books to his friends.
  1. The Land of Shorter Shadows 1948
  2. Neighborhood Frontiers 1954
  3. Hunting The Desert Whale 1960
  4. Hovering Over Baja 1961
  5. The Hidden Heart of Baja 1962
  6. This Desert Is Yours 1963
  7. The World of Water 1964
  8. Hunting Lost Mines By Helicopter 1965
  9. Off The Beaten Track in Baja 1967
  10. Gypsy Days On The Delta 1967
  11. Mexico's Magic Square 1968
  12. Drifting Down The Delta 1969
  13. The Host With The Big Hat 1970

NON-FICTION LAW BOOKS

Both of these books are uncommon, especially the second one.
  1. The Court of Last Resort 1952
  2. Cops on Campus and Crime in the Streets 1970

ADDITIONAL SHORT STORIES AND NOVELLAS THAT WERE MOSTLY WRITTEN IN GARDNER'S PULP-WRITING DAYS BEFORE THE APPEARANCE OF "THE CASE OF THE VELVET CLAWS." Different publishers are indicated.

  1. The Amazing Adventures of Lester Leith. Dial Press 1980
  2. The Human Zero. Morrow 1981
  3. Whispering Sands. Morrow 1981
  4. Pay Dirt and Other Whispering Sands Stories. Morrow 1983
  5. The Adventures of Paul Prey. Mysterious Press 1989
  6. Dead Men's Letters. Carroll & Graf 1990
  7. The Blonde in Lower Six. Carroll & Graf 1990
  8. Honest Money. Carroll & Graf 1991

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