Erle Stanley Gardner First Editions

• The Case of the Sulky Girl — 1933 · William MorrowWilliam Morrow, New York, 1933 first printing. The second Perry Mason novel, published September 1933. First-printing convention: 1933 on the title page and no mention of later printings on the copyright page. The US Morrow edition is the true first. Grosset & Dunlap and other reprints follow.
• The Case of the Velvet Claws — 1933 · William MorrowWilliam Morrow, New York, 1933 first printing. Gardner's first book and the first Perry Mason novel. First-printing convention: 1933 on the title page and no mention of later printings on the copyright page. Black cloth, titles stamped in red on spine and front cover. Very scarce, especially in jacket. The US Morrow edition is the true first; UK editions followed. Later Morrow printings note additional printings on the copyright page; the Grosset & Dunlap reprint and book-club editions follow. Both the 1933 Morrow and Grosset & Dunlap issues are now scarce.
• The Case of the Curious Bride — 1934 · William Morrow and CompanyFirst published by William Morrow, New York, 1934 (the fifth Perry Mason novel). Morrow firsts of this period carry no number line or stated-edition text, so the first printing is identified by 1934 on the title page with no later-printing statement on the copyright page. Black cloth, top edge stained yellow. First-issue dust jacket priced for the title should accompany a complete first. Gardner was American and Morrow was his US publisher; the US Morrow edition is the true first. Later Morrow printings and reprint-house editions follow; identify the first by the matching title-page year and absence of any later-printing notice.
• The Case of the Howling Dog — 1934 · William MorrowWilliam Morrow, New York, 1934 first printing (published March 1934). Perry Mason. First-printing convention: 1934 on the title page and no mention of later printings on the copyright page. Source of the 1934 Warner Bros. film, the first screen adaptation of a Perry Mason novel. The US Morrow edition is the true first. Grosset & Dunlap and other reprints follow.
• The Case of the Lucky Legs — 1934 · William MorrowWilliam Morrow & Company, New York, 1934 first printing, with 1934 on the title page and no statement of a later printing on the copyright page. Bound in black cloth with bold red lettering to the spine and upper board. The third Perry Mason novel, following The Case of the Velvet Claws and The Case of the Sulky Girl (both 1933); early Mason firsts had small print runs and are scarce, especially in bright…. The US William Morrow edition (1934) is the true first. Grosset & Dunlap and other reprints follow, typically in different cloth without the red spine/board lettering and lacking the original priced Morrow jacket.
• The Case of the Caretaker's Cat — 1935 · William Morrow and CompanyFirst published by William Morrow, New York, 1935 (the seventh Perry Mason novel). No number line; the first printing shows 1935 on the title page and no mention of a later printing on the copyright page. Black cloth lettered in green with a green top edge. US Morrow edition is the true first for this American author. Later Morrow printings and reprint editions follow; distinguish the first by matching title-page year and no later-printing statement.
• The Case of the Counterfeit Eye — 1935 · William Morrow and CompanyFirst published by William Morrow, New York, 1935 (the sixth Perry Mason novel). No number line or edition statement; the first printing shows 1935 on the title page with no later-printing statement on the copyright page. Black cloth with titles stamped in red, red top stain. First-issue dust jacket should accompany a complete first. US Morrow edition is the true first; Gardner was an American author published first in the US. Later Morrow printings and reprint editions follow; the first is identified by title-page year and the absence of any later-printing notice.
• The Case of the Sleepwalker's Niece — 1936 · William Morrow and CompanyFirst published by William Morrow, New York, 1936 (the eighth Perry Mason novel). No number line; the first printing shows 1936 on the title page with no later-printing statement on the copyright page. Black cloth, titles stamped in red, red top stain. US Morrow edition is the true first for this American author. Later Morrow printings and reprint editions follow; identify the first by the title-page year and absence of a later-printing notice.
• The Case of the Stuttering Bishop — 1936 · William Morrow and CompanyFirst published by William Morrow, New York, 1936 (the ninth Perry Mason novel). No number line or edition statement; the first printing shows 1936 on the title page with no later-printing statement on the copyright page. Black cloth stamped in red on front and spine, top edge stained red. US Morrow edition is the true first for this American author. Later Morrow printings and reprint editions follow; the first is identified by the matching title-page year and no later-printing notice.
• The Case of the Dangerous Dowager — 1937 · William Morrow and CompanyFirst published by William Morrow, New York, 1937 (the tenth Perry Mason novel). No number line; the first printing shows 1937 on the title page with no later-printing statement on the copyright page. Uncommon in the first printing. US Morrow edition is the true first for this American author. Later Morrow printings and reprint editions follow; identify the first by title-page year and the absence of any later-printing notice.
• The Case of the Lame Canary — 1937 · William MorrowFirst published by William Morrow in 1937; the eleventh Perry Mason novel. Gardner firsts carry no number line, so the true first is identified by the Morrow imprint and its first-issue dust jacket, with no later reprint publisher named on the title page or jacket. The US William Morrow edition is the true first. There is no earlier UK issue. Later photographic reprints appeared under Grosset & Dunlap and Triangle Books imprints; these are reprints, not first editions.
• The D.A. Calls It Murder — 1937 · William MorrowFirst published by William Morrow in 1937; the first Doug Selby (district attorney) novel, distinct from the Perry Mason series. The true first is the Morrow imprint with first-issue dust jacket and no later reprint publisher named. Previously serialized as 'The Thread of Truth' before book publication. The US William Morrow edition is the true first; first in the Doug Selby series. Later reprints appeared under Grosset & Dunlap and Triangle Books imprints; these are reprints, not first editions.
• The Case of the Shoplifter's Shoe — 1938 · William MorrowFirst published by William Morrow in 1938; the thirteenth Perry Mason novel. The true first is the Morrow imprint with first-issue dust jacket and no later reprint publisher named on title page or jacket. The US William Morrow edition is the true first. There is no earlier UK issue. Later reprints appeared under Grosset & Dunlap and Triangle Books imprints; these are reprints, not first editions.
• The Case of the Substitute Face — 1938 · William MorrowFirst published by William Morrow in 1938; the twelfth Perry Mason novel. The Morrow first identified by imprint and first-issue dust jacket with no later reprint publisher named; the preliminary pages carry an excerpt from the forthcoming 'The Case of the Shoplifter's Shoe'. The US William Morrow edition is the true first. There is no earlier UK issue. Later reprints appeared under Grosset & Dunlap and Triangle Books imprints; these are reprints, not first editions.
• The Case of the Perjured Parrot — 1939 · William MorrowFirst published by William Morrow and Company, New York, in 1939; a Perry Mason novel. The true first is the Morrow imprint with no later reprint publisher named on the title page. The publisher's binding is black cloth with a green band running across the spine and upper cover. The first-issue pictorial dust jacket carries the printed price on the rear flap (an amount should be present, unclipped), and the…. The US William Morrow edition is the true first. There is no earlier UK issue. Later reprints appeared under Grosset & Dunlap and Triangle Books imprints; these name the reprint publisher and are reprints, not first editions.
• The Case of the Baited Hook — 1940 · William Morrow and CompanyFirst edition published by William Morrow and Company, New York, 1940. A Perry Mason mystery. Points: title-page date and copyright date both read 1940 with no statement of later printing; red cloth boards lettered in black, red top-stain, untrimmed fore-edge, 281 pages. No number line in this era; a genuine first printing has no reprint notice on the copyright page. The US Morrow edition is the true first. The UK Cassell edition followed and is not the first. Later Morrow printings and reprint-house editions follow the first and are identified by reprint notices on the copyright page.
• The Case of the Silent Partner — 1940 · William Morrow and CompanyFirst edition published by William Morrow and Company, New York, 1940. A Perry Mason mystery. Points: title-page and copyright dates both 1940 with no later-printing statement; black cloth stamped in red, red-stained top edge, untrimmed fore-edge, rough-trimmed lower edge. No number line; a true first has no reprint notice on the copyright page. The US Morrow edition is the true first. The UK Cassell edition followed. Later printings and reprint editions follow the first and carry copyright-page reprint notices.
• The Case of the Empty Tin — 1941 · William Morrow and CompanyFirst edition published by William Morrow and Company, New York, 1941. A Perry Mason mystery; dust jacket illustrated by John Alan Maxwell. Points: title-page and copyright dates both 1941 with no later-printing statement; black cloth, red top edge. No number line; a true first has no reprint notice on the copyright page. The US Morrow edition is the true first. The UK Cassell edition followed. Later printings and reprint editions follow the first and carry copyright-page reprint notices.
• The Case of the Haunted Husband — 1941 · William Morrow and CompanyFirst edition published by William Morrow and Company, New York, 1941. A Perry Mason mystery. Points: title-page and copyright dates both 1941 with no later-printing statement; black cloth boards lettered in red and black, red top-stain, 281 pages. No number line; a true first has no reprint notice on the copyright page. The US Morrow edition is the true first. The UK Cassell edition followed. Later printings and reprint editions follow the first and are marked on the copyright page.
• The Case of the Careless Kitten — 1942 · William Morrow and CompanyFirst edition published by William Morrow and Company, New York, 1942 (published September 1942). The twenty-first Perry Mason novel. Points: title-page and copyright dates both 1942 with no later-printing statement; black cloth/buckram with lettering, 281 pages. No number line; a true first has no reprint notice on the copyright page. The US Morrow edition is the true first. The UK Cassell edition followed. Later printings and reprint editions follow the first and carry copyright-page reprint notices.
• The Case of the Drowning Duck — 1942 · William Morrow and CompanyFirst edition published by William Morrow and Company, New York, 1942. The twentieth Perry Mason novel. Points: title-page and copyright dates both read 1942 with no later-printing statement; black cloth boards lettered in red and black, red top-stain, 284 pages. No number line; a true first has no reprint notice on the copyright page. The US Morrow edition is the true first. The UK Cassell edition followed. Later printings and reprint editions follow the first and are identified on the copyright page.
• The Case of the Buried Clock — 1943 · William MorrowWilliam Morrow, New York, 1943. A Perry Mason novel. On the true first printing Morrow prints the same year (1943) on both the title page and the copyright page, with no statement of a later printing on the copyright page; that absence of any additional printing line is how Morrow indicated a first at this date. Issued in orange cloth with black lettering. A wartime production printed under War Production Board…. The US William Morrow edition is the true first. Later Grosset & Dunlap and other reprints follow and are not firsts.
• The Case of the Crooked Candle — 1944 · William MorrowWilliam Morrow, New York, 1944. A Perry Mason novel. The true first printing carries the same year (1944) on title and copyright pages with no later-printing statement. The copyright page bears a Victory Edition notice indicating the book was manufactured under the War Production Board's wartime conservation rules, consistent with a 1944 first printing. The US William Morrow edition is the true first. Later reprints follow and are not firsts.
• The Case of the Golddigger's Purse — 1945 · William MorrowWilliam Morrow, New York, first edition May 1945. A Perry Mason novel; collation vi, 218 pages. The true first printing shows the same year (1945) on title and copyright pages with no later-printing statement. In American printings the title word appears as one word, Golddigger, without a hyphen (the British edition hyphenates as Gold-Digger's). The US William Morrow edition is the true first; verified against the Erle Stanley Gardner bibliography. Later reprints follow and are not firsts.
• The Case of the Half-Wakened Wife — 1945 · The M.S. Mill Co.The M.S. Mill Co., New York, 1945, part of the Mill circle mysteries series. A Perry Mason novel. The first-printing imprint is M.S. Mill, whose stated address (425 Fourth Avenue) was in fact Morrow's own address; M.S. Mill functioned as a Morrow imprint. The copyright page makes no reference to arrangement with or permission from William Morrow. Dealers routinely catalogue the M.S. Mill issue as the first edition. The true first appeared under the M.S. Mill imprint (a Morrow imprint), not under the Morrow name; the ESG bibliography notes it is uncertain any 1945 printing bearing the Morrow name exists, so records should cite M.S. Mill, not William Morrow, as the first-printing publisher. Later reprints follow and are not firsts.
• The Case of the Borrowed Brunette — 1946 · William MorrowWilliam Morrow, New York, 1946. A Perry Mason novel. The true first printing carries the same year (1946) on title and copyright pages with no later-printing statement. Issued in black cloth with blue lettering. The US William Morrow edition is the true first. Later reprints follow and are not firsts.
• The Case of the Fan-Dancer's Horse — 1947 · William MorrowWilliam Morrow, New York, 1947. A Perry Mason novel. The true first printing carries the same year (1947) on title and copyright pages with no later-printing statement. Bound with a beige spine lettered in red and black. The US William Morrow edition is the true first. Later reprints follow and are not firsts.
• The Case of the Lazy Lover — 1947 · William MorrowFirst published in book form by William Morrow, New York, 1947. A Perry Mason mystery. On Morrow titles of this period the first printing carries no statement of a later printing on the copyright page; reprints and the book club edition are so noted. The US William Morrow edition of 1947 is the true first. Later printings and a book club edition follow; the book club edition is typically identified on the jacket or copyright page.
• The Case of the Lonely Heiress — 1948 · William MorrowFirst published in book form by William Morrow, New York, 1948, the thirty-first Perry Mason mystery, 272 pages. Bound in brown cloth with black lettering on the front board and spine, in a pictorial dust jacket carrying its printed price on the front flap. In this period Morrow identified a first printing by the words 'First Printing' followed by the month and year on the copyright page and always noted later…. The US William Morrow edition of 1948 is the true first; the Perry Mason novels appeared first in the American Morrow trade printing. Later Morrow printings add a subsequent-printing statement to the copyright page, and a book club edition follows; the first printing bears the 'First Printing' notation with the printed price present on the jacket flap.
• The Case of the Dubious Bridegroom — 1949 · William MorrowFirst published in book form by William Morrow, New York, 1949. A Perry Mason mystery. The true first contains only the novel; the later taller book club edition adds two Mason short stories (The Case of the Crying Swallow and The Case of the Crimson Kiss) and its jacket blurbs them, whereas the first-edition jacket does not. The US William Morrow edition of 1949 is the true first. The book club edition is taller, marked as such, includes two added short stories, and carries jacket blurbs for them.
• The Case of the Musical Cow — 1950 · William MorrowFirst published in book form by William Morrow, New York, 1950. This is NOT a Perry Mason novel; the protagonist is dog trainer Rob Trenton. It was serialized in Collier's as The Case of the Smuggler's Bell. First printing shows no statement of a later printing on the copyright page. The US William Morrow edition of 1950 is the true first. Later printings follow.
• The Case of the Negligent Nymph — 1950 · William MorrowFirst published in book form by William Morrow, New York, 1950, a Perry Mason mystery, 275 pages, octavo. Bound in blue boards stamped in black, in a pictorial dust jacket carrying its printed price on the front flap. In this period Morrow identified a first printing by the words 'First Printing' followed by the month and year on the copyright page and always noted later printings there; a first-printing copy…. The US William Morrow edition of 1950 is the true first; the Perry Mason novels appeared first in the American Morrow trade printing. Later Morrow printings add a subsequent-printing statement to the copyright page, and a book club edition follows; the first printing bears the 'First Printing' notation with the printed price present on the jacket flap.
• The Case of the Angry Mourner — 1951 · William MorrowFirst published in book form by William Morrow, New York, 1951, the thirty-eighth Perry Mason mystery, 241 pages, octavo. Bound in light blue boards with black lettering on the front cover and spine, in a pictorial dust jacket carrying its printed price on the front flap. In this period Morrow identified a first printing by the words 'First Printing' followed by the month and year on the copyright page, and…. The US William Morrow edition of 1951 is the true first; the Perry Mason novels appeared first in the American Morrow trade printing. Later Morrow printings add a subsequent-printing statement to the copyright page, and a book club edition follows; the first printing bears the 'First Printing' notation with the printed price present on the jacket flap.
• The Case of the Grinning Gorilla — 1952 · William MorrowFirst published by William Morrow & Company, New York, 1952. A first edition/first printing carries the Morrow imprint with the 1952-dated title page and no statement of a later printing; issued in green cloth with a dust jacket bearing the original artwork. A Perry Mason mystery. The US William Morrow edition is the true first. Gardner was American and the Morrow edition precedes any later UK issue. Later printings and paperback reprints (Pocket, Cardinal) follow the Morrow first.
• The Court of Last Resort — 1952 · William Sloane AssociatesWilliam Sloane Associates, New York, 1952, first printing. Gardner's nonfiction true-crime advocacy work, an outgrowth of his Argosy magazine column on wrongful convictions. Winner of the Edgar Award for Best Fact Crime. A non-Perry-Mason collectible. The US William Sloane Associates 1952 edition is the true first. Later reprint and paperback editions follow; the Sloane first printing is the first appearance in book form.
• The Case of the Hesitant Hostess — 1953 · William MorrowFirst published by William Morrow & Company, New York, 1953. A first edition/first printing carries the Morrow imprint with the 1953-dated title page and no later-printing statement, in publisher's cloth with the original dust jacket. A Perry Mason mystery. The US William Morrow edition is the true first, preceding the later Pocket Books paperback and any UK issue. Pocket Books paperback (1956) and other reprints follow the Morrow first.
• The Case of the Sun Bather's Diary — 1955 · William MorrowFirst published by William Morrow & Company, New York, 1955 (following Saturday Evening Post serialization the same year). A first edition/first printing carries the Morrow imprint and 1955-dated title page with no later-printing statement, in publisher's cloth with the original dust jacket. A Perry Mason mystery. The US William Morrow book edition is the true first. The magazine serialization is a prior appearance but not the first book edition; Morrow precedes later paperbacks and any UK issue. Cardinal, Pocket, and Ballantine paperback reprints follow the Morrow first.
• The Case of the Terrified Typist — 1956 · William MorrowFirst published by William Morrow & Company, New York, 1956. A first edition/first printing carries the Morrow imprint with the 1956-dated title page and no later-printing statement, in publisher's cloth with the original dust jacket. A Perry Mason mystery. The US William Morrow edition is the true first, preceding later paperbacks and any UK issue. Later printings and paperback reprints follow the Morrow first.
• The Case of the Long-Legged Models — 1958 · William MorrowFirst published by William Morrow & Company, New York, 1958 (serialized 1957 in the Saturday Evening Post as 'The Case of the Dead Man's Daughter'). A first edition/first printing carries the Morrow imprint and 1958-dated title page with no later-printing statement, in publisher's cloth with the original dust jacket. A Perry Mason mystery. The US William Morrow book edition is the true first. The prior magazine serialization is not the first book edition; Morrow precedes later paperbacks and any UK issue. Later printings and paperback reprints follow the Morrow first.
• The Case of the Mythical Monkeys — 1959 · William MorrowFirst published by William Morrow & Company, New York, 1959. A first edition/first printing carries the Morrow imprint with the 1959-dated title page and no later-printing statement; issued in red cloth lettered in black with the original dust jacket. A Perry Mason mystery. The US William Morrow edition is the true first, preceding later paperbacks and any UK issue. Later Morrow reissues and paperback reprints follow the first printing; watch for reissue copies described as firsts.
• The Case of the Mischievous Doll — 1963 · William MorrowWilliam Morrow and Company, New York, 1963, first printing. A Perry Mason novel (Gardner's 69th). Red cloth with black lettering; first-edition dust jacket carries the original front-flap price and the book ends with a leaf of advertisements for Perry Mason mysteries. The US William Morrow 1963 edition is the true first in book form. An abridged version appeared in the Saturday Evening Post in 1962, but that magazine serialization is not the book first. Pocket Books paperback (1964) and other reprints follow the Morrow first.
• The Case of the Daring Divorcee — 1964 · William MorrowWilliam Morrow and Company (New York), 1964, first printing. A Perry Mason novel of 251 pages, octavo. Bound in yellow paper-covered boards lettered in black on cover and spine; the first-issue dust jacket was designed by Bill Hughes and should retain its printed first-issue price on the flap. The US William Morrow 1964 hardcover is the true first. The Pocket Books paperback (1965) and later reprints follow the Morrow first; the priced Bill Hughes jacket on yellow boards confirms the hardcover first.
• The Case of the Troubled Trustee — 1965 · William MorrowWilliam Morrow and Company, New York, first published February 1965, first printing. A Perry Mason novel (Gardner's 75th). A Morrow first carries no statement of later printings on the copyright page and should be in a priced, unclipped first-issue jacket; the text runs 168 pages. The US William Morrow 1965 edition is the true first. A UK Heinemann edition also followed. A Walter J. Black book-club edition also appeared in 1965 and is frequently confused with the first; the Black club printing is not the true first. The Morrow first printing, with no later-printing statement, is the point of issue.
• The Case of the Worried Waitress — 1966 · William MorrowWilliam Morrow and Company, New York, 1966, first printing of this Perry Mason novel (Gardner's 77th). Bound in red paper-covered boards stamped in black. The first-issue dust jacket carries the printed price to the front flap and a photograph of Gardner to the rear panel. The US William Morrow 1966 edition is the true first. A Walter J. Black book-club edition (1966) is the commonly encountered non-first; it lacks the Morrow imprint and the printed jacket price. Look for the William Morrow and Company imprint, not Walter J. Black, to identify the true first. Later reprints also follow.
• The Case of the Fenced-In Woman — 1972 · William MorrowWilliam Morrow and Company, New York, 1972, first printing, bound in black cloth with gilt lettering to the spine and front board, in a pictorial dust jacket illustrated by Graham Miller. A late Perry Mason novel published posthumously two years after the author's 1970 death; the first edition includes a listing of the Perry Mason mysteries and Gardner's other works. The US William Morrow 1972 edition is the true first. A Walter J. Black, Inc. book-club edition also appeared in 1972 and is the common non-first; it lacks the Morrow imprint and is the surest book-club tell. Paperback and later reprints likewise follow the Morrow first.
• The Case of the Postponed Murder — 1973 · William MorrowWilliam Morrow, New York, 1973 first printing. This is the last Perry Mason novel, published posthumously (Gardner died in 1970) though written some years earlier. The first edition is bound in black boards with gilt spine lettering, in a dust jacket that should retain its printed price on the flap. The US Morrow edition of 1973 is the true first; it is a posthumous first publication with no earlier printed appearance. Later printings and book-club issues follow the 1973 Morrow first; book-club copies typically lack the printed jacket price and may carry a blind-stamped gutter code, distinguishing them from the Morrow trade first.

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