# Is "The Case of the Curious Bride" by Erle Stanley Gardner a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Case of the Curious Bride by Erle Stanley Gardner (William Morrow and Company, 1934) is identified by: First published by William Morrow, New York, 1934 (the fifth Perry Mason novel). Gardner was American and Morrow was his US publisher; the US Morrow edition is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First 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
- Publisher imprint reads William Morrow and Company
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Erle Stanley Gardner |
| Publisher | William Morrow and Company |
| Year | 1934 |
| True first | American edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First published by William Morrow, New York, 1934 (the fifth Perry Mason novel) |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First 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.

## Is this the true first?
Gardner was American and Morrow was his US publisher; the US Morrow edition is the true first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later Morrow printings and reprint-house editions follow; identify the first by the matching title-page year and absence of any later-printing notice.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Case of the Curious Bride* by Erle Stanley Gardner a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-case-of-the-curious-bride
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.