Erle Stanley Gardner was born in Malden, Massachusetts. He studied law while working at a law office. In 1911 he was admitted to the Californian bar. In 1912 he married Natalie Talbert. The marriage lasted until 1935 when the couple separated by mutual consent. In 1918, he returned to the legal profession in Ventura, California. A lawyer by day, he became a writer by night. Immediate success with his writing however was a long way off. His success came with the creation of 'Perry Mason', a defense lawyer. From 1934 on, he produced two Perry Mason novels each year right up until his death. He also wrote under the pseudonyms 'A.A. Fair', 'Carleton Kendrake', and 'Charles J. Kenny'. |
Titles and year of publication:
'Perry Mason' Novels | |
1) The Case of the Sulky Girl | 1933 |
2) The Case of the Velvet Claws | 1933 |
3) The Case of the Curious Bride | 1934 |
4) The Case of the Howling Dog | 1934 |
5) The Case of the Lucky Legs | 1934 |
6) The Case of the Caretaker's Cat | 1935 |
7) The Case of the Counterfeit Eye | 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 Shoplifter's Shoe | 1938 |
13) The Case of the Substitute Face | 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 Empty Tin | 1941 |
19) The Case of the Haunted Husband | 1941 |
20) The Case of the Careless Kitten | 1942 |
21) The Case of the Drowning Duck | 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 Gold-Diggers Purse | 1945 |
27) The Case of the Half-Wakened Wife | 1945 |
28) The Case of the Borrowed Brunette | 1946 |
29) The Case of the Fan-Dancer'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 Cautious Coquette (Contains also 2 short stories) | 1949 |
34) The Case of the Dubious Bridegroom | 1949 |
35) The Case of the Negligent Nymph | 1950 |
36) The Case of the One-Eyed Witness | 1950 |
37) The Case of the Fiery Fingers | 1951 |
38) The Case of the Angry Mourner | 1951 |
39) The Case of the Grinning Gorilla | 1952 |
40) The Case of the Moth-Eaten Mink | 1952 |
41) The Case of the Green-Eyed Sister | 1953 |
42) The Case of the Hesitant Hostess | 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 Sunbather'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 Calendar Girl | 1958 |
57) The Case of the Foot-Loose Doll | 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 Amorous Aunt | 1963 |
70) The Case of the Mischievous Doll | 1963 |
71) The Case of the Stepdaughter's Secret | 1963 |
72) The Case of the Daring Divorcee | 1964 |
73) The Case of the Phantom Fortune | 1964 |
74) The Case of the Horrified Heirs | 1964 |
75) The Case of the Troubled Trustee | 1965 |
76) The Case of the Beautiful Beggar | 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 Fenced-In Woman | 1972 |
82) The Case of the Postponed Murder | 1973 |
Other Novels | |
1) The D.A. Calls It Murder | 1937 |
2) Murder Up My Sleeve | 1937 |
3) The D.A. Holds a Candle | 1938 |
4) The D.A. Draws a Circle | 1939 |
5) The D.A. Goes to Trial | 1940 |
6) The Case of the Turning Tide | 1941 |
7) The D.A. Cooks a Goose | 1942 |
8) The Case of the Smoking Chimney | 1943 |
9) The D.A. Calls a Turn | 1944 |
10) Over the Hump | 1945 |
11) The D.A. Breaks a Seal | 1946 |
12) The Case of the Backward Mule | 1946 |
13) Two Clues (novelets) | 1947 |
14) The D.A. Takes a Chance | 1948 |
15) The D.A. Breaks an Egg | 1949 |
16) The Case of the Musical Cow | 1950 |
17) The Case of the Murderer's Bride (short stories) | 1969 |
18) The Case of the Crimson Kiss (short stories) | 1970 |
19) The Case of the Crying Swallow (short stories) | 1971 |
20) The Case of the Irate Witness (short stories) | 1972 |
21) The Amazing Adventures of Chester Leith (short stories) | 1980 |
22) The Human Zero (short stories) | 1981 |
23) The Adventures of Paul Pry (short stories) | 1990 |
24) The Blonde in Lower Six (short stories) | 1990 |
25) Dead Man's Letters and other short novels (short stories) | 1990 |
As 'A.A. Fair' | |
1) The Bigger They Come (UK Title: Lam to the Slaughter [1939]) | 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 Axe (UK Title: An Axe to Grind [1951]) | 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 Gravy | 1959 |
20) Kept Women Can't Quit | 1960 |
21) Bachelors Get Lonely | 1961 |
22) Shills Can't Cash Chips (UK Title: Stop at the Red Light [1962]) | 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 |
As 'Carleton Kendrake' | |
1) The Clew of the Forgotten Murder | 1935 |
As 'Charles J. Kenny' | |
1) This Is Murder | 1935 |
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