Erle Stanley Gardner

Pseudonyms include A.A. Fair, Grant Holiday, Carleton Kendrake, Charles J. Kenney, Charles M. Green, Kyle Corning, Les Tillray and Robert Parr
(1889-1970)

Although critics sneered and many felt that he was not a very good writer (Rex Stout, for example, once claimed that the Perry Mason books weren’t even novels), by the time of his death ERLE STANLEY GARDNER was the bestselling American mystery writers of all time. And he was amazingly, staggeringly prolific (check out his seemingly endless bibliography below). In his heyday, a ten-year-span from roughly 1926 to 1936, he produced and sold an average of one million words of fiction a year, certainly earning his billing as “King of the Woodpulps.”

He was best known, of course, for creating the world’s most famous fictional lawyer, Perry Mason. If that were all he ever did, he’d still rank a bio on this site, given that Mason, in his earliest books, was little more than a unliciensed private eye who just happened to practise law in between shootouts, fisticuffs and other hard-boiled shenanigans. But Gardner did more, much more…

Astoundingly, he was not just a writer, but also a practicing lawyer, a humanitarian and an adventurer. He was born in Massachusetts, but his father’s job as a mining engineer took the family all over–sometimes as far as the Klondike. A bit of a roughneck as a lad, he was constantly getting into brawls. He once boasted he was kicked out of Indiana’s Valparaiso university for “slugging a professor.” He also participated in (and allegedly organized) several illegal boxing matches.

Somewhere around this time, young Erle eventually decided that a little knowledge of the law might come in handy, so he landed a gig as a typist at an Oxnard, California law firm. He stuck around, picking up what legal knowledge he could, and three years later, in 1911, without ever attending university or law school, he passed the state bar exam and began practicing the law himself.

The fledgling lawyer soon found himself gaining a rep among the Chinese and Mexican communities, with whom he developed some long-standing friendships. (To his credit, characters from these communities who appeared in his fiction were not the usual stereotypical villains so popular at the time, but actually appeared as real people, or at least as real as any of Gardner’s characters ever were. Let’s just say in-depth characterization wasn’t his strong suit.)

Always on the eye to increase his income, Gardner abandoned the law for a short stint, working as a tire salesman, but soon realized he missed the law and returned, this time signing on with a Ventura, Californuia firm. About this time, he also began to write, forcing himself to churn out four thousand words a night. It took two years, but he made his first sale to the pulps. It wouldn’t be the last. He pounded out astonishing number of short stories, novelettes and serialized novels — almost 600 of them, mostly crime and detective stories, but also westerns, air adventures and even occasional non-fiction pieces. And given that, at his pulp peak somewhere around 1932, he was having four, five or six stories published a month — many of them featured on the covers — he pretty much owned the crime and detective pulp racket.

In fact, before he’d even written a single novel, Gardner was one of America’s most successful writers. He was truly the king of the pulps, writing millions and millions of words, cranking out a steady barrage of characters in everything from Black Mask to Argosy. Most of his stories dealt with one side or the other of the law (and often, both). A contemporary of Carroll John Daly and Dashiell Hammett, Gardner had the longest run of any author in Black Mask, and wrote more stories for the magazine (more than a few under pseudonyms) than any other author. In fact, he probably created more characters, particularly continuing characters, for the magazine than any one else. Asked once why he wrote, Gardner confessed that “I write to make money, and I write to give the reader sheer fun.” He succeeded on both counts. He favoured action and dialogue over characterization or overly-complicated plots, and tended to stress “speed, situation and suspense.” It was just what the pulps wanted.

And although his greatest creation never appeared in its pages, in the early 1930s Black Mask published a string of six short stories starring crusading defense lawyer Ken Corning who fought against injustice in a corrupt city. In many ways, Corning served as a rough template for Mason.

But Gardner created a veritable rogues’ gallery of colourful and sometimes downright odd characters for the pulps in the twenties and thirties, before turning towards the more lucrative field of novels, and many of them, perhaps by necessity, shared occasional similarities.

Gardner wrote for all kinds of pulps, not just Black Mask and Argosy, but also Clues, All Detective, Dime Detective, Detective Story, Detective Action Stories, Double Detective, This Week, Detective Fiction Weekly, West and other cowboy pulps). He also wrote for slicks such as The Country Gentleman, Cosmopolitan and The Saturday Evening Post.

The last year that he wrote exclusively for the pulps, 1932, saw Gardner earning around 20,000 bucks, and that’s at a few cents a word! Maybe not a fortune these days, but this was the Depression. To put it in perspective, those are Stephen King-like numbers.

In his pulp days, Gardner was notorious for killing off the final heavies with the last bullet in the hero’s gun, which led to some editors teasing him about how all his good guys seemed to be such bad shots.

Gardner’s alleged explanation? “At three cents a word, every time I say ‘Bang’ in the story I get three cents. If you think I’m going to finish the gun battle while my hero still has fifteen cents worth of unexploded ammunition in his gun, you’re nuts.”

In 1933, Gardner unleashed his first full-length novel, The Case of the Velvet Claws, which introduced hard-boiled, two-fisted attorney Perry Mason. It was a hit right out of the gate, and Gardner soon turned his attention to books, averaging about one book every four months until his death in 1970.

Gardner gradually sanded off Mason’s decidedly rough edges, hoping to make him more palatable to the editors of The Saturday Evening Post, a market he was eager to crack. From the early fifties on, many of the Mason novels were serialized or excerpted in The Post prior to book publication, a fact that no doubt contributed to the subsequent TV series success, although successful movies, radio shows, comic strips and a hit TV show certainly played their part as well. And through it all, Gardner kept sanding down the edges.

Not that Gardner, workaholic that he was, completely abandoned non-Mason projects. Besides the long-running Mason seres, he wrote a series of novels featurng the memorably mismatched private eye team of Bertha Cool and Donald Lam, as well as novels featuring Doug Selby (District Attorney) and Sherriff Bill Eldon. Around this time, to keep up with demand, Garner chucked his typewriter for a bevy of up to six secretaries. He subsequently dictated everything!

Not that Gardner was content with merely being a bestselling author — he continued to practice the law. multi-talented man, Gardner was a practicing attorney for 22 years. His fascination with the law and dedication to justice led to him writing The Court of Last Resort, a long-running regular column (and occasional follow-up editorials) for Argosy Magazine, dealing with with potential miscarriages of justice. The column led to any Edgar-winning collection of those columns, and in turn to a 1957-58 television series on NBC which dramatized many of the cases. The show, co-produced by Gardner’s own Paisano Productions, was pretty much a precursor of today’s The Innocence Project.

Always a passionate outdoorsman and adventurer, Gardner also wrote several non-fiction travel books, including several about Baja, California, an area he frequently visited and explored. When he died in 1970, his ashes were scattered over the area.

But he left behind millions of fans, including president Harry S. Truman, Pope John XXIII and Supreme CourtJustice Sonya Sotomayor, who has frequently cited Perry Mason as one of her earliest influences. It’s rumored that when Albert Einstein died, a Perry Mason novel was by his bedside.

UNDER OATH

“The popularity of Mason overshadows his other creations and that’s a shame in many ways. Don’t get me wrong. I am a sucker for the Mason novels. I just finished The Case of the Terrified Typist (1955) and could not stand any interruption as I neared the conclusion. Whatever his faults, Gardner is a master of pace and I find him compulsively readable…. Even if Gardner had not created Perry Mason, he would be considered a giant of the Black Mask “school” of writing. In fact, I think the bland, watered down last decade of Perry Masons did considerable damage to the writer’s reputation.”
— Richard Moore

SHORT STORIES

“The Police Of The House” (June 1921, Breezy Stories)
“Nellie’s Naughty Nightie” (August 1921, Breezy Stories)
“The Shrieking Skeleton” (December 15, 1923, Black Mask; as Charles M. Green)
“The Serpent’s Coils” (January 1, 1924, Black Mask; as Green)
“The Verdict” (February 1, 1924, Black Mask; as Charles M. Green)
“The Point Of Intersections” (April 15, 1924, Mystery Magazine; as Charles M. Green)
“The Cave” (1924, The Smart Set)
“The Trap” (1924, Chicago Ledger)
“Jim Hurd’s Wife” (1924, The Smart Set)
“Beyond The Limit” (April 1925, Sunset)
“A Fair Trial” (June 1924, Black Mask; no byline)
“Parties To Proof” (July 15, 1924, Top Notch)
“Accomodatin’ a Lady” (September 1924, Black Mask; Bob Larkin)
“The Seventh Glass”(December 1, 1924, Mystery Magazine; as Charles M. Green)
“Without No Reindeer” (December 1924, Black Mask; Bob Larkin)
“The Fog Ghost” (January 1, 1925, Top Notch)
“Beyond the Law” (January 1925, Black Mask; Ed Jenkins)
“Bloody Bill Obeys” (January 1925, Chicago Ledger)
“The Case Of The Misplaced Thumb” (February 1, 1925, Top Notch; Speed Dash)
“The Last Wallop” (March 10, 1925, Short Stories)
“Ten Days After Date” (March 15, 1925, Top Notch; Speed Dash)
“Hard As Nails” (March 1925, Black Mask; Ed Jenkins)
“Beyond The Limit” (April 1925, Sunset)
“Eyes Of Nigh” (April 1925, Triple-X; as Charles M. Green)
“With Fingers Of Steel” (May 15, 1925, Top Notch; Speed Dash)
“Painless Extraction” (May 1925, Black Mask; Bob Larkin)
“Not So Darn Bad” (June 1925, Black Mask; Ed Jenkins)
“Three O’Clock in the Morning” (July 1925, Black Mask; Ed Jenkins)
“Tempering Fires (Part One)” (August 1925, The Farmer’s Wife)
“Ham, Eggs and Coffee” (August 1925, Black Mask; Bob Larkin)
“The Room Of Falling Flies” (September 15, 1925, Top Notch; Speed Dash)
“Tempering Fires (Part Two)” (September 1925, The Farmer’s Wife)
“The Law Of Cactus Flats” (September 12, 1925, Argosy)
“The Case Of The Candied Diamonds” (November 15, 1925, Top Notch; Speed Dash)
“The Girl Goes With Me” (November 1925, Black Mask; Black Barr)
“The Triple Cross” (December 1925, Black Mask; Ed Jenkins)
“A Desert ‘Sheek'” (December 1925, Brief Stories)
“Any One Named Smith” (January 16, 1926, Flynn’s Detective Fiction)
“Before The Dawn” (January 1926, Brief Stories)
“According to Law” (January 1926, Black Mask; Ed Jenkins)
“Part Music And Part Tears” (January 26, Smart Set; as anonymous)
“The Skeleton Accomplice” (February 1, 1926, Top Notch)
“Open And Shut”” (February 15, 1926, Mystery Magazine)
“Goin’ Into Action” (February 1926, Black Mask; Bob Larkin)
“An Eye For A Tooth” (March 20, 1926, West)
“Hoss Sense” (March 1926, Brief Stories)
“More Than Skin Deep” (April 1, 1926, Top Notch)
“Doing It Up Brown” (April 10, 1926, Short Stories)
“According To Schedule” (April 20, 1926, West)
“Register Rage” (April 1926, Black Mask; Ed Jenkins)
“The Will Of Richard Ware” (April 1926, The Farmer’s Wife)
“When A Man’s Alone” (April 1926, Smart Set)
“A Feather In His Cap” (May 1, 1926, Top Notch)
“A Load Of Dynamite” (May 5, 1927, West)
“Thisissosudden!” (May 1926, Black Mask; Ed Jenkins)
“Forget ’em All” (June 1926, Black Mask; Ed Jenkins)
“A Mate Of Effie” (June 26, 1926, Argosy)
“In Love And War” (July 24, 1926, Argosy)
“On The Poison Trail” (July 1926, Triple-X)
“The Law Of Glancing Bullets” (August 25, 1926, Short Stories)
“Hazel Of The Mining Camps” (August 1926, Smart Set)
“A Time-Lock Triangle” (September 1, 1926, Top Notch; Speed Dash)
“The Mob Buster” (September 4, 1926, Argosy)
“On All Six” (September 24, 1926, Argosy)
“Laugh That Off” (September 1926, Black Mask; Ed Jenkins)
“Buzzard Bait” (October 1926, Black Mask; Black Barr)
“The Rough Shadow” (October 1926, Clues)
“Money, Marble and Chalk” (November 1926, Black Mask; Ed Jenkins)
“The Meandering Trail” (December 19, 1926, Ace High)
“Dead Men’s Letters” (December 1926, Black Mask; Ed Jenkins)
“The Game Winner” (January 1, 1927, Ace High)
“Whispering Sand” (January 1927, Black Mask; Black Barr)
“Three Days To Midnight” (February 1, 1927, Top Notch; Speed Dash)
“The Cat-Woman” (February 1927, Black Mask; Ed Jenkins)
“The Back Trail” (March 10, 1927, Short Stories)
“This Way Out” ” (March 1927, Black Mask; Ed Jenkins)
“The Cards Of Death” (March 1927, Clues)
“The Canyon Of The Curse” (March 27, Triple-X)
“For Higher Stakes” (April 1, 1927, Top Notch; Speed Dash)
“Come and Get It” ” (April 1927, Black Mask; Ed Jenkins)
“The Hope-So Hunch” (May 1, 1927, Top Notch; Speed Dash)
“In Full of Account” (May 1927, Black Mask; Ed Jenkins)
“Fair Warning” (May 1927, Clues)
“On The Stroke Of Twelve” (June 15, 1927, Top Notch; Speed Dash)
“The Red Skull” (June 1927, Clues)
“Ribbons Of Light” (August 15, 1927, Top Notch; Speed Dash)
“Where the Buzzards Circle” (September 1927, Black Mask; Black Barr)
“One Hundred Feet Of Rope” (October 1927, Brief Stories)
“Double Action” (November 25, 1927, Short Stories)
“The Wax Dragon” (November 1927, Black Mask; Ed Jenkins)
“The Tenth Point” (December 1927, Outdoor Stories)
“Grinning Gods” (December 1927, Black Mask; Ed Jenkins)
“The Right Track” (January 1928, Complete Stories)
The Bullet Guide” (January 1928, Everybody’s)
“Lord Of High Places” (February 1, 1928, Top Notch; Speed Dash)
“The Door Of Death” (February 25, 1928, Clues)
“Yellow Shadows” (February 1928, Black Mask; Ed Jenkins)
“The Devil’s Thumb” (February 1928, Brief Stories)
“Whispering Feet” (March 1928, Black Mask; Ed Jenkins)
“Claws Of The Man-Bird” (April 1, 1928, Top Notch; Speed Dash)
“Dead Center (Part One)” (April 12, 1928, Three Star; Denny Clay)
“Dead Center (Part Two)” (April 26, 1928, Three Star; Denny Clay)
“Snow Bird” (April 1928, Black Mask; Ed Jenkins)
“Dead Center (Part Three)” (May 10, 1928, Three Star; Denny Clay)
“Dead Center (Part Four)” (May 24, 1928, Three Star; Denny Clay)
“The Guilty Trail” (May 25, 1928, Clues)
“Grubstake” (May 25, 1928, Short Stories)
“Out of the Shadows” (May 1928, Black Mask; Ed Jenkins)
“The Death Shadow” (June 10, 1928, Clues)
“The Fugitive Manhunter” (June 10, 1928, Short Stories)
“Gun Language” (June 28, 1928, Three Star)
“Trapped In Darkness” (July 1, 1928, Top Notch; Speed Dash)
“The Feminine Touch” (July 10, 1928, Clues)
“The Diamond Of Destiny” (July 25, 1928, Clues)
“The Skull Crusher” (July 26, 1928, Three Star)
“The Law Of The Lawless” (July 1928, Brief Stories)
“Sky Pirates” (August 9, 1928, Three Star)
“The Fall Guy” (August 10, 1928, Clues)
“Hard-Boiled” (August 25, 1928, Clues)
“Fangs of Fate” (August 1928, Black Mask; Black Barr)
“The Case Of The Crushed Carnation” (September 1, 1928, Top Notch; Speed Dash)
“The Devil’s Deputy” (September 1928, Black Mask; Black Barr)
“Rain Magic” (October 20, 1928, Argosy)
“Ripples Of Doom” (October 25, 1928, Clues)
“Brood Of The Sea” (October 25, 1928, Three Star)
“A Bolt From The Blue (Part One)” (October 1928, Air Adventures)
“Bare Hands” (November 10, 1928, Argosy)
“A Point Of Honor” (November 10, 1928, Clues)
“The Weak Line” (November 10, 1928, Detective Fiction Weekly)
“A Bolt From The Blue (Part Two)” (November 1928, Air Adventures)
“Curse of the Killers” (November 1928, Black Mask; Black Barr)
“The Next Stiff” (December 1928, Black Mask; Ed Jenkins)
“A Bolt From The Blue (Part Three)” (December 1928, Air Adventures)
“Phantom Bullets” (January 1, 1929, Top Notch; Speed Dash)
“One Crook to Another” (January 1929, Black Mask; Ed Jenkins)
“A Bolt From The Blue (Part Four)” (January 1929, Air Adventures)
“Whispering Death” (January 1929, Five Novels Monthly)
“Bracelets for Two” (February 1929, Black Mask; Ed Jenkins)
“The Painted Decoy” (February 23, 1929, Detective Fiction Weekly; Lester Leith)
“A Bolt From The Blue (Part Five)” (February 1929, Air Adventures)
“Routine Stuff” (February 1929, Mystery Stories)
“Claws Of Crime” (March 1, 1929, Top Notch; Speed Dash)
“Hooking the Crooks” (March 1929, Black Mask; Ed Jenkins)
“A Tip from Scuttle” (March 2, 1929, Detective Fiction Weekly; Lester Leith)
“The Dummy Murder” (March 23, 1929, Detective Fiction Weekly; Lester Leith)
“The Pay-Off” (April 27, 1929, Detective Fiction Weekly)
“No Questions Asked” (April 1929, Black Mask; Ed Jenkins)
“Hairtrigger Trails The Hawk” (April 1929, Triple-X)
“The Case of the Fugitive Corpse” (April 6, 1929, Detective Fiction Weekly; Lester Leith)
“The Pay-off” (April 27, 1929, Detective Fiction Weekly; Lester Leith)
“Manacled Vengeance” (May 1, 1929, Top Notch)
“A Hot Tip” (May 11, 1929, Detective Fiction Weekly; Lester Leith)
“Wings Of Destiny” (May 15, 1929, West)
“On The Way Up” (May 25, 1929, Clues)
“A Clean Slate For Murder” (June 8, 1929, Detective Fiction Weekly)
“King Of The Eagle Clan” (June 15, 1929, Top Notch; Speed Dash)
“Scum of the Border” (June 1929, Black Mask; Bob Larkin)
“The Betraying Emotion” (July 6, 1929, Detective Fiction Weekly)
“State’s Evidence” (July 25, 1929, Clues)
“Monkey Eyes (Part One)” (July 27, 1929, Argosy)
“All the Way” (July 1929, Black Mask; Bob Larkin)
“A Peach of a Scheme” (July 20, 1929, Detective Fiction Weekly; Lester Leith)
“Monkey Eyes (Part Two)” (August 3, 1929, Argosy)
“Even Money” (August 3, 1929, Detective Fiction Weekly)
“It’s A Pipe” (August 10, 1929, Detective Fiction Weekly)
“The Hand Of The Tong” (August 25, 1929, Clues)
“Faster Than Forty” (August 31, 1929, Detective Fiction Weekly)
“Spawn of the Night” (August 1929, Black Mask; Bob Larkin)
“Even Money” (August 3, 1929, Detective Fiction Weekly; Lester Leith)
“It’s a Pipe!” (August 10, 1929, Detective Fiction Weekly; Lester Leith)
“Hawks Of The Midnight Sky” (September 15, 1929, Top Notch; Speed Dash)
“Faster than Forty” (August 31, 1929, Detective Fiction Weekly; Lester Leith)
“Double Shadows” (September 21, 1929, Detective Fiction Weekly; Lester Leith)
“The Winning Hand” (September 25, 1929, Clues)
“Hanging Friday” (September 1929, Black Mask; Bob Larkin)
“The Artistic Touch” (October 26, 1929, Detective Fiction Weekly; Lester Leith)
“Straight from the Shoulder” (October 1929, Black Mask; Ed Jenkins)
The Letter Of The Law” (November 10, 1929, Clues)
“Lester Takes the Cake” (November 23, 1929, Detective Fiction Weekly; Lester Leith)
“Brass Tacks” (November 1929, Black Mask; Ed Jenkins)
“The Sky’s The Limit (Part One)” (December 7, 1929, Argosy)
“The Sky’s The Limit (Part Two)” (December 14, 1929, Argosy)
“Framed” (December 28, 1929, Detective Fiction Weekly)
“Crooked Lightning” (December 29, 1928, Detective Fiction Weekly)
“An Artistic Job” (January 19, 1929, Detective Fiction Weekly)
“A Tip From Scuttle” (March” (February 2, 1929, Detective Fiction Weekly)
“Just A Suspicion” (February 9, 1929, Detective Fiction Weekly)
“The Painted Decoy” (February 23, 1929, Detective Fiction Weekly)
“The Surprise Party” (December 25, 1929, Clues)
“Triple Treachery” (December 1929, Black Mask; Ed Jenkins)
“The Hard-Boiled Company” (December 1929, Prize Detective; as Robert Parr)
“The Disappearing Witness (Part One)” (December 1929, Prize Detective)
“Double or Quits” (January 1930, Black Mask; Ed Jenkins)
“Blue For Blooey” (January 4, 1930, Argosy)
“The Doubtful Egg” (January 11, 1930, Detective Fiction Weekly; Lester Leith)
“Midnight Justice” (March” (January 1930, Top Notch; Speed Dash)
“The Disappearing Witness (Part Two)” (February 1930, Prize Detective)
“Above The Fog” (February 1930, Flyers)
”The Higher Court” (March 8, 1930, Detective Fiction Weekly; Sidney Zoom)
“Gold Blindness” (March 8, 1930, Argosy)
“Fall Guy” (March 22, 1930, Argosy)
“The Dummy Murder” (March 23, 1929, Detective Fiction Weekly)
“The Gems Of Tai Lee” (March 25, 1930, Clues)
“Willie The Weeper” (March 29, 1930, Detective Fiction Weekly; Sidney Zoom)
“The Case Of The Fugitive Corpse” (April 6, 1929, Detective Fiction Weekly)
“The Guy That Bumped Grigsley” (April 10, 1930, Short Stories)
“My Name Is Zoom” (April 12, 1930, Detective Fiction Weekly; Sidney Zoom)
“The Pay-Off” (April 27, 1929, Detective Fiction Weekly)
“The Valley Of Feuds” (April 1930, Prize Air Stories)
This issue was never published.
“The Crime Crusher” (May 1930, Black Mask; Ed Jenkins)
“Both Ends Against the Middle” (May 3, 1930, Detective Fiction Weekly; Lester Leith)
“A Hot Tip” (May 11, 1929, Detective Fiction Weekly)
“The Purple Plume” (May 24, 1930, Detective Fiction Weekly; Lester Leith)
“Loose Threads Of Crime” (May 25, 1930, Clues)
“Stone Frogs” (May 1930, Argosy)
“An Adventure In Crime” (May 1930, All Star Detective Stories)
“A Clean Slate For Murder” (June 8, 1929, Detective Fiction Weekly)
“Gods Who Frown” June 15, 1930, Clues)
“Hell’s Kettle” (June 1930, Black Mask; also 1985, The Black Mask Boys; Ed Jenkins)
“Golden Bullets” (June 7, 1930, Argosy)
“Put It in Writing!” (June 7, 1930, Detective Fiction Weekly; Lester Leith)
“A Fair Reward” (June 28, 1930, Detective Fiction Weekly)
“The Choice Of Weapons” (July 12, 1930, Detective Fiction Weekly)
“A Short Cut To Crime” (July 15, 1930, Complete Stories)
“A Year In A Day” (July 19, 1930, Argosy)
“Stained” (July 25, 1930, Clues)
“Big Shot” (July 1930, Black Mask; Ed Jenkins)
“Hot Dollars!” (July 26, 1930, Detective Fiction Weekly; Lester Leith)
“The Crime Waffle” (August 9, 1930, Detective Fiction Weekly)
“In Round Figures” (August 23, 1930, Detective Fiction Weekly; Lester Leith)
“The Valley of Little Fears” (September 3, 1930, Argosy Weekly)
”Time In For Tucker” (September 13, 1930, Detective Fiction Weekly; Sidney Zoom)
“The Valley Of Little Fears” (September 13, 1930, Argosy)
“Blood-Red Gold” (September 20, 1930, Argosy)
“The Man on the End” (September 27, 1930, Detective Fiction Weekly; Lester Leith)
“Thumbs Down” (September 1930, All Star Detective Stories)
“The Voice Of The Accuser” (October 11, 1930, Detective Fiction Weekly)
“Written In Sand” (October 25, 1930, Argosy)
“The Crime Juggler” (October 1930, Gang World; Paul Pry)
“The Key To Room 537” (October 1930, Detective Action Stories)
“Lucky Charms” (November 1, 1930, Detective Fiction Weekly)
“Gangsters’ Gold” (November 15, 1930, Detective Fiction Weekly)
“One Man Law” (November 25, 1930, Clues)
“The Racket Buster” (November 1930, Gang World; Paul Pry)
“The Murder Masquerade” (November 1930, Detective Action Stories)
“Walrus” (November 1930, Western Adventures)
“The Fast Worker” (November 1930, Swift Story)
“Priestess Of The Sun” (December 6, 1930, Argosy)
“Red Hands” (December 6, 1930, Detective Fiction Weekly)
“Lester Frames a Fence” (December 13, 1930, Detective Fiction Weekly; Lester Leith)
“A Horse On Fane” (December 25, 1930, Clues)
“Dead Men’s Tales” (December 1930, Detective Action Stories)
“The Daisy-Pusher” (December 1930, Gang World; Paul Pry)
“Muscling In” (December 1930, Underworld)
“Stranger’s Silk” (January 3, 1931, Detective Fiction Weekly; Sidney Zoom)
“The Man With Pin-Point Eyes” (January 10, 1931, Argosy)
“Cold Clews” (January 10, 1931, Detective Fiction Weekly; Lester Leith)
“The Death Penalty” (January 17, 1931, Detective Fiction Weekly; Sidney Zoom)
“Airtight Alibis” (January 25, 1931, Clues)
“The Mysterious Mr. Manse” (January 1931, Detective Action Stories)
“Wiker Gets the Works” (January 1931, Gang World; Paul Pry)
“Tell-Tale Sands” (February 1, 1931, Complete Stories)
“A Matter Of Impulse” (February 7, 1931, Detective Fiction Weekly)
“Killed And Cured” (February 21, 1931, Detective Fiction Weekly)
“A Double Deal in Diamonds” (February 1931, Gang World; Paul Pry)
“Coffins For Six” (February 1931, All Star Detective Stories)
“Dice Of Death” (February 1931, Amazing Detective Stories)
“Planted Bait” (February 1931, Detective Action Stories)
“Tables For Ladies” (March 10, 1931, Clues)
“First And Last” (March 10, 1931, Clues)
“The Candy Kid” (March 14, 1931, Detective Fiction Weekly; Lester Leith)
“Borrowed Bullets” (March 21, 1931, Detective Fiction Weekly; Sidney Zoom)
“Riddled With Lead” (March 1931, Gang World; Paul Pry)
“The Lighthouse Murder” (March 1931, Amazing Detective Stories)
“The Purple Palm” (March 1931, Detective Action Stories)
“Big Money” (April 18, 1931, Detective Fiction Weekly; Lester Leith)
“Pay Dirt” (April 25, 1931, Argosy)
“Slick and Clean” (April 1931, Gang World; Paul Pry)
“The Covered Corpse” (April 1931, Amazing Detective Stories)
“The Murder Mark” (April 1931, Detective Action Stories)
“Her Doggy Friend” (May 2, 1931, Detective Story Magazine)
“Carved In Jade” (May 9, 1931, Detective Fiction Weekly)
“Hot Cash” (May 23, 1931, Detective Fiction Weekly; Lester Leith)
“The Devil’s Due” (May 23, 1931, Argosy)
“Hijacker’s Code” (May 1931, Gang World; Paul Pry)
“Hot Tips” (May 1931, Detective Action Stories)
“A Chinaman’s Chance” (June 6, 1931, Detective Fiction Weekly)
“Sign Of The Sun” (June 27, 1931, Argosy)
“Not So Dumb” (June 27, 1931, Detective Fiction Weekly; Lester Leith)
“The Easy Mark” (June 1931, Gang World; Paul Pry)
“The Third Key” (June 1931, Detective Action Stories)
“The Girl with the Diamond Legs” (July 11, 1931, Detective Fiction Weekly; Lester Leith)
“Coffins For Killers” (July 25, 1931, Detective Fiction Weekly)
“A Frying Job” (July 1931, Clues)
“The Eyes Of The Law” (July-August 1931, Gangland Stories)
“Tommy Talk” (July 1931, Black Mask; Ed Jenkins)
“One Man Gang” (July 1931, Gang World; Paul Pry)
“The Jellyfish Corpse” (July 1931, Detective Action Stories)
“Ain’t That Too Bad” (August 6, 1931, Detective Fiction Weekly)
“The Vanishing Corpse” (August 15, 1931, Detective Fiction Weekly; Sidney Zoom)
“Hairy Hands” (August 1931, Black Mask; Ed Jenkins)
“Koodoo” (August 1931, Clues)
“Car Fare To Chi” (August 1931, Gang World; Paul Pry)
“Two Flowers Of Fate” (August 1931, Detective Action Stories)
“Silent Tongues” (September 5, 1931, Street & Smith’s Detective Story Magazine; as Kyle Corning)
“Promise to Pay” (September 1931, Black Mask; Ed Jenkins)
“Higher Up” (September 19, 1931, Detective Fiction Weekly; Sidney Zoom)
“The Gold Magnet” (September 26, 1931, Detective Fiction Weekly; Lester Leith)
“Muscle Man” (September 1931, Gang World; Paul Pry)
“The Seal Of Silence” (September 1931, Detective Action Stories)
“The Winner” (September 1931, Western Adventures)
“Stamp Of The Desert” (October 17, 1931, Argosy)
“The First Stone” (October 24, 1931, Detective Fiction Weekly; Sidney Zoom)
“The Hot Squat” (October 1931, Black Mask; Ed Jenkins)
“Loaded With Dynamite” (October 1931, Gang World; Paul Pry)
“Dead Fingers” (October 1931, Detective Action Stories)
“The Crimson Mask” (November 7, 1931, Detective Fiction Weekly; Lester Leith)
“Singing Sand” (November 7, 1931, Argosy)
“Rolling Stones” (November 21, 1931, Detective Fiction Weekly; Lester Leith)
“Turn Of The Tide” (November 21, 1931, Street & Smith’s Detective Story Magazine; as Kyle Corning)
“The Cat-Eyed Wench” (November 1931, Gang World; Paul Pry)
“The Gloved Mystery” (November 1931, Detective Action Stories)
“No Rough Stuff” (December 5, 1931, Detective Fiction Weekly)
“Sauce For The Gander” (December 12, 1931, Detective Fiction Weekly)
“The Human Zero” (December 19, 1931, Argosy)
“Strictly Personal” (December 1931, Black Mask; Ed Jenkins)
“Red Herring” (December 26, 1931, Detective Fiction Weekly; Lester Leith)
“Make It Snappy” (December 1931, Dime Detective)
“The Knockout Guy” (December 1931, Gang World; Paul Pry)
“Between Two Fires” (December 1931, Detective Action Stories)
“The Whip Hand” (January 23, 1932, Argosy)
“Face Up” (January 1932, Black Mask; Ed Jenkins)
“The Corkscrew Kid” (January 1932, Black Aces)
“Hell’s Fireworks” (January 1932, Gang World; Paul Pry)
“It Takes A Crook” (February 6, 1932, Detective Fiction Weekly; Sidney Zoom)
“The Play’s the Thing” (February 27, 1932, Detective Fiction Weekly; Lester Leith)
“Gangster De Luxe” (February 1932, Gang World; Paul Pry)
“Barking Dogs” (March 26, 1932, Detective Fiction Weekly)
“Feet First” (March 1932, Black Mask; Ed Jenkins)
“The Dynamite Hour” (March 1932, Gang World; Paul Pry)
“The Land Of Poison Springs” (April 9, 1932, Argosy)
“Straight Crooks” (April 1932, Black Mask; Ed Jenkins)
“The Bird in the Hand” (April 9, 1932, Detective Fiction Weekly; Lester Leith)
“A Hundred To One” (April 30, 1932, Detective Fiction Weekly)
“Hell’s Danger Signal” (April 1932, Gang World; Paul Pry)
“The Invisible Ring” (April 1932, Detective Action Stories)
“Strangle Holds” (May 7, 1932, Argosy)
“The Kid Stacks A Deck” (May 28, 1932, Detective Fiction Weekly)
“Under the Guns” (May 1932, Black Mask; Ed Jenkins)
“The Unidentified Woman” (May 1932, Clues)
“Cooking Crooks” (June 1932, Black Mask; Ed Jenkins)
“Killers Demand Service” (June 1932, All Star Detective Stories)
“Gunned Out” (June 1932, Clues)
“Hell’s Danger Signal” (June 1932, Blue Steel Magazine; Paul Pry)
“Thieves’ Kitchen” (June 4, 1932, Detective Fiction Weekly; Lester Leith)
“Cold Turkey” (June 4, 1932, Argosy)
“A Private Affair” (June 25, 1932, Detective Fiction Weekly)
“Rough Stuff” (July 1932, Black Mask; Ed Jenkins)
“Closer than a Brother” (July 9, 1932, Detective Fiction Weekly; Lester Leith)
“The Kid Passes Sugar” (July 16, 1932, Detective Fiction Weekly)
“A Deal in Cement” (July 30, 1932, Detective Fiction Weekly; Lester Leith)
“The Crippled Corpse” (July 1932, Dime Detective)
”The Green Door” (August 20, 1932, Detective Fiction Weekly; Sidney Zoom)
“The Law Of Drifting Sand” (August 20, 1932, Argosy)
“A Blind Date With Death” (August 1932, Clues)
“Loaded With Lead” (August 1932, Gang World; Paul Pry)
“The Kid Wins A Wager” (September 10, 1932, Detective Fiction Weekly)
“Cheating The Chair” (September 17, 1932, Detective Fiction Weekly; Sidney Zoom)
“Black and White” (September 1932, Black Mask; Ed Jenkins)
“The Kiss Of Death” (September 1932, Clues)
“Queen Of The Double Cross” (September 1932, Gang World; Paul Pry)
“The Danger Zone” (October 15, 1932, Argosy)
“The Kid Throws A Stone” (October 22, 1932, Detective Fiction Weekly)
“On Two Feet” (October 1932, Black Mask; Bob Larkin)
“The Bullet Mob” (October 1932, Gang World; Paul Pry)
“The Upside-Down Corpse” (October 1932, Clues)
“False Alarm” (November 5, 1932, Detective Fiction Weekly; Lester Leith)
“Trumps” (November 12, 1932, Detective Fiction Weekly)
“Honest Money” (November 1932, Black Mask; Ken Corning)
“Crooked Carnival” (November 1932, Dime Detective; Dane Skarle)
“A Clean Getaway” (December 3, 1932, Detective Fiction Weekly)
“New Worlds” (December 17, 1932, Argosy)
“Juggled Gems” (December 24, 1932, Detective Fiction Weekly; Lester Leith)
“The Pink Duck” (December 31, 1932, Argosy)
“Tickets For Two” (December 31, 1932, Detective Fiction Weekly)
“The Top Comes Off” (December 1932, Black Mask; Ken Corning)
“Law Of The Borderland” (December 1932, Clues)
“Marked Money” (December 1932, Dime Detective; Dane Skarle)
“Inside Job” (January 7, 1933, Detective Fiction Weekly; Sidney Zoom)
“The Spoils Of War” (January 14, 1933, Detective Fiction Weekly)
“The Land Of Painted Rocks” (January 28, 1933, Argosy)
“Close Call” (January 1933, Black Mask; Ken Corning)
“Framed In Guilt” (January 1933, Dime Detective; Dane Skarle)
“The Hour of the Rat” (February 1933, Black Mask; Ed Jenkins)
“One Jump Ahead” (February 4, 1933, Detective Fiction Weekly; Lester Leith)
“The Kid Makes A Bid” (February 18, 1933, Detective Fiction Weekly)
“Smudge” (February 1933, All Detective)
“The Dance Of The Dagger” (February 1933, Clues)
“Frozen Murder” (February 1933, Dime Detective)
“Law Of The Rope” (March 11, 1933, Argosy)
“Leaden Honeymoon” (March 11, 1933, Detective Fiction Weekly)
“Early Birds” (March 25, 1933, Detective Fiction Weekly)
“Red Jade” (March 1933, Black Mask; Ed Jenkins)
“The Word Of A Crook” (March 1933, Clues)
“Fingers of Fong” (March 1933, All Detective)
“The Radio Ruse” (April 1, 1933, Detective Fiction Weekly; Lester Leith)
“Death’s Doorway” (April 1, 1933, Dime Detective)
“The Kid Muscles In” (April 15, 1933, Detective Fiction Weekly)
“The Dance Of The Snakes” (April 15, 1933, Dime Detective)
“Law Of The Ghos” (April 22, 1933, Argosy)
“A Logical Ending” (April 29, 1933, Detective Fiction Weekly)
“Chinatown Murder” (April 1933, Black Mask; Ed Jenkins)
“The City of Fear” (April 1933, All Detective)
“Results” (May 6, 1933, Detective Fiction Weekly)
The Kid Takes A Cut” (May 10, 1933, Detective Fiction Weekly)
“The Watchful Eyes Of Tai Ping” (May 27, 1933, Argosy)
“The Weapons of a Crook” (May 1933, Black Mask; Ed Jenkins)
“Both Ends” (May 1933, All Detective)
“Dead Man’s Diamonds” (June 1, 1933, Dime Detective)
“Thin Ice” (June 10, 1933, Detective Fiction Weekly; Lester Leith)
“Carved In Sand” (June 17, 1933, Argosy; Bob Zane)
“Murder Apprentice” (June 1933, All Detective)
“Making the Breaks” (June 1933, Black Mask; Ken Corning)
“The Hand of Horror” (July 1, 1933, Dime Detective)
“Devil’s Fire” (July 1933, Black Mask; Ken Corning)
“Crooks’ Vacation” (July 8, 1933, Detective Fiction Weekly; Lester Leith)
“As Far As The Poles” (July 25, 1933, Short Stories)
“Catch as Catch Can” (July 1933, All Detective)
“Night Birds” (August 5, 1933, Argosy)
“The Kid Beats The Gun” (August 5, 1933, Detective Fiction Weekly)
“Blackmail With Lead” (August 1933, Black Mask; Ken Corning)
“The Broken Link” (August 1933, All Detective)
“Second Story Law” (August 1933, All Detective)
“Dressed to Kill” (September 1, 1933, Dime Detective; Paul Pry)
“The Big Circle” (September 2, 1933, Argosy)
“Snatch As Snatch Can” (September 15, 1933, Dime Detective; Paul Pry)
“The Sirens Of War” (September 16, 1933, Detective Fiction Weekly)
“Whispering Justice” (September 1933, Black Mask; Ed Jenkins)
“The Crimson Scorpion” (October 15, 1933, Dime Detective)
“Lifted Bait” (October 21, 1933, Detective Fiction Weekly; Sidney Zoom)
“The Murder Push (October 1933, Black Mask; Ed Jenkins)
“Committee of One” (October 1933, All Detective)
“The Clearing House Of Crime” (October 1933, Clues)
“The Kid Covers A Kill” (November 4, 1933, Detective Fiction Weekly)
“Dominoes Of Death” (November 10, 1933, Short Stories)
“Border Justice” (November 11, 1933, Argosy)
“The Cross-Stitch Killer” (November 15, 1933, Dime Detective; Paul Pry)
“Costs Of Collection” (November 18, 1933, Detective Fiction Weekly)
“Restless Pearls” (November 1933, All Detective)
“Pitched Battle” (November 1933, Clues)
“The Maniac Mystery” (November 1933, Strange Detective)
“Dead Men’s Shoes” (December 1933, Black Mask; Ed Jenkins)
“The Burden of Proof” (December 2, 1933, Detective Fiction Weekly; Lester Leith)
“Behind the Mask” (December 1933, All Detective)
“The Death Trail” (December 33, Startling Detective)
“Time for Murder” (January 15, 1934, Dime Detective; also 2004, The Danger Zone and Other Stories)
“The Code Of A Fighter” (January 27, 1934, Detective Fiction Weekly)
“A Guest of the House” (January 1934, Black Mask; Ed Jenkins)
“The Kid Clears A Crook” (February 5, 1934, Detective Fiction Weekly)
“The Lizard’s Cage” (February 10, 1934, Argosy)
“Lost, Strayed and Stolen” (February 24, 1934, Detective Fiction Weekly; Lester Leith)
“Lawless Waters” (February 25, 1934, Short Stories)
“The Jack of Death” (February 1934, All Detective)
“The Ivory Casket” (March 17, 1934, Argosy)
“Stolen Thunder” (March 19, 1934, Detective Fiction Weekly; Sidney Zoom)
“Cop Killers” (March 1934, Black Mask; Ed Jenkins)
“Silent Death” (March 1934, All Detective)
“Chiseler’s Choice” (April 1, 1934, Dime Detective)
“A Matter Of Accounting” (April 21, 1934, Argosy)
“The Kid Clips a Coupon” (April 21, 1934, Detective Fiction Weekly)
“New Twenties” (April 1934, Black Mask; Ed Jenkins)
“The Smoking Corpse” (May 1, 1934, Dime Detective)
“Broken Eggs” (May 5, 1934, Detective Fiction Weekly)
“Proofs Of Death” (May 12, 1934, Argosy)
“Stolen Thunder” (May 19, 1934, Detective Fiction Weekly)
“Silver Strands Of Death” (May 1934, Super Detective)
“Dead to Rights” (June 2, 1934, Detective Fiction Weekly; Lester Leith)
“White Rings” (June 30, 1934, Argosy)
“Crocodile Tears” (June 30, 1934, Detective Fiction Weekly; Lester Leith)
“Burnt Fingers” (June 1934, Black Mask; Ed Jenkins)
“The Face Lifter” (June 1934, All Detective)
“The Kid Cooks A Goose” (July 14, 1934, Detective Fiction Weekly)
“Sand Blast” (July 21, 1934, Argosy)
“The War Lord of Darkness” (July 1934, Adventure)
“Hundred Grand (Part One)” (September 9, 1934, This Week)
“Hundred Grand (Part Two)” (September 16, 1934, This Week)
“No Quarter” (September 22, 1934, Argosy)
“Hundred Grand (Part Three)” (September 23, 1934, This Week)
“Hundred Grand (Part Four)” (September 30, 1934, This Week)
“The Heavenly Rat” (September 1934, Black Mask; Ed Jenkins)
“Hundred Grand (Part Five)” (October 7, 1934, This Week)
“Hundred Grand (Part Six)” (October 14, 1934, This Week)
“Hundred Grand (Part Seven)” (October 21, 1934, This Week)
“Opportunity Knocks Twice” (October 27, 1934, Detective Fiction Weekly)
“Hundred Grand (Part Eight)” (October 28, 1934, This Week)
“The Man Who Couldn’t Forget” (October 1934, All Detective)
“The Black Egg” (December” (October 1934, Short Stories)
“The Kid Steals A Star” (November 17, 1934, Detective Fiction Weekly)
“Hot Cash” (November 1934, Black Mask; Ed Jenkins)
“The Purring Doom” (December 1, 1934, Dime Detective)
“Suicide House” (December 15, 1934, Dime Detective)
“Hard As Nails” (January 15, 1935, Dime Detective)
“Strong Medicine” (January 26, 1935, Argosy)
“Queens Wild” (January 26, 1935, Detective Fiction Weekly; Lester Leith)
“Winged Lead” (January 1935, Black Mask; Black Barr)
“Murder Bait” (March 15, 1935, Dime Detective)
“The Dark Blond (March 1935, NEA Syndicate; as Carleton Kendrake)
Newspaper serial
“A Chance to Cheat” (May 1935, Black Mask; Ed Jenkins)
“The Vault Of Death” (March 9, 1935, Detective Fiction Weekly)
“Fugitive Gold (Part One)” (May 26, 1935, This Week)
“Fugitive Gold (Part Two)” (June 2, 1935, This Week)
“Fugitive Gold (Part Three)” (June 9, 1935, This Week)
“Fugitive Gold (Part Four)” (June 16, 1935, This Week)
“Fugitive Gold (Part Five)” (June 23, 1935, This Week)
“Fugitive Gold (Part Six)” (June 30, 1935, This Week)
“Fugitive Gold (Part Seven)” (July 7, 1935, This Week)
“The Man In The Silver Mask” (July 13, 1935, Detective Fiction Weekly)
“Crimson Jade” (September 1935, Dime Detective)
“Crash and Carry” (October 1935, Black Mask; Ed Jenkins)
“Face Down (Part One)” (October 1935, Photoplay; as Chas. J. Kenny)
“Screaming Sirens” (November 2, 1935, Detective Fiction Weekly; Lester Leith)
“The Silver Mask Murders” (November 23, 1935, Detective Fiction Weekly)
“Face Down (Part Two)” (November 1935, Photoplay; as Chas. J. Kenny)
“The Frame-Up (Part One)” (December 15, 1935, This Week)
“The Frame-Up (Part Two)” (December 23, 1935, This Week)
“Bunched Knuckles” (December 25, 1935, Argosy)
“The Frame-Up (Part Three)” (December 30, 1935, This Week)
“Above the Law” (December 1935, Black Mask; Ed Jenkins)
“Face Down (Part Three)” (December 1935, Photoplay; as Chas. J. Kenny)
“The Frame-Up (Part Four)” (January 5, 1935, This Week)
“Slated To Die” (January 11, 1936, Argosy)
“The Frame-Up (Part Five)” (January 12, 1935, This Week)
“The Frame-Up (Part Six)” (January 19, 1935, This Week)
“Face Down (Part Four)” (January 1936, Photoplay; as Chas. J. Kenny)
“Face Down (Part Five)” (February 1936, Photoplay; as Chas. J. Kenny)
“Bald-Headed Row” (March 21, 1936, Detective Fiction Weekly; Lester Leith)
“Face Down (Part Six)” (March 1936, Photoplay; as Chas. J. Kenny)
“Beating the Bulls” (May 1936, Black Mask; Ed Jenkins)
“Come-On Girl” (May 1936, The American Magazine; as Chas. J. Kenny)
“Teeth Of The Dragon (Part One)” (September 13, 1936, This Week)
“Teeth Of The Dragon (Part Two)” (September 20, 1936, This Week)
“Teeth Of The Dragon (Part Three)” (September 27, 1936, This Week)
“Teeth Of The Dragon (Part Four)” (October 4, 1936, This Week)
“Teeth Of The Dragon (Part Five)” (October 11, 1936, This Week)
“Teeth Of The Dragon (Part Six)” (October 18, 1936, This Week)
“Under The Knife (Part One)” (March 21, 1937, This Week)
“This Way Out” (March 1937, Black Mask; Ed Jenkins)
“Under The Knife (Part Two)” (March 28, 1937, This Week)
“Under The Knife (Part Three)” (April 4, 1937, This Week)
“Under The Knife (Part Four)” (April 11, 1937, This Week)
“Among Thieves” (September 1937, Black Mask; Pete Wennick)
“Blind Date With Death (Part One)” (January 30, 1938, This Week)
“Blind Date With Death (Part Two)” (February 6, 1938, This Week)
“Blind Date With Death (Part Two)” (February 13, 1938, This Week)
“Blind Date With Death (Part Two)” (February 20, 1938, This Week)
“Leg Man” (February 1938, Black Mask; Pete Wennick)
“Muscle Out” (April 1938, Black Mask; Ed Jenkins)
“Twice In A Row” (June 1938, Cosmopolitan)
“The Finishing Touch” (August 1938, Dime Detective; Paul Pry)
“The Case Of The Hollywood Scandal (Part One)” (September 1938, Photoplay)
“The Case Of The Hollywood Scandal (Part Two)” (October 1938, Photoplay)
“The Case Of The Hollywood Scandal (Part Three)” (November 1938, Photoplay)
“The House Of Three Candles” (November 6, 1938, This Week)
“The Case Of The Hollywood Scandal (Part Four)” (December 1938, Photoplay)
“Planted Planets” (December 1938, Detective Story; Lester Leith)
“Barney Killigen” (December 1938, Clues)
“Planted Planets” (December 1938, Street & Smith’s Detective Story Magazine)
“It’s The McCoy” (January 1939, , Dime Detective; Paul Pry)
“The Case Of The Hollywood Scandal (Part Five” (January 1939, Photoplay)
“The Monkey Murder” (January 1939, Detective Story; Lester Leith)
“Without Gloves” (January 1939, Clues)
“The Seven Sinister Sombreros” (February 1939, Detective Story; Lester Leith)
“Unstuffing One Shirt” (February 1939, Clues)
“Take It or Leave It” (March 1939, Black Mask; Pete Wennick)
“The Joss of Tai Wong” (March 1939, Adventure)
“The Fourth Musketeer” (March 1939, Detective Story; Lester Leith)
“With Rhyme and Reason” (April 1939, Detective Story; Lester Leith)
“The Eyebrow Moon” (May 13, 1939, Toronto Star Weekly)
“The Queen of Shanghai Night” (May 1939, Detective Story; Lester Leith)
“Dogs Of Death” (May 1939, Clues)
“Mystery By Inches (Part One)” (October 28, 1939, Toronto Star Weekly)
“The Ring of Fiery Eyes” (August 1939, Detective Story; Lester Leith)
“Dark Alleys” (September 1939, Black Mask; Ed Jenkins)
“Lester Leith, Magician” (September 16, 1939, Detective Fiction Weekly; aka “The Hand is Quicker Than the Eye” Lester Leith)
“A Thousand to One” (October 28, 1939, Detective Fiction Weekly; Lester Leith)
“Mystery By Inches (Part Two)” (November 4, 1939, Toronto Star Weekly)
“Mystery By Inches (Part Three)” (November 11, 1939, Toronto Star Weekly)
“Fair Exchange” (November 18, 1939, Detective Fiction Weekly; Lester Leith)
“Mystery By Inches (Part Four)” (November 18, 1939, Toronto Star Weekly)
“Mystery By Inches (Part Five)” (November 25, 1939, Toronto Star Weekly)
“A Hearse For Hollywood” (November 1939, Double Detective; Jax Keen)
“Mystery By Inches (Part Six)” (December 2, 1939, Toronto Star Weekly)
“At Arm’s Length” (December 9, 1939, Detective Fiction Weekly; Jerry Marr; also included in The Case of the Crimson Kiss & Other Stories)
“Mystery By Inches (Part Seven)” (December 9, 1939, Toronto Star Weekly)
“Mystery By Inches (Part Eight)” (December 16, 1939, Toronto Star Weekly)
“Mystery By Inches (Part Nine)” (December 23, 1939, Toronto Star Weekly)
“Where Angels Fear To Tread” (December 30, 1939, Detective Fiction Weekly)
“A Headache For Butch” (December 1939, Double Detective; Ed Migraine)
“Sugar” (January 20, 1940, Detective Fiction Weekly; Lester Leith)
“Two-Way Ride” (January 1940, Double Detective; Ed Migraine)
“Sleeping Dogs” (February 1940, Double Detective; Jax Keen)
“Monkeyshine” (March 16, 1940, Detective Fiction Weekly; Lester Leith)
“Hot Guns” (March 1940, Double Detective; Ed Migraine)
“Indian Magic” (May 5, 1940, This Week)
“Tong Trouble” (June 1940, Black Mask; Ed Jenkins)
“Jade Sanctuary” (December 1940, Black Mask; Ed Jenkins)
“The Exact Opposite” (March 29, 1941, Detective Fiction Weekly; Lester Leith)
“The Last Bell On The Street” (May 3, 1941, Saturday Evening Post; Peter Quint)
“That’s A Woman For You!” (May 31, 1941, Saturday Evening Post; Peter Quint)
“The Chinese People” (May 1941, Black Mask; Ed Jenkins; aka “The Phantom Crook”)
“The Big Squeeze” (November 15, 1941, Saturday Evening Post; Peter Quint)
“A Sugar Coating” (November 29, 1941, Flynn’s Detective Fiction; Lester Leith)
“Rain Check” (December 1941, Black Mask; Ed Jenkins)
“The Exact Opposite” (1941, Detective Fiction Weekly; Lester Leith)
“Two Dead Hands” (April 1942, Black Mask; Ed Jenkins)
“The False Fire” (December 6, 1942, This Week)
“Something Like a Pelican” (January 1943, Flynn’s Detective Fiction; Lester Leith)
“The Incredible Mr. Smith” (March 1943, Black Mask; Ed Jenkins)
“Average American” (April 18-43, This Week)
“Caws and Effect” (July 1943, Flynn’s Detective Fiction; Lester Leith)
“The Gong of Vengeance” (September 1943, Black Mask; Ed Jenkins)
“The Eyes Of China” (October 29, 1944, This Week)
“Death Rides A Boxcar” (January 1945, The American Magazine)
“Clues Don’t Count (Part One)” (July 1945, Country Gentleman)
“Clues Don’t Count (Part Two)” (August 1945, Country Gentleman)
“Clues Don’t Count (Part Three)” (September 1945, Country Gentleman)
“Clues Don’t Count (Part Four)” (October 1945, Country Gentleman)
“White Canary” (September 15, 1946, This Week)
“A Man Is Missing” (November 1946, The American Magazine)
“Too Many Clues (Part One)” (February 1947, The Country Gentleman; Sheriff Bill Eldon)
“Too Many Clues (Part Two)” (March 1947, The Country Gentleman; Sheriff Bill Eldon)
“Too Many Clues (Part Three)” (April 1947, The Country Gentleman; Sheriff Bill Eldon)
“Too Many Clues (Part Four)” (May 1947, The Country Gentleman; Sheriff Bill Eldon)
“The Case of the Crying Swallow” (August 1947, The American Magazine; Perry Mason)
“The Case of the Crimson Kiss” (June 1948, The American Magazine; Perry Mason)
“The Clue of the Screaming Woman (Part One)” (January 1949, The Country Gentleman)
“The Clue of the Screaming Woman (Part Two)” (February 1949, The Country Gentleman)
“The Clue of the Screaming Woman (Part Three)” (March 1949, The Country Gentleman)
“The Clue of the Screaming Woman (Part Four)” (April 1949, The Country Gentleman)
“The Affair of the Reluctant Witness” (April 1949, Argosy; Jerry Bane)
“The Affair Of The Pearl Princess” (November 1949, Argosy)
“The Case Of The Suspect Sweethearts” (May 1950, Radio Mirror And Television; as Della Street)
“The Law That Leaked (Part One)” (September 1950, Sports Afield)
“The Law That Leaked (Part Two)” (October 1950, Sports Afield)
“The Law That Leaked (Part Three)” (November 1950, Sports Afield)
“The Law That Leaked (Part Four)” (December 1950, Sports Afield)
“The Corpse Was In The Counting House (Part One)” (March 3, 1951, Collier’s)
“The Corpse Was In The Counting House (Part Two)” (March 10, 1951, Collier’s)
“The Corpse Was In The Counting House (Part Three)” (March 17, 1951, Collier’s)
“The Corpse Was In The Counting House (Part Four)” (March 24, 1951, Collier’s)
“The Corpse Was In The Counting House (Part Five)” (March 31, 1951, Collier’s)
“Flight Into Disaster (Part One)” (May 11, 1952, This Week; aka “Only by Running”)
“Flight To Disaster (Part Two)” (May 18, 1952, This Week)
“Jeweled Butterfly” (October 1952, Cosmopolitan)
“The Case of the Irate Witness” (January 17, 1953, Colliers; Perry Mason)
“The Empty Grave Of Johnny Hopkins” (June 1953, Lifetime Living)
“Danger Out of the Past” (May 1955, Manhunt; aka “Protection”)
“The Case Of The Murderer’s Bride” (October 15, 1957, Look)
“Escape to Danger” (1960)
“The Blonde in Lower Six” (September 1961, Argosy; Ed Jenkins)
“Desert Justice (Part One)” (April 1965, Desert Magazine)
“Desert Justice (Part Two)” (May 1965, Desert Magazine)
Unverified
“The Cave” (1924? Smart Set? As Chas. M. Green?)
“Jim Hurd’s Wife” (1924? Smart Set? As Chas. M. Green?)
“The Jeweled Bride”
“The Red Skull” (1927? Clues?)
“Crooked Lightning” (1928?)
“Blind Man’s Bluff” (1930? All Star Detective Stories?)
“Payoff At Spillway” (1931? Western Stories? as Kyle Corning?)
“Fair Play” (1931? Western Trails?)
“The Cold Kill (1932? Dime Detective? Dick Bentley?)
“The Case of the Howling Dog” (1934? as Perry Mason?)
“The Alibi Girl” (1940? Sketch?)
“Marry For Money” (1941? Toronto Star Weekly? as Grant Holiday?)

NON-FICTION COLUMNS & ARTICLES

“Case No. 1—Is Clarence Boggie Innocent?” (September 1948, Argosy; Court of Last Resort)
“Should Clarence Boggie Be Pardoned?” (October 1948, Argosy; Court of Last Resort)
“Battle for a Man’s Life” (November 1948, Argosy; Court of Last Resort)
“Argosy Uncovers Trail of Real Killer in Boggie Case!” (December 1948, Argosy; Court of Last Resort)
“Argosy Seeks Truth About Missing Fingerprint” (January 1949, Argosy; Court of Last Resort)
“Bill Keys Comes Home” (February 1949, Argosy; Court of Last Resort)
“The Increadible Case of Clarence Boggie” (March 1949, Argosy; Court of Last Resort)
“‘Lay Off the Gross Case!'” (October 1949, Argosy; Court of Last Resort)
“Are These Men Innocent?” (August 1949, Argosy; Court of Last Resort)
“Cooking with Dynamite: The Final Report on Clarence Boggie” (September 1949, Argosy; editorial)
“Was Gross Railroaded?” (September 1949, Argosy; Court of Last Resort)
“Lay Off the Gross Case!” (October 1949, Argosy; Court of Last Resort)
“Cooking with Dynamite: A Practical Joke in Actio” (November 1949, Argosy; editorial)
“Your Court Does It Again—Louis Gross Wins New Trial” (December 1949, Argosy; Court of Last Resort editorial)
“Cooking with Dynamite: Your Court Visits Scotland Yard” (January 1950, Argosy; editorial)
“Victory for Court and Gross” (January 1950, Argosy; Court of Last Resort)
“What About the Real Murderer?” (February 1950, Argosy; Court of Last Resort)
“Brite Brothers: Will They Be Freed?” (March 1950, Argosy; Court of Last Resort)
“The Innocent Must Be Protected” (April 1950, Argosy; Court of Last Resort)
“A Dead Man Works for Justice” (May 1950, Argosy; Court of Last Resort)
“Crime Reconstruction Smashes ‘Evidence'” (June 1950, Argosy; Court of Last Resort)
“‘Come, Come, Gentlemen!'” (July 1950, Argosy; Court of Last Resort)
“Don’t Hide the Facts” (August 1950, Argosy; Court of Last Resort)
“Witness for Hardy Breaks Case Wide Open” (September 1950, Argosy; Court of Last Resort)
“New Lie Test Proves Hardy Innocent” (October 1950, Argosy; Court of Last Resort)
“Hardy Case Nears Climax” (November 1950, Argosy; Court of Last Resort)
“Stay of Execution Granted Condemned Man” (December 1950, Argosy; Court of Last Resort)
“Two Men Wait” (January 1951, Argosy; Court of Last Resort)
“Court Hits Two Unjust Convictions” (February 1951, Argosy; Court of Last Resort)
“Court Probe Produces Evidence That Should Free a Man” (March 1951, Argosy; Court of Last Resort)
“‘Gentlemen of the Jury…'” (April 1951, Argosy; Court of Last Resort; with James M. Allen)
“Erle Stanley Gardner Reports” (November 1951, Argosy; Court of Last Resort)
“FBI Vets Will Help Court” (December 1951, Argosy; Court of Last Resort)
“An Orchid for Gladys” (March 1952, Argosy; Court of Last Resort)
“The Case of the Murdered Minister” (June 1952, Argosy; Court of Last Resort)
“Who Really Killed Helen Beavers?” (October 1952, Argosy; Court of Last Resort)
“The Strange Murder of John Dewey” (November 1952, Argosy; Court of Last Resort)
“Murder on the Apache Trail” (December 1952, Argosy; Court of Last Resort)
“The Eyes of Texas” (January 1953, Argosy; Court of Last Resort)
“The Case of the Autographed Corpse” (February 1953, Argosy; Court of Last Resort)
“Justice in High Gear” (March 1953, Argosy; Court of Last Resort)
“The Sixty-Four-Dollar Question” (May 1953, Argosy; Court of Last Resort)
“The Trouble with Police” (June 1953, Argosy; Court of Last Resort)
“The Ring of Death” (August 1953, Argosy; Court of Last Resort)
“The Prison Riot That Didn’t Happen” (October 1953, Argosy; Court of Last Resort)
“The Case of Emma Jo Johnson” (December 1953, Argosy; Court of Last Resort)
“The Case of Lefty Fowler” (December 1953, Argosy; Court of Last Resort)
‘The Mystery of the Landlady’s Death” (April 1954, Argosy; Court of Last Resort)
“Murder in Las Vegas”” (May 1954, Argosy; Court of Last Resort)
“A Restatement of Purpose” (March 1955, Argosy; Court of Last Resort)
“The Big House” (April 1955, Argosy; Court of Last Resort)
“Let’s Fight for Justice” (May 1955, Argosy; Court of Last Resort)
“A Night on Skid Row” (June 1955, Argosy; Court of Last Resort)
“A Guy Called Bill” (July 1955, Argosy; Court of Last Resort)
“The Strange Case of Don Neal” (August 1955, Argosy; Court of Last Resort)
“The Impossible Homicide” (September 1955, Argosy; Court of Last Resort)
“The Case of the Phantom Firebug” (October 1955, Argosy; Court of Last Resort)
“The Affair of the Hysterical Witness” (November 1955, Argosy; Court of Last Resort)
“Time Out for Texas” (December 1955, Argosy; Court of Last Resort)
“Tom Runyon: The Way Back” (January 1956, Argosy; Court of Last Resort)
“The Case of Ernest Woodmansee” (February 1956, Argosy; Court of Last Resort)
“Citizen Firepower” (February 1956, Argosy; Court of Last Resort)
“Write to Knight Tonight” (March 1956, Argosy; Court of Last Resort)
“The Purpose of Parole” (April 1956, Argosy; Court of Last Resort)
“Law Enforcement at the Crossroads” (May 1956, Argosy; Court of Last Resort)
“The Tom Runyon Case: What Price Parole?” (June 1956, Argosy; Court of Last Resort)
“The Case of the Pear-Shaped Bloodstains” (November 1956, Argosy; Court of Last Resort)
“The Holman Case: A New Look” (December 1956, Argosy; Court of Last Resort)
“The Holman Case: Final Reckoning” (January 1957, Argosy; Court of Last Resort)
“The Coffin Case—A New Look” (April 1957, Argosy; Court of Last Resort)
“The Importance of Truth” (May 1957, Argosy; Court of Last Resort)
“The Dr. Sam Sheppard Case: A Dramatic New Turn” (June 1957, Argosy; Court of Last Resort)
“Are the Sheppards Telling the Truth?” (August 1957, Argosy; Court of Last Resort)
“The Human Side of the Sheppard Case” (September 1957, Argosy; Court of Last Resort)
“The Sheppard Case Breaks Wide Open!” (October 1957, Argosy; Court of Last Resort)
“The Other Shoe in the Sheppard Case” (November 1957, Argosy; Court of Last Resort)
“Meet the Prosecutors” (December 1957, Argosy; Court of Last Resort)
“The Court Salutes a Warden” (March 1958, Argosy; Court of Last Resort)
“The Impossible Murder” (June 1958, Argosy; Court of Last Resort)
“The Fork in the Road” (September 1958, Argosy; Court of Last Resort)
“The Murder Case Which Keeps Contradicting Itself” (October 1958, Argosy; Court of Last Resort)

NOVELS

The Case of the Velvet Claws (1933; Perry Mason)
The Case of the Sulky Girl (1933; Perry Mason)
The Case of the Curious Bride (1934; Perry Mason)
The Case of the Howling Dog (1934; Perry Mason)
The Case of the Lucky Legs (1934; Perry Mason)
The Clew of the Forgotten Murderer (1935; as Carleton Kendrake)
This Is Murder (1935, as Charles J. Kenney)
The Case of the Caretaker’s Cat (1935; Perry Mason)
The Case of the Counterfeit Eye (1935; Perry Mason)
The Case of the Sleepwalker’s Niece (1936; Perry Mason)
The Case of the Stuttering Bishop (1936; Perry Mason)
The Case of the Dangerous Dowager (1937; Perry Mason)
The Case of the Lame Canary (1937; Perry Mason)
Murder Up My Sleeve (September 1937, Cosmopolitan; Terry Clane)
The Case of the Shoplifter’s Shoe (1938; Perry Mason)
The Case of the Substitute Face (1938; Perry Mason)
The Case of the Perjured Parrot (1939; Perry Mason)
The Case of the Rolling Bones (1939; Perry Mason)
The Bigger They Come (1939; written as A.A. Fair; Bertha Cool & Donald Lam)
Turn on the Heat (1940; as Fair; Bertha Cool & Donald Lam)
Gold Comes in Bricks (1940; as Fair; Bertha Cool & Donald Lam)
The Case of the Baited Hook (1940; Perry Mason) | Buy this book | Buy the audio | Kindle it!
The Case of the Silent Partner (1940; Perry Mason)
The Case of the Empty Tin (1941; Perry Mason)
Spill the Jackpot (1941; as Fair; Bertha Cool & Donald Lam)
The Case of the Haunted Husband (1941; Perry Mason)
Double or Quits (1941; as Fair; Bertha Cool & Donald Lam)
The Case of the Careless Kitten (1942; Perry Mason) | Buy this book | Kindle it!
Owls Don’t Blink (1942; as Fair; Bertha Cool & Donald Lam)
The Case of the Drowning Duck (1942; Perry Mason)
The Case of the Turning Tide (1942)
Bats Fly at Dusk (1942; as Fair; Bertha Cool & Donald Lam)
The Case of the Smoking Chimney (1943)
The Case of the Buried Clock (1943; Perry Mason)
The Case of the Drowsy Mosquito (1943; Perry Mason)
Cats Prowl at Night (1943; as Fair; Bertha Cool & Donald Lam)
Give ’em the Ax (1944; as Fair; Bertha Cool & Donald Lam)
The Case of the Black-Eyed Blonde (1944; Perry Mason) | Buy this book
The Case of the Crooked Candle (1944; Perry Mason)
The Case of the Golddigger’s Purse (1945; Perry Mason)
The Case of the Half-Wakened Wife (1945; Perry Mason)
The Case of the Borrowed Brunette (1946; Perry Mason)
The Case of the Backward Mule (1946; Terry Clane)
Crows Can’t Count (1946; as Fair; Bertha Cool & Donald Lam)
Fools Die on Friday (1947; as Fair; Bertha Cool & Donald Lam)
The Case of the Fan-Dancer’s Horse (1947; Perry Mason)
The Case of the Lazy Lover (1947; Perry Mason) | Buy this book | Kindle it!
The Case of the Lonely Heiress (1948; Perry Mason) | Buy this book | Kindle it!
The Case of the Vagabond Virgin (1948; Perry Mason)
The Case of the Cautious Coquette (1949; Perry Mason)
Bedrooms Have Windows (1949; as Fair; Bertha Cool & Donald Lam)
The Case of the Dubious Bridegroom (1949; Perry Mason) | Buy this book | Kindle it!
The Case of the Negligent Nymph (1950; Perry Mason)
The Case of the Musical Cow (1950)
The Case of the One-Eyed Witness (1950; Perry Mason)
The Case of the Musical Cow (1950)
The Case of the Angry Mourner (1951; Perry Mason)
The Case of the Fiery Fingers (1951; Perry Mason)
The Case of the Grinning Gorilla (1952; Perry Mason)
The Case of the Moth-Eaten Mink (1952; Perry Mason)
Top of the Heap (1952; as Fair; Bertha Cool & Donald Lam) | Buy this book
The Case of the Green-Eyed Sister (1953; Perry Mason) | Buy this book | Kindle it!
The Case of the Hesitant Hostess (1953; Perry Mason)
Some Women Won’t Wait (1953; as Fair; Bertha Cool & Donald Lam)
The Case of the Fugitive Nurse (1954; Perry Mason)
The Case of the Restless Redhead (1954; Perry Mason)
The Case of the Runaway Corpse (1954; Perry Mason)
The Case of the Glamorous Ghost (1955; Perry Mason)
The Case of the Nervous Accomplice (1955; Perry Mason)
The Case of the Sun Bather’s Diary (1955; Perry Mason)
The Case of the Demure Defendant (1956; aka “The Case of the Missing Poison”; Perry Mason)
The Case of the Gilded Lily (1956; Perry Mason) | Buy this book | Kindle it!
The Case of the Terrified Typist (1956; Perry Mason) | Buy this book | Kindle it!
Beware the Curves (1956; as Fair; Bertha Cool & Donald Lam)
You Can Die Laughing (1957; as Fair; Bertha Cool & Donald Lam)
The Case of the Daring Decoy (1957; Perry Mason)
The Case of the Lucky Loser (1957; Perry Mason)
The Case of the Screaming Woman (1957; Perry Mason)
Some Slips Don’t Show (1957; as Fair; Bertha Cool & Donald Lam)
The Case of the Calendar Girl (1958; Perry Mason)
The Case of the Footloose Doll (1958; Perry Mason)
The Case of the Long-Legged Models (1958; aka “The Case of the Dead Man’s Daughters”; Perry Mason)
The Count of 9 (1958; as Fair; Bertha Cool & Donald Lam) | Buy this book | Kindle it!
The Case of the Deadly Toy (1959; aka “The Case of the Greedy Grandpa”; Perry Mason)
Pass the Gravy (1959; as Fair; Bertha Cool & Donald Lam)
The Case of the Mythical Monkeys (1959; Perry Mason)
The Case of the Singing Skirt (1959; Perry Mason)
The Case of the Waylaid Wolf (1959; Perry Mason)
The Case of the Duplicate Daughter (1960; Perry Mason)
The Case of the Shapely Shadow (1960; Perry Mason)
Kept Women Can’t Quit (1960; as Fair; Bertha Cool & Donald Lam)
Bachelors Get Lonely (1961; as Fair; Bertha Cool & Donald Lam)
The Case of the Bigamous Spouse (1961; Perry Mason)
The Case of the Spurious Spinster (1961; Perry Mason)
Shills Can’t Cash Chips (1961; as Fair; Bertha Cool & Donald Lam) | Buy this book | Kindle it!
The Case of the Blonde Bonanza (1962; Perry Mason)
The Case of the Ice-Cold Hands (1962; Perry Mason)
The Case of the Reluctant Model (1962; Perry Mason)
Try Anything Once (1962; as Fair; Bertha Cool & Donald Lam)
The Case of the Amorous Aunt (1963; Perry Mason)
The Case of the Mischievous Doll (1963; Perry Mason)
The Case of the Step-Daughter’s Secret (1963; Perry Mason)
Fish or Cut Bait (1963; as Fair; Bertha Cool & Donald Lam)
The Case of the Daring Divorcee (1964; Perry Mason)
The Case of the Horrified Heirs (1964; Perry Mason)
The Case of the Phantom Fortune (1964; Perry Mason)
Up for Grabs (1964; as Fair; Bertha Cool & Donald Lam)
The Case of the Beautiful Beggar (1965; Perry Mason)
The Case of the Troubled Trustee (1965; Perry Mason)
Cut Thin to Win (1965; as Fair; Bertha Cool & Donald Lam)
The Case of the Worried Waitress (1966; Perry Mason)
Widows Wear Weeds (1966; as Fair; Bertha Cool & Donald Lam)
The Case of the Queenly Contestant (1967; Perry Mason)
Traps Need Fresh Bait (1967; as Fair; Bertha Cool & Donald Lam)
The Case of the Careless Cupid (1968; Perry Mason)
The Case of the Fabulous Fake (1969; Perry Mason)
The Case of the Crimson Kiss (1970; Perry Mason)
The Case of the Crying Swallow (1971; Perry Mason)
All Grass Isn’t Green (1970; as Fair; Bertha Cool & Donald Lam)
The Case of the Fenced-In Woman (1972; Perry Mason)
The Case of the Irate Witness (1972; Perry Mason)
The Case of the Postponed Murder (1973; Perry Mason)
The Knife Slipped (2016) | Buy this book | Kindle it!
Originally intended to be the second book in the series, the publisher rejected it for (among other things) “Bertha Cool’s tendency to talk tough, swear, smoke cigarettes, and try to gyp people.”

NOTE: The Perry Mason series was continued, beginning in the eighties, by Thomas Chastain, who also created New York eye J.T. Spanner.

COLLECTIONS

Over the Hump (1945)
Two Clues (1947)
The Clue of the Runaway Blonde/The Clue of the Hungry Horse (1953)
Part of this book appeared in serial form under the title “Clues Don’t Count” in Country Gentleman, 1945)
The Case of the Murderer’s Bride and Other Stories (1969; Edited by Ellery Queen, aka Ellery Queen Presents #1)
The Case of the Crimson Kiss: A Perry Mason Novelette and Other Stories. (1970)
The Case of the Crying Swallow: A Perry Mason Novelette and Other Stories (1971)
The Case of the Irate Witness: A Perry Mason Mystery and Other Stories (1972)
The Amazing Adventures of Lester Leith (1980; edited by Ellery Queen, aka Ellery Queen Presents #8; Lester Leith) | Buy this book
The Bird in the Hand and Four Other Stories (1980)
The Human Zero: The Science Fiction Stories Of Erle Stanley Gardner (1981)
Whispering Sand: Stories Of Gold Fever And The Western Desert (1981)
Pay Dirt & Other Whispering Sands Stories of Gold Fever & The Western Desert (1983) | Buy this book
Four Cases of Murder (1989; comic strips, Perry Mason)
The Adventures of Paul Pry (1990)
Dead Men’s Letters (1990; Ed Jenkins)
The Blonde in Lower Six (1990, Ed Jenkins)
Honest Money and Other Short Novels (1991, Ken Corning) | Buy this book
The Adventures of Paul Pry, Volume One (1991)
The Adventures of Paul Pry, Volume One (1991)
The Danger Zone and Other Stories (2004) | Buy this book
The Casebook of Sidney Zoom (2006; edited & introduced by Bill Pronzini) | Buy this book
All Detective Magazine: An Erle Stanley Gardner Special (2009)
The Exploits of the Patent Leather Kid (2010)

NON-FICTION

The Land of Shorter Shadows (1948; travel)
The Court of Last Resort (1952) | Buy this book | Buy the audio | Kindle it!
Collects several of his non-fiction columns from Argosy, dealing with miscarriages of justice. Reissued in 2017.
Hunting the Desert Whale (1960; travel)
The Hidden Heart of Baja (1962)
Off the Beaten Track in Baja (1967; travel)
Mexico’s Magic Square (1968; travel)
Host with the Big Hat (1969; travel)

FILMS

THE CASE OF THE HOWLING DOG
(1934, Warner Brothers)
Based on the novel by Erle Stanley Gardner
Directed by Alan Crosland
Starring Warren William as PERRY MASON
with Helen Trenholm as Della
THE CASE OF THE CURIOUS BRIDE
(1935, Warner Brothers)
Based on the novel by Erle Stanley Gardner
Directed by Michael Curtiz
Starring Warren William as PERRY MASON
with Claire Dodds as Della
THE CASE OF THE LUCKY LEGS
(1935, Warner Brothers)
Based on the novel by Erle Stanley Gardner
Directed by Archie L. Mayo
Starring Warren William as PERRY MASON
with Genevieve Tobin as Della
THE CASE OF THE VELVET CLAWS
(1936, Warner Brothers)
Based on the novel by Erle Stanley Gardner
Directed by William Clemens
Starring Warren William as PERRY MASON
with Claire Dodds as Della
THE CASE OF THE BLACK CAT
(1936, Warner Brothers)
Based on the novel “The Case of the Caretaker’s Cat” by Erle Stanley Gardner
Directed by William McGann
Starring Richard Cortez as PERRY MASON
with June Travis as Della
THE CASE OF THE STUTTERING BISHOP
(1937, Warner Brothers)
Based on the novel by Erle Stanley Gardner
Directed by William Clemens
Starring Donald Woods as PERRY MASON.

RADIO

PERRY MASON
(aka The New Adventures of Perry Mason)
(1943-1955, CBS)
Based on characters created by Erle Stanley Gardner
Starring Barlett Robinson as PERRY MASON
(also played by Santos Ortega, Donald Biggs, and John Larkin)
THE UNITED STATES STEEL HOUR OF MYSTERY
(June 9-September 1, 1946, ABC)
Anthology
- “Turn on the Heat” (June 23, 1946, ABC)
  Based on the novel by A.A. Fair
  Adapted by Welbourne Kelly
  Starring Frank Sinatra as DONALD LAM
CHRISTOPHER LONDON
(1950, NBC)
Based on characters created by Erle Stanley Gardner
Starring Glenn Ford as CHRISTOPHER LONDON

COMIC BOOKS & COMIC STRIPS

PERRY MASON: THE CASE OF THE LUCKY LEGS
(1946, Feature Books #49)
Based on the 1934 novel by Erle Stanley Gardner
PERRY MASON: THE CASE OF THE SHOPLIFTER’S SHOE
(1947, Feature Books #50)
Based on the 1938 novel by Erle Stanley Gardner
PERRY MASON
(October 16, 1950-June 21, 1952, Universal Syndicate)
Based on characters created by Erle Stanley Gardner
Written by… Erle Stanley Gardner?
It’s possible Gardner actually scripted this — he liked to keep a hand in things.

TELEVISION

CLIMAX!
(1954-58, CBS)
Anthology
- “The Bigger They Come” (January 6, 1955)
  Based on the novel by A.A. Fair
  Starring Jane Darwell as BERTHA COOL
  and Art Carney as DONALD LAM
  Also starring Don Megowan
PERRY MASON
(1957-1966, CBS)
Based on characters created by Erle Stanley Gardner
Starring Raymond Burr as PERRY MASON
THE COURT OF LAST RESORT
(1957-58, NBC)
Dramatizations of real life legal cases.
Black & white
26 30-minute episodes
Created by Erle Stanley Gardner & Henry Steeger
Produced by Paisano Productions
Directors: Tom Gries, Reginald LeBorg
Starring Robert H. Harris, Carleton Young, S. John Launer, Lyle Bettger
COOL AND LAM | Watch it now on YouTube
(1958, CBS)
Unsold pilot
Based on characters created by A.A. Fair
Starring Billy Pearson as DONALD LAM
and Benay Venuta as BERTHA COOL
PERRY MASON
aka The New Adventures of Perry Mason
(1973-1974, CBS)
Based on characters created by Erle Stanley Gardner
Starring Monte Markham as PERRY MASON
Short-lived attempt to recapture the Mason magic.

REFERENCE BOOKS

Hughes, Dorothy B.,
The Case of the Real Perry Mason
New York: William Morrow & Company, 1978 | Buy this book
One great mystery writer’s nod to another. The bibliography was compiled by Ruth “Honey” Moore, one of Gardner’s longtime secretaries.

Fugate, Francis L. and Roberta B.,
Secrets of the World’s Best-Selling Writer: The Storytelling Techniques of Erle Stanley Gardner | Buy this book
New York, New York: William Morrow & Company, Inc., 1980
Using the mountain of personal papers, journals, notebooks and scraps of paper, coctail napkins, matchbook covers and Lord knows what else that Erle Stanley Gardner left behind, the authors try to explain his phenomenal success. A fascinating insight to the man, but I’m not sure how practical the advice is for writers. Still, it’s well worth reading.

One thought on “Erle Stanley Gardner”

Vignesh R says:

April 11, 2020 at 8:48 AM

Once I read a Perry Mason book. I am not sure about the story or the plot but I remember that there was a lawyer from Scotland who helped Perry with a testimony. I remember a line in which Perry said ” I wish I knew this man before”. Any idea which book of Perry Mason that is ? I wanted to read that one again.

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Erle Stanley Gardner