Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The D.A. Calls It Murder | 1937 | Erle Stanley Gardner | Buy |
| 2 | The D.A. Holds a Candle | 1938 | Erle Stanley Gardner | Buy |
| 3 | The D.A. Draws a Circle | 1939 | Erle Stanley Gardner | Buy |
| 4 | The D.A. Goes to Trial | 1940 | Erle Stanley Gardner | Buy |
| 5 | The D. A. Cooks a Goose | 1942 | Erle Stanley Gardner | Buy |
| 6 | The D.A. Calls a Turn | 1944 | Erle Stanley Gardner | Buy |
| 7 | The D.A. Breaks a Seal | 1946 | Erle Stanley Gardner | Buy |
| 8 | The D.A. Takes a Chance | 1948 | Erle Stanley Gardner | Buy |
| 9 | The D.A. Breaks An Egg | 1949 | Erle Stanley Gardner | Buy |
The Doug Selby series runs for nine novels published between 1937 and 1949, all written by Erle Stanley Gardner. The series follows Doug Selby, a district attorney in the fictional Madison City, California, who faces a recurring antagonist named Sylvia Martin alongside new criminal cases in each book.
The series begins with The D.A. Calls It Murder (1937) and runs through The D.A. Breaks An Egg (1949), with all nine books following the same alliterative “D.A.” title format. As a prosecutor rather than a defense attorney, Selby operates on the opposite side of the courtroom from Perry Mason, giving the series a distinct perspective on Gardner’s legal world.
The Doug Selby novels are generally considered secondary to Mason in Gardner’s catalog but offer a well-constructed procedural series for readers who want more from him after completing the Mason books.