Perry Mason books in order

Q: "How many books are in the Perry Mason series?"

"There are 92 books in the Perry Mason series, published between 1933 and 1990."

Q: "What is the first book in the Perry Mason series?"

"The first book in the Perry Mason series is O Caso das Garras de Veludo, published in 1933."

Q: "Do the Perry Mason novels need to be read in order?"

"No. Each Perry Mason novel is a self-contained case, and Gardner did not build cumulative storylines across the series. Readers can start with any book that interests them. The Case of the Velvet Claws (1933) is the traditional starting point, but The Case of the Curious Bride, The Case of the Lucky Legs, and many others work equally well as entry points."

Reading order

#	Title	Published	Author	Buy on Amazon
1	O Caso das Garras de Veludo	1933	Erle Stanley Gardner	N/A
2	The Case of the Sulky Girl	1933	Erle Stanley Gardner	Buy
3	The Case of the Lucky Legs	1934	Erle Stanley Gardner	Buy
4	Tiếng chó tru trong đêm	1934	Erle Stanley Gardner	N/A
5	The Case of the Curious Bride	1934	Erle Stanley Gardner	Buy
6	The Case of the Counterfeit Eye	1935	Erle Stanley Gardner	Buy
7	The Case of the Caretaker’s Cat	1935	Erle Stanley Gardner	Buy
8	The Case of the Sleepwalker’s Niece	1936	Erle Stanley Gardner	Buy
9	The Case of the Stuttering Bishop	1936	Erle Stanley Gardner	Buy
10	The Case of the Dangerous Dowager	1937	Erle Stanley Gardner	Buy
11	O Caso do Canário Coxo	1937	Erle Stanley Gardner	N/A
12	The Case of the Substitute Face	1938	Erle Stanley Gardner	Buy
13	The Case of the Shoplifter’s Shoe	1938	Erle Stanley Gardner	Buy
14	Vụ án vẹt khai man	1939	Erle Stanley Gardner	N/A
15	The Case of the Howling Dog	1934	Erle Stanley Gardner	Buy
16	The Case of the Baited Hook	1940	Erle Stanley Gardner	Buy
17	The Case of the Silent Partner	1940	Erle Stanley Gardner	Buy
18	The Case of the Haunted Husband	1941	Erle Stanley Gardner	Buy
19	The Case of the Empty Tin	1941	Erle Stanley Gardner	Buy
20	The Case of the Drowning Duck	1942	Erle Stanley Gardner	Buy
21	The Case of the Careless Kitten	1942	Erle Stanley Gardner	Buy
22	The Case of the Buried Clock	1943	Erle Stanley Gardner	Buy
23	The Case of the Drowsy Mosquito	1943	Erle Stanley Gardner	Buy
24	The Case of the Crooked Candle	1944	Erle Stanley Gardner	Buy
25	The Case of the Black-Eyed Blonde	1944	Erle Stanley Gardner	Buy
26	The Case of the Golddigger’s Purse	1945	Erle Stanley Gardner	Buy
27	The Case of the Half-Wakened Wife	1945	Erle Stanley Gardner	Buy
28	The Case of the Borrowed Brunette	1946	Erle Stanley Gardner	Buy
29	The Case of the Fan-Dancer’s Horse	1946	Erle Stanley Gardner	Buy
30	O Caso do Cavalo da Bailarina	1947	Erle Stanley Gardner	N/A
31	The Case of the Lazy Lover	1947	Erle Stanley Gardner	Buy
32	The Case of the Lonely Heiress	1948	Erle Stanley Gardner	Buy
33	The Case of the Vagabond Virgin	1948	Erle Stanley Gardner	Buy
34	The Case of the Dubious Bridegroom	1949	Erle Stanley Gardner	Buy
35	The Case of the Cautious Coquette	1949	Erle Stanley Gardner	Buy
36	The Case of the Negligent Nymph	1950	Erle Stanley Gardner	Buy
37	The Case of the One-Eyed Witness	1950	Erle Stanley Gardner	Buy
38	The Case of the Moth-Eaten Mink	1952	Erle Stanley Gardner	Buy
39	The Case of the Grinning Gorilla	1952	Erle Stanley Gardner	Buy
40	The Case of the Hesitant Hostess	1953	Erle Stanley Gardner	Buy
41	The Case of the Green-Eyed Sister	1953	Erle Stanley Gardner	Buy
42	The Case of the Fugitive Nurse	1954	Erle Stanley Gardner	Buy
43	The Case of the Runaway Corpse	1954	Erle Stanley Gardner	Buy
44	The Case of the Restless Redhead	1954	Erle Stanley Gardner	Buy
45	The Case of the Sun Bather’s Diary	1955	Erle Stanley Gardner	Buy
46	The Case of the Glamorous Ghost	1955	Erle Stanley Gardner	Buy
47	The Case of the Nervous Accomplice	1955	Erle Stanley Gardner	Buy
48	The Case of the Perjured Parrot	1939	Erle Stanley Gardner	Buy
49	The Case of the Gilded Lily	1956	Erle Stanley Gardner	Buy
50	The Case of the Demure Defendant	1956	Erle Stanley Gardner	Buy
51	The Case of The Screaming Woman	1957	Erle Stanley Gardner	Buy
52	The Case of the Lucky Loser	1957	Erle Stanley Gardner	Buy
53	The Case of the Rolling Bones	1939	Erle Stanley Gardner	Buy
54	The Case of the Foot-Loose Doll	1958	Erle Stanley Gardner	Buy
55	The Case of the Long-Legged Models	1958	Erle Stanley Gardner	Buy
56	The Case of the Calendar Girl	1958	Erle Stanley Gardner	Buy
57	The Case of the Singing Skirt	1959	Erle Stanley Gardner	Buy
58	The Case of the Mythical Monkeys	1959	Erle Stanley Gardner	Buy
59	The Case of the Deadly Toy	1959	Erle Stanley Gardner	Buy
60	The Case of the Waylaid Wolf	1960	Erle Stanley Gardner	Buy
61	The Case of the Duplicate Daughter	1960	Erle Stanley Gardner	Buy
62	The Case of the Shapely Shadow	1960	Erle Stanley Gardner	Buy
63	The Case of the Bigamous Spouse	1961	Erle Stanley Gardner	Buy
64	The Case of the Reluctant Model	1962	Erle Stanley Gardner	Buy
65	The Case of the Lame Canary	1937	Erle Stanley Gardner	Buy
66	The Case of the Blonde Bonanza	1962	Erle Stanley Gardner	Buy
67	The Case of the Velvet Claws	1933	Erle Stanley Gardner	Buy
68	The Case of the Ice-Cold Hands	1962	Erle Stanley Gardner	Buy
69	The Case of the Spurious Spinster	1961	Erle Stanley Gardner	Buy
70	O Caso do Segredo da Enteada	1963	Erle Stanley Gardner	N/A
71	The Case of the Stepdaughter’s Secret	1963	Erle Stanley Gardner	Buy
72	The Case of the Mischievous Doll	1962	Erle Stanley Gardner	Buy
73	The Case of the Daring Divorcee	1964	Erle Stanley Gardner	Buy
74	The Case of the Terrified Typist	1955	Erle Stanley Gardner	Buy
75	The Case of the Phantom Fortune	1964	Erle Stanley Gardner	Buy
76	The Case of the Daring Decoy	1957	Erle Stanley Gardner	Buy
77	The Case of the Troubled Trustee	1965	Erle Stanley Gardner	Buy
78	The Case of the Beautiful Beggar	1965	Erle Stanley Gardner	Buy
79	The Case of the Horrified Heirs	1964	Erle Stanley Gardner	Buy
80	The Case of the Worried Waitress	1966	Erle Stanley Gardner	Buy
81	The Case of the Queenly Contestant	1967	Erle Stanley Gardner	Buy
82	The Case of the Careless Cupid	1968	Erle Stanley Gardner	Buy
83	The Case of the Amorous Aunt	1963	Erle Stanley Gardner	Buy
84	The Case of the Fabulous Fake	1969	Erle Stanley Gardner	Buy
85	The Case of the Fenced-in Woman	1972	Erle Stanley Gardner	Buy
86	The Case of the Angry Mourner	1951	Erle Stanley Gardner	Buy
87	The Case of the Postponed Murder	1973	Erle Stanley Gardner	Buy
88	The Case of the Crimson Kiss	1971	Erle Stanley Gardner	N/A
89	The Case of Too Many Murders	1989	Erle Stanley Gardner	Buy
90	The Case Of The Crying Swallow	1973	Erle Stanley Gardner	N/A
91	The Case of the Burning Bequest	1990	Erle Stanley Gardner	Buy
92	The Case of the Fiery Fingers	1951	Erle Stanley Gardner	Buy

Perry Mason is one of the most prolific series in American crime fiction, running from The Case of the Velvet Claws in 1933 through The Case of the Postponed Murder, published posthumously in 1973. All 92 novels follow Perry Mason, a Los Angeles defense attorney, and his invariable pattern: a client appears to be guilty, Mason investigates, and through courtroom dramatics and clever detective work, the real criminal is exposed. His secretary Della Street and private investigator Paul Drake are recurring figures throughout the series.

Each novel is structured as a standalone case, making the series accessible from any entry point. Gardner wrote the books quickly, averaging several novels per year during peak periods, and the plots are mechanical in their efficiency without sacrificing entertainment value. The cases tend to involve inheritance disputes, blackmail, and murder among the upper-middle-class Los Angeles milieu.

The series was adapted into a long-running television show starring Raymond Burr from 1957 to 1966, which made Mason one of the most recognized fictional lawyers in American popular culture. Readers familiar with the television adaptation will find the novels follow the same basic formula, though the books predate many of the adaptations’ narrative conventions.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books are in the Perry Mason series?

There are 92 books in the Perry Mason series, published between 1933 and 1990.

What is the first book in the Perry Mason series?

The first book in the Perry Mason series is O Caso das Garras de Veludo, published in 1933.

Do the Perry Mason novels need to be read in order?

No. Each Perry Mason novel is a self-contained case, and Gardner did not build cumulative storylines across the series. Readers can start with any book that interests them. The Case of the Velvet Claws (1933) is the traditional starting point, but The Case of the Curious Bride, The Case of the Lucky Legs, and many others work equally well as entry points.

Reading order#

Frequently Asked Questions

Reading order