The Case of the Lame Canary by Erle Stanley Gardner (1937)

 

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Major characters:

• Rita Swaine
• Rosalind "Rossy" Prescott, her sister with the canary, Mason's client 
• Walter Prescott, Rosalind's husband, a shady insurance adjuster
• George Wray, Walter's partner
• Jimmy Driscoll, Rita's boyfriend, a broker
• Stella Anderson, "Mrs. Snoops", a neighbor
• Carl Packard, a.k.a. Jason Braun, car driver involved in accident
• Harry Trader, van driver involved in accident
• Attorney Perry Mason
• Secretary Della Street
• Private Investigator Paul Drake

Locale: Los Angeles

Synopsis:  Broker Jimmy Driscoll used to be boyfriend to Rosalind "Rossy" Swaine. They broke up, and Rosalind married insurance adjuster Walter Prescott. Now Jimmy is cozy with Rosalind's sister, Rita Swain. 

Rita comes to Perry Mason with Rosalind's caged canary. She wants Perry to represent sister Rosalind in a divorce action. Perry is not interested in such cases, but the canary angle intrigues him. Rita is holding onto it while Rosalind is in Reno to establish residency prior to a divorce.

Perry and Rita head to Reno to talk to Rosalind. Meanwhile, Walter Prescott is discovered shot to death in his home. Rita and Jimmy had just left the Prescott home, under the watchful eyes of "Mrs. Snoops" - neighbor Stella Anderson. They did not want her to know Rita had been there, so Rita poses in the window clipping the canary's nails, while wearing one of Rosalind's dresses; so Stella will assume it is Rosalind.

This act is complicated when a traffic accident occurs in front of the house, between Carl Packard and van driver Harry Trader. Jimmy runs out to assist, and the police take his name, thus placing him at the scene of the crime.

Review: This is one of the earlier Mason stories, when Mason was a lot more rough-and-tumble, and the stories had much more action. It moves along very quickly, and the smaller cast of characters makes it easy to keep track of who is who. 

There is no Lt. Tragg, no Hamilton Burger, and no trial scene - although two inquests occur in a courtroom. The second inquest is the climax of the story and ends in a great scene of wild pandemonium. 

A subplot of Perry and Della's relationship winds through the story as they plan to take a round-the-world vacation together, which culminates in Perry proposing marriage.

An excellent read with lots of influnce from Gardner's pulp-writing days: lots of nonstop action, limited cast, and even a romantic element.