The Case of the Crimson Kiss by Erle Stanley Gardner (1948)

 

This book contains:

• The Case of the Crimson Kiss (novella), and these short stories:
• Fingers of Fong
• The Valley of Little Fears
• Crooked Lightning
• At Arm's Length

This review is only of The Case of the Crimson Kiss.

About the author: Erle Stanley Gardner (1889 – 1970) was an American lawyer and author. He is best known for the Perry Mason series of detective stories. The best-selling American author of the 20th century at the time of his death, Gardner also published under numerous pseudonyms, including A.A. Fair, Kyle Corning, Charles M. Green, Carleton Kendrake, Charles J. Kenny, Les Tillray and Robert Parr. (wikipedia)

Major characters:

• Fay Allison
• Dane Grover, Fay's fiancé
• Louise Marlow, Fay's aunt
• Anita Bonsal, Fay's roommate
• Carver Clements, Room 702, wealthy cheating playboy
• Shirley Tanner, Room 701, annoyed neighbor
• Perry Mason, attorney
• Lt. Tragg, homicide

Locale: Los Angeles

Synopsis: Fay Allison and Anita Bonsal share a 6th floor apartment. Previously, they had each dated Dane Grover, now Fay is engaged to him; much to Anita's dismay. Anita is now having an affair with playboy Carver Clements, who keeps a 7th floor apartment (room 702) for his own pleasure in the same building - unknown to his wife at home. 

Anita goes to Carver's apartment for a date and they have an argument - Carver keeps stringing her along that he will get a divorce, but of course it's all talk. Anita goes to his car to wait for him, but he doesn't come down. She returns to his apartment to find him dead - poisoned - and with a big lipstick kiss on his head.

Anita sees an opportunity to stick Fay with the murder (and thus reclaim Dane). She puts some of Fay's clothes and belongings in Carver's room, removing her own. Then, to set up an alibi, she dopes Fay - and herself - with sleeping tablets, thinking Fay will not survive her dose. Fay's aunt, Louise Marlow, arrives to find the two girls in a stupor and calls Perry Mason. Mason goes to court as Fay is accused of murder. The crux of the case is: whose lips made the goodbye kiss on Carver's head?

Review: This one (a novella) feels like a regular-length Mason which has been boiled down to its essentials, which makes for a fast, concise read without all  the red herrings. There is still room for the old switcheroo (the clothes exchange) which seems a hallmark of Perry Masons - although this time he had nothing to do with it. 

The courtroom scene is good and Mason pulls a stunt which would - in real life - likely get him hit with an assault charge.

The presentation of events was a bit jumpy and flashbacky, but he pulled it off nicely; and I had to scratch my head a bit to present the synopsis above in a sequential manner. This story is a good one for one - maybe two - sittings before turning out the light. You may get to learn something about lipstick prints, too.