The Case of the Crying Swallow and Other Stories, by Erle Stanley Gardner

 

This title has no publishing date indicated, but the "Publisher's Note" states: "This is the second book by Erle Stanley Gardner to be published since his death in 1970." It contains the novella of the title, and three short stories. All four have a common theme of stolen jewels.

The Case of the Crying Swallow (1947)

Characters:

• Major Claude Winnett, mining executive
• Marcia Winnett, his wife
• Victoria Winnett, his mother
• Helen Custer, Victoria's nurse
• Harry Drummond, Marcia's first husband
• Daphne Rexford, a birdwatcher ... and ingenue
• Perry Mason, attorney
  
• Paul Drake, private investigator

Wealthy Claude Winnett hires Perry Mason to locate his wife of five weeks, 25-year old Marcia Winnett, who has disappeared; leaving an odd note of regret. He mentions his mansion was burgled two nights before she left, and her jewelry taken. Winnett was sleeping at the time, but awoke to hear disturbed swallows chirping in a nest outside the bedroom. Mason investigates and finds some of the jewelry stashed in the swallows' next, and more stuffed in the barrel of a shotgun. Mason visits Winnett's tower room, which has binoculars fixed to a stand, regularly used by ingenue birdwatcher Daphne Rexford; who was crusty Victoria Winnett's (Claude's mother) preference to be Claude's bride. Mason and Paul Drake find the binoculars focused on a nearby spot where a camping trailer has been parked, and where Marcia's trail leads. They learn the trailer belongs to Marcia's first husband, Harry Drummond. They run into Drummond's current wife - she is looking for him too. Once Mason, Drake, and Mrs. Drummond find the trailer, they also find a body inside.

Mini-review: The reason this is a short novella is there are no courtroom scenes! The writing is concise and action packed. There is a bit of decoding a numerical message which is interesting. Mason solves the case in short order and turns the evidence over to the police, and that's where it ends. This is a good one-night read.

The Candy Kid (1931)

Lester Leith learns of a jewel heist, in which the robber winds up dead and the jewels missing. He and his valet, Scuttle (actually police spy Edward Beaver) investigate the chocolate shop next to the jewelry store, convinced the jewels have been hidden in the chocolates. Sergeant Ackley plans a sting operation to catch Leith with the stolen jewels.

The Vanishing Corpse (1931)

Sidney Zoom loves to wander the dark, mysterious nighttime waterfront. He helps his friend Officer O'Hara stop the person; who turns out to be young Mildred Kroom - and she has a precious diamond in her purse. The owner of the diamond is reported dead and locked in his parked car, but when Zoom and O'Hara get there, the car is still locked but the body is gone.

The Affair of the Reluctant Witness (1949)