The Case of the Sulky Girl by Erle Stanley Gardner, 1933

 

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Series: Perry Mason #2

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:

• Frances Celane, the sulky girl
• Rob Gleason, her husband
• Edward Norton, her uncle
• Arthur Crinston, Norton's business partner
• Don Graves, Norton's secretary
• Edna Mayfield, Norton's housekeeper
• Pete Devoe, Norton's chauffeur
• George Blackman, Devoe's attorney

Locale: Los Angeles

Synopsis:  Frances Celane consults attorney Perry Mason regarding conditions of her late father's will. His estate was left in a 'spendthrift trust', in which a trustee has control of the funds and provides an allowance as he sees fit. By the terms of the trust, she would forfeit most of the estate if she marries before age 25. She is 23 now, wants marry Rob Gleason, and wants Mason to find a loophole to allow her to marry without losing her interest in the estate.

The trustee is her uncle, Edward Norton. Mason first meets with Norton's business partner, Arthur Crinston, to learn how to best approach Norton. Norton turns out to be a tough customer, and tells Mason he does not want to turn the estate over to her; as he suspects she is being blackmailed. Mason then learns Celane and Gleason are already married.

Norton is found dead, and circumstantial evidence initially points to his chauffeur, Pete Devoe. Then secretary Don Graves turns out to be a witness to the murder, having seen it occur through a window. Now Frances Celane and Rob Gleason are implicated.

Review: This is one of the first Masons, and I do like the early ones. There are some aspects which are left off the later ones, such as keeping the whiskey bottle in the desk drawer to share with the newspaper reporters. I do like the thorough physical description of Mason as well as the instances when he paces the carpet with his thumbs hooked in the armholes of his vest.

The witness episode is interesting, although I found it thin that a glance from a moving car 275 feet away could reveal anything at all, much less identify people and their clothing through a window. My driveway is a comparable length - 300 feet - and I can tell if there is a person at the other end, but that's about all!

Other than that point, this is an engaging story, and has a small cast, so it was easy to remember who's who. It also lacks the confusing Mason stunts of switching things around found in later stories. 

The Seven Sinister Sombreros by Erle Stanley Gardner, 1939

fadedpage.com

With a title like that, who can resist? This story is available as an e-book from this page at fadedpage.com.

Series: Lester Leith

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:

Lester Leith, amateur investigator
Edward "Scuttle" Beaver, Leith's valet and a police spy

Sgt. Ackley

Karl Bonneguard, political party leader

Job/Joe Wolganheimer, treasurer (first name inconsistent)

Io Wahine, hula dancer, Wolganheimer's girlfriend

Hanz Bettler, the drugged guard #1

Emil Bradercrust, guard #2

Locale: unstated, apparently California

Synopsis: This humorous series features the recurring characters of Lester Leith, who investigates crime by reading newspaper articles, his valet Edward "Scuttle" Beaver (who is really a police spy), and Sgt. Ackley, who is always trying to upstage Leith and take credit for his solutions. Leith generally gets some inspiration from the newspaper, and send Scuttle out  on some outrageous errands to gather items or clues for him.

Karl Bonneguard is the leader of a fringe political party, along with his treasurer Job/Joe Wolganheimer. Their stash of $100k is stolen from a safe in a locked room, guarded by Hanz Bettler. Bettler had been drugged, called for help, and party member Emil Bradercrust came to his rescue and wound up drugged as well. Leith sends Scuttle out to recruit hula dancers, cowpunchers, and seven sombreros; to the amazement of Sgt. Ackley.

Review: This is one of Gardner's paid-by-the-word pulp stories, and should be not taken too seriously. (As you can see, the issue was only 10 cents!) This does has a just-one-draft rush-to-crank-it-out flavor (which Gardner does so well), and best to just sit back and enjoy the ride as Leith gathers his odds and ends, and has some fun with the hula dancers. I also enjoyed the simple black and white illustrations reproduced from the magazine. A good quick bedtime read. 

Thanks to Linda B. (Kentucky) for discovering this gem.

Turn on the Heat by A.A. Fair, 1940

 

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About the author: A.A. Fair was a pseudonym of Erle Stanley Gardner.

Series: Donald Lam & Bertha Cool #2

Major characters:

• "Mr. Smith", the client
• Dr. James C. Lintig, a.k.a. Charles Loring Alftmont, a specialist
• Amelia Lintig, his estranged wife
• Vivian Carter, his nurse, corespondent in his divorce action
• Marian Dunton, office staff of The Blade
• Evaline Dell Harris
• Flo Danzer, night club hostess
• Donald Lam, P.I., our narrator
• Bertha Cool, P.I.

Locale: California

Synopsis: A mysterious client, "Mr. Smith", hires Bertha Cool and Donald Lam to do just one thing: locate Amelia Lintig, supposedly divorced from Dr. James C. Lintig. She dropped out of sight over twenty years ago and hasn't been seen since. Lam travels to Oakview to try to pick up her trail, with the assistance of Marian Dunton, office manager for the local newspaper, The Blade. He soon finds out that two others are looking for Amelia as well: Miller Cross and Evaline Dell Harris. 

Lam consults records to find Dr. Lintig had changed his name to Charles Loring Alftmont, and continued his practice. Lam tracks down Dr. Alftmont and finds he is the client, "Mr. Smith". Marian Dunton, looking for a news story, goes to Evaline's hotel room to find her strangled, and a man just leaving looks much like Dr. Alftmont - who is Bertha's client. 

Review: This is only the second book about Lam and Cool, and the dust is still settling as the characters shape up. Gardner seemed in a hurry to cram all the action in he could, action that would never fly in a Perry Mason - such as when Donald Lam steps aside to let Bertha Cool rough up another woman. The book is handicapped in a way as many characters go by more than one name and pose as other characters. As it nears the end, the name switcheroos and identity switcheroos are just too confusing to follow. I was not even able to determine if Amelia was alive, or ever found; as another character had been posing as her throughout the story.

 

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' nest, 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 that is a regular Mason, minus the 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 a fleeing figure; 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)

Jerry Bane studies a newspaper photo which shows a grocery store owner, Bernice Calhoun, and customer William Gordon pointing at each other; as she accuses him of robbing the adjacent jewelry store. Bane suspects that jewels have been hidden somewhere in the grocery store and has his lawyer, Arthur Arman Anson, attempt to retrieve them in exchange for a cut.

The Case of the One-Eyed Witness by Erle Stanley Gardner, 1950

 

dustjackets.com

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)

Series: Perry Mason #36

Major characters:

Medford D. Carlin, bookbinder and photographer

Arthman D. Fargo, Realtor

Perry Mason, attorney

Della Street, his secretary

Paul Drake, private investigator

Locale: Los Angeles

Synopsis: While dining at a night club, Perry Mason receives a phone call from a woman - declining to give her name - desperate to retain his services. She sends, by messenger, a retainer of $570 and a newspaper clipping. She instructs Mason to show the clipping to bookbinder/photographer Medford D. Carlin, along with the message that "he needs to find a new partner". Mason also has a conversation with the club's cigarette girl, who tells him she is searching for her lost four-year old daughter who had been given up for adoption.

When Mason meets Carlin, Carlin denies knowing anything about it. Mason is skeptical and has Paul Drake watch the house. In the middle of the night, Drake's operative sees a woman enter the house, and shortly afterward the house catches on fire. When the fire is out, Carlin is found dead.

Mason thinks the woman may have been his client. In trying to trace her, he finds realtor Arthman D. Fargo, who could be her husband. Mason poses as a prospective house buyer to interview him, and later finds Fargo dead. 

Review:

The good: I enjoyed when Mason and Della called on Fargo, Mason pretending he was house-hunting with Della posing as his mistress. Mason and Della had some flirtation in which Mason suggested they really get married, but Della talks him out of it!

The bad: This 1950 novel has overtones from World War II and lingering prejudice about the Japanese. Much ado is made about a baby-selling scheme and how people don't want any baby that has any percentage of Japanese blood.

The strange: I think the strange curvy shape on the cover may be a stylized jigsaw puzzle piece, as better seen on this cover:

The Case of the Half-Wakened Wife by Erle Stanley Gardner, 1945

 

dustjackets.com

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:

• Jane Keller, owner of an island, a widow
• Martha Stanhope, her sister, a landlord
• Marjorie Stanhope, Martha's daughter
• Frank Bomar, Marjorie's fiancé
• Lawton Keller, Jane's brother-in-law
• Scott Shelby, holding an oil lease on the island
• Marion Shelby, his wife
• Ellen Cushing, real estate agent, Shelby's "girlfriend"
• Parker Benton, millionaire
• Perry Mason, attorney
• Della Street, his secretary
• Paul Drank, his investigator

Locale: Los Angeles area

Synopsis: Widow Jane Keller is owner of an island in the middle of a river near Los Angeles. She is selling the island to millionaire Parker Benton, to build a new home upon. The island had an oil lease against it, which had apparently expired for non-payment. Promoter Scott Shelby tries to pay the back lease payments to reinstate the lease, but there is a legal question whether he can do so. Parker Benton would prefer to buy the island free and clear, so invites all the parties - including Perry Mason, representing Jane - for a cruise on his yacht to sit down and try to come to an agreement. 

Due to fog, the yacht anchors for the night. A commotion is heard, and a MAN OVERBOARD alarm is raised. A shot had been heard at the same time, and Scott's wife Marion Shelby is found holding a gun. Scott is missing and assumed the one overboard. A search fails to find his body. Mason is suspicious he staged the incident and is now running off with his girlfriend, real estate agent Ellen Cushing - leaving his wife suspected of his "murder".

Review: This is from the most enjoyable period of the Perry Masons - the mid 1940's - when Mason is more of a rough and tumble character, not hesitating to literally throw an opposing lawyer out of his office, and even dust off his hands afterward. We also have a romantic interlude with Della Street, the most - ahem - detailed I have found in his books. 

The actions on the yacht are well done and enjoyable. There is the usual big cast, a bit larger than necessary, so it does require attention to keep track of the players. A big point in the story is the two separate telephone systems on the yacht, which could be confusing, but is explained well so even a non-techy person sees how it operates. 

One scene has Mason taking a deposition in his office. It was interesting to see how that was done, and how many of the courtroom procedures were duplicated.

An unusual aspect is that Mason has a tough time throughout the case. He builds up a circumstantial case to find it totally incorrect. His supposition on the fate of Shelby also turns out wrong. The case builds to a gradual resolution, without the usual courtroom theatrics.

 

The Bellamy Trial by Frances Noyes Hart, 1927

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About the author: Frances Newbold Noyes Hart (1890 – 1943) was an American writer whose short stories were published in Scribner's magazine, the Saturday Evening Post, and the Ladies' Home Journal. During World War I, she served as a translator with the Navy and as a canteen worker in France. Hart became famous for Pulitzer Prize-winning The Bellamy Trial, which was serialized in the Saturday Evening Post, published in book form, and later dramatized. (wikipedia)

Major characters:

• Madeleine Bellamy, the victim
• Stephen Bellamy, her husband
• Susan Thorne Ives, Stephen's lover
• Patrick Ives, Susan's husband
• Anthony Carver, judge
• Daniel Farr, prosecutor
• Dudley Lambert, defense attorney

Locale: near New York City

Synopsis: We are at the opening of the murder trial of Susan Ives and Stephen Bellamy, both accused in the murder of Stephen's wife Madeleine Bellamy. We see the action through the eyes of two unnamed reporters: a young, inexperienced woman and an older, veteran crime reporter.

Once the jury is seated, the prosecutor Daniel Farr makes a long opening statement. A parade of witnesses establishes the fact that Stephen's wife Madeleine had gone to the Thorne estate's garden cottage in the night for a tryst with Patrick Ives and wound up stabbed to death. Both of their spouses are the prime suspects.  

Review: I immediately liked two things about this book. First, at the front is a comprehensive schedule of the trial, with all the characters identified. I referred to this page constantly. Second, the story is told from the point of view of a young newspaper writer who is covering her first trial, and is seated next to a veteran reporter who is filling her in on the background of the crime and court procedure. Neither one is named, which helps keep the focus on the trial. The procedural explanations given by the veteran reporter serve to inform the reader of what is happening.

The story is rigidly structured, each chapter comprises one day of the trial. 

Everything proceeds in a somber, quiet manner until witness Luigi Orsini takes the stand, and provides a welcome comic relief in his Chico Marx-like response to questions. This serves as an "intermission" of sorts.

Finally we hear a verdict. But that is not the end, as a few surprises await, which are not listed in the "program".

You will enjoy this book, especially if:

• you read the Perry Mason books of Erle Stanley Gardner, and can't wait until the courtroom scene, this book is for you - it is all courtroom scene.
• you enjoy the hard-to-find books by Nancy Barr Mavity, which feature courtroom trials as seen by newspaper reporters. 

The Case of the Blonde Bonanza by Erle Stanley Gardner, 1962

 

Major characters:

• Dianne Alder, the Blonde Bonanza
• George Alder, her father, believed dead 14 years ago
• Harrison T. Boring, Dianne's employer
• George D. Winlock, a millionaire
• Mrs. Winlock
• Marvin Harvey Palmer, Winlock's stepson
• Perry Mason, attorney
• Paul Drake, P.I.
• Sid Nye, P.I.
• Steven "Moose" Dillard, P.I.

Locale: Bolero Beach and Los Angeles, California

Synopsis: Secretary Della Street is vacationing in Bolero Beach with her aunt, Mae Kirby. She becomes acquainted with "Blonde Bonanze" Dianne Alder, an attractive woman on a binge to gain weight quickly. Attorney Perry Mason is curious, and finds Alder has a contract with Harrison T. Boring, in which she is to gain certain weight in order to model some larger fashions. The contract has a curious stipulation that during the term of the contract, Dianne must share her income from all sources 50/50 with Boring. Mason is suspicious of that clause, thinking some is looking for Dianne to come into some money, and that the fashion reason is just a ruse.

Mason suspects Boring has turned to blackmail and has him followed to a cottage in a motor court. Mason's operative, "Moose" Dillard, gets a nearby cottage to keep watch, and observes a string of visitors to the cottage, including Dianne Alder. Later, Boring is found dead there, and Dianne becomes the prime suspect.

Review: [spoilers ahead] The double-identity person (George Winlock/George Alder) was obvious right from the start.  All the legwork of investigation is done by another agency, that of Sid Nye and his operative "Moose" Dillard. The courtroom scenes are enjoyable, but it is  disappointing that the identity of the killer and means of the death are a bit unfair to the reader.  One of the "good guys" is the killer, even though the "murder" turns out to be accidental. This must be why a different P.I. agency is used, so the good name of the Paul Drake agency is not besmirched.

Crows Can't Count by A.A. Fair, 1946

 

Sorry, no review - photo required for Vintage Scavenger Hunt challenge.

Fools Die on Friday by A. A. Fair, 1947

 

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A.A. Fair is a pseudonym of Erle Stanley Gardner.

Major Characters:

Gerald Ballwin, real estate developer

Anita Ballwin, his first wife (died prior to story)

Daphne Ballwin, his second wife

Carl Keetley, Anita’s brother, a gambler

Ethyl Worley, Gerald’s secretary

Carlotta Hanford, Daphne’s personal secretary

Wilmont Mariville, the Ballwin’s butler/chauffeur

Dr. George L. Quay, a dentist

Ruth Otis, Dr. Quay’s nurse

Bertha Cool, P.I.

Donald Lam, P.I.

Jim Fordney, Cool & Lam’s operative

Detective Frank Sellers

Locale: not specified 

Synopsis: A woman claiming to be Beatrice Ballwin comes to the office of Bertha Cool and Donald Lam. She is worried a poisoning attempt will be made on her uncle, real estate developer Gerald Ballwin, and is looking for them to prevent it. Lam replies they cannot prevent a determined poisoner, but they take the case. Lam quickly determines she is not really who she says she is, but is Carlotta Hanford, personal secretary to Gerald’s wife, Daphne Ballwin.

Lam visits Ballwin’s sales office under the guise of purchasing a building lot, and is shown around by Carl Keetley, Ballwin’s brother-in-law (brother of Anita, Ballwin’s first wife). Keetley, a gambler, is not an employee, but hangs around the real estate office to borrow money from Ballwin.

Lam then wants to buy some time for Gerald by putting his wife (Lam’s suspect) in “psychological handcuffs”. He visits Daphne in the guise of an advertising agent for a brand of anchovy paste. He finds her to be a social climber who desperately wants social publicity, and amuses herself by tormenting her butler/chauffeur Wilmont Mariville. Lam charms her into agreeing to try samples of the paste with vague promises of a nationwide advertising campaign. Lam reasons this potential publicity will cause her to hold off on any murder attempts. 

Lam suspects Daphne as the potential poisoner, and puts operative Jim Fordney on her tail. He finds that she pays frequent visits to her dentist, Dr. George L. Quay, and intimidates his nurse, Ruth Otis. Lam pumps Otis for details, and finds Daphne is deep in an affair with Dr. Quay.

Daphne hosts a dinner party and has butler Mariville prepare the hors d’oeuvres - anchovy paste on crackers. She feeds one to Gerald, who immediately becomes poisoned from arsenic and hospitalized. Soon after, Daphne eats some of the crackers and is herself poisoned.

Review: As with most murder mysteries, I was expecting a murder right off, but no murder occurs until fully 2/3 of the way through so we are kept hanging (forgive choice of word) a long time - Gerald is poisoned - is he going to die?  Daphne is poisoned - is she going to die?. 

The interesting character is Carl Keetley. He is on the edge of everything that happens. At first he seems a lounge lizard-type bounder, always hitting up the relations for money. Later we find him in an office of his own, suspiciously near Dr. Quay’s office - whose lover/patient is wife #2 to Gerald, whose wife #1 was Carl’s sister. It takes a little concentration to keep the relationships straight. Keetley uses this office to develop a machine (described in great detail) which allows him to predict the winner of horse races. Once murder occurs, Sellers and Lam visit him, but they seem more interested in the machine than in solving the murder.

I always enjoy the sarcastic trash-talking between Lam, Cool, and Sellers. Lam gets into that so much more than Perry Mason.

Gardner explains the title in his author’s note in the preface: "There are many people who do not know that from time immemorial Society has decreed there shall be thirteen steps to the gallows. There may be, therefore, readers who miss the significance of the title of this story. In California, as in many other states, executions invariably take place on Friday."

To add to the creepiness of the thirteen steps mentioned, here is a photo of a mausoleum near me. As with many such mausoleums, count the steps - thirteen. Someone has added some halloween jack o'lanterns to make it a bit more festive.

Forest Glade Cemetery, Somersworth NH

The Case of the Fiery Fingers by Erle Stanley Gardner, 1951

 

(sorry, no review - image needed for 2023 Vintage Scavenger Hunt challenge)

The Case of the Bigamous Spouse by Erle Stanley Gardner, 1961

 

Peter Stern photo

This is Perry Mason #65.

(no review)

The Case of the Baited Hook by Erle Stanley Gardner, 1940

 

Babylon Revisited Rare Books

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:

• Robert Peltham, architect and hospital trustee
• Abigail E. Tump
• Byrl Gailord, adoptee from Russia
• Albert Tidings, hospital trustee
• Nadine Holmes, Albert's estranged wife, actress
• Parker C. Stell, hospital trustee
• Adelle Hastings, who endowed Hastings Memorial Hospital
• Carl Mattern, Tiding's secretary

Locale: Los Angeles

Synopsis: Act 1: Robert Peltham, architect, hires Perry Mason to protect the interests of a mystery woman, who comes to his office masked. He cannot explain why, only that he expects to be exposed in something scandalous. He pays a retainer and then cuts a $10,000 bill in half, giving Mason half and the woman half; so that she can prove her identity to Mason in the future if need be.

Act 2: Abigial Tump seeks to hire Mason. She had brought a refugee girl out of Russia, and through an agency the child (Byrl) was placed with Frank and Marjorie Gailord. Byrl took the Gailord name as her own. Frank and Marjorie have passed away, and Byrl, now of age, has income from a trust they established. The trustee is Albert Tidings. Abigail claims Tidings is a crook, and wants Mason to have the courts replace him with a different trustee.

Act 3: A financial scandal erupts at Hastings Memorial Hospital. An audit is ordered, and the three trustees appear to mixed up in the trouble. The trustees are Robert Peltham, Albert Tidings, and Parker C. Stell. The hospital is endowed by wealthy Adelle Hastings, who tells Mason that Stell is the only honest one of the trustees. Mason already knows Peltham. He goes to find Tidings, and walks into his estranged wife's house to find him dead.

Review: Being one of the early Mason titles, this is back when he was directly descended from the pulps - not hesitating to rough people up, perform illegal searches, and manufacture and manipulate 'evidence'. 

There is no Lt. Tragg, but Sgt. Holcomb provides a lot of conflict for Mason.

It was a bit involved following the Gailord family line. Here is the sequence:

1. Frank and Marjorie Gailord were the original adoptive parents of Byrl Gailord
2. Frank died.
3. Marjorie remarried (her second) to Albert Tidings
4. Marjorie died.
5. Tidings remarried (his second) to Nadine Holmes
6. They became separated.
7. Tidings found dead in Nadine's home.

The big surprise of the book was the lack of a courtroom scene! The only thing remotely like it is a brief meeting in the D.A.'s office. 

If you like tough-guy Mason, this is him before he got more desk-bound and mellow.

The Case of the Spurious Spinster by Erle Stanley Gardner, 1961

 

Major characters:

• Amelia Corning, wheelchair-bound primary stockholder of Corning Mining
• Endicott Campbell, manager of Corning Mining
• Carleton Campbell, his 7-year old son
• Elizabeth Dow, Carleton's governess
• Sue Fisher, his secretary
• Ken Lowry, manager of the Mojave Monarch mine
• Sophia Elliott, Amelia's sister
• Alfredo Gomez, South American agent for Corning Mining
• Cindy Hastings, a nurse

Locale: Los Angeles and the nearby desert region

Synopsis: Secretary Sue Fisher is working on a Saturday to prepare for the visit of the Corning Mining's principal stockholder, Amelia Corning. She is typing reports for her boss, manager Endicott Campbell; some of which deal with the frenzied activities at their Mojave Monarch mine.  Endicott has a 7-year old son, Carleton Campbell, who drops in with his governess, Elizabeth Dow. Carleton is holding a tied-up shoebox he took from his father. Sue peeks inside to find it full of 100-dollar bills. Shocked at this discovery, she locks the box in the office safe for safekeeping.

Sue takes a ride out to look at the Mojave Monarch mine, and is shocked to find it abandoned with no sign of activity, just being cared for by local manager Ken Lowry.

Amelia Corning arrives from South America - in her wheelchair - sooner than expected. Endicott cannot be located, and she has Sue provide her records from the office which she removes to her hotel. Everything looks fishy, and Sue hires Perry Mason to protect her interests. 

Amelia Corning checks herself out of the hotel and disappears with the records. Then a second Amelia - apparently the real one - arrives. Endicott is enraged that Sue let a fake Amelia run off with the records, and now the box of cash is missing too.

Mason goes looking for Sue Fisher - to find her returning home, wearing men's clothing. She had been out in a rented car, and when Mason follows her trail, finds a dead body instead.

Review: This is, as usual, a fast moving Mason story. It was easy to follow, as the cast of characters is small. Gardner is writing of his favorite environment - mining activities in the desert. We don't spend a lot of time in the desert - just a quick look-see. The victim (there is only one) was a surprise to me. 

Gardner sets us up with a couple of easy suspects - but the joke is on the reader. They disappear as soon as they appear, and the real murderer doesn't appear in the book until near the end - unfair to the reader.

A discontinuity: Everyone thinks Amelia Corning has made off with the shoebox full of cash when no one was looking - but how could she? It was locked in the safe before she even arrived. 

Pro tip: Gardner never makes a woman in nylons and high heels the murderer - but a woman wearing flats? Danger!