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Perry Mason #37
The Case of the Fiery Fingers
Night nurse Nellie Conway hires California lawyer Perry Mason for $1. She claims Nathan Bain wants to poison his second wife of two years, Elizabeth, paralyzed after accident he engineered. He fires Nellie for fluorescent powder on her fingers from outside of jewelry box, then pays her to go to New Orleans with letters for his lover Charlotte.
214 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1951
52 people are currently reading
370 people want to read
About the author
Erle Stanley Gardner
1,351 books817 followersErle Stanley Gardner was an American lawyer and author of detective stories who also published under the pseudonyms A.A. Fair, Kyle Corning, Charles M. Green, Carleton Kendrake, Charles J. Kenny, Les Tillray, and Robert Parr.
Innovative and restless in his nature, he was bored by the routine of legal practice, the only part of which he enjoyed was trial work and the development of trial strategy. In his spare time, he began to write for pulp magazines, which also fostered the early careers of Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler. He created many different series characters for the pulps, including the ingenious Lester Leith, a "gentleman thief" in the tradition of Raffles, and Ken Corning, a crusading lawyer who was the archetype of his most successful creation, the fictional lawyer and crime-solver Perry Mason, about whom he wrote more than eighty novels. With the success of Perry Mason, he gradually reduced his contributions to the pulp magazines, eventually withdrawing from the medium entirely, except for non-fiction articles on travel, Western history, and forensic science.
See more at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erle_Sta...
Innovative and restless in his nature, he was bored by the routine of legal practice, the only part of which he enjoyed was trial work and the development of trial strategy. In his spare time, he began to write for pulp magazines, which also fostered the early careers of Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler. He created many different series characters for the pulps, including the ingenious Lester Leith, a "gentleman thief" in the tradition of Raffles, and Ken Corning, a crusading lawyer who was the archetype of his most successful creation, the fictional lawyer and crime-solver Perry Mason, about whom he wrote more than eighty novels. With the success of Perry Mason, he gradually reduced his contributions to the pulp magazines, eventually withdrawing from the medium entirely, except for non-fiction articles on travel, Western history, and forensic science.
See more at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erle_Sta...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews
April 17, 2021
"A good lawyer must always remember one thing. Never get mad unless someone pays him to do it."
And boy, does Mason get angry.
Wheeew. What a "typically" tense, exciting, action-packed, cleverly plotted Perry Mason book. A complete mad wild-ride.
And boy, does Mason get angry.
Wheeew. What a "typically" tense, exciting, action-packed, cleverly plotted Perry Mason book. A complete mad wild-ride.
October 4, 2018
A typical Perry Mason tale. Man kills wife, blame's wife sister. Perry proves otherwise. Recommended only to Perry Mason fans.
June 24, 2022
I like Perry Mason´s work as a lawyer together with the detective bureau. The end was a bit far-fetched.
September 24, 2016
One of the most meaty Perry Mason mysteries with a lot of courtroom action. To people used to the series, the books generally are predictable in the construct with an innocent client, a murder and a courtroom that sees Mason's legal theatricals. The book breaks a small mold with 2 different clients, 2 different courtroom scenes (both brilliant) and a hooking beginning (and maybe some loose ends too).
Nellie Conway, an unspectacular client (my Mason standards), steps in for counsel that makes Perry defensive. So much so that he decides to play it safe. And then there is the first case involving fluorescence powder and theft. By the time murder occurs it's a different client (more to Mason Standards) which involves a will and inheritance. With too many characters and too many abrupt deviations the book remains unpredictable which makes the courtroom exciting. The 3 critical breaks in the court proceedings was fun to read.
The ending was tame and slightly predictable. But then I felt a couple of points were not explained convincingly. A decent read!
Nellie Conway, an unspectacular client (my Mason standards), steps in for counsel that makes Perry defensive. So much so that he decides to play it safe. And then there is the first case involving fluorescence powder and theft. By the time murder occurs it's a different client (more to Mason Standards) which involves a will and inheritance. With too many characters and too many abrupt deviations the book remains unpredictable which makes the courtroom exciting. The 3 critical breaks in the court proceedings was fun to read.
The ending was tame and slightly predictable. But then I felt a couple of points were not explained convincingly. A decent read!
May 11, 2014
I've been reading Gardner's Perry Mason books off and on for many years. Many years ago, I was an intense fan of the series, and read them all, at least once. Now, after a lot of water over the dam, I'm looking at them again.
Those who are used to really fine mystery writers (with the emphasis on "writer"), such as Ross Macdonald, may find the writing style here off-putting. It can be stiff and repititious. Nonetheless, I still love the general setting: the characters of Perry, Della, Paul, Lt. Tragg, and Hamilton Berger. That, and the ingenious plots, are why I read Perry Mason.
On the whole, the ones written by 1950 are the best. This one was written in 1951, and it is archetypical of the later books in the series (those after, say, 1945). By that I mean it is in many ways average, without embelishment. For example, unlike several written in the early 1950s, it does not involve organized crime. It does not involve an exotic or unusual site, such as a mountain cabin or a desert ranch. There is no fake elopement of Perry and Della. Perry does not switch guns or other evidence. There aren't two or three bodies or disappearing corpses.
What there is is a classic set up: a murder occurs in a domestic situation. The husband, Nathan Bain, has married a wealthy woman, Elizabeth. But he has a girl friend. Elizabeth finds out but refuses to grant a divorce. Soon there is a car crash, the wife is seriously injured and may never walk again. While she is recuperating at home with a nurse, jewelery starts disappearing. The husband hires a detective to investigate, who coats the jewelry case with a phosphorescent powder. The nurse is soon found with "fiery fingers", meaning she has touched the case. That is enough for the husband to have her arrested. Perry Mason defends her. The case is actually pretty easy, as Perry points out that there is really no evidence that the nurse ever reached inside the case, and several people could have touched the outside of the case. (We really have to wonder if in real life such a case would have been prosecuted.) So barely half way through
the book we have our court room scenes.
Also in the household are a cousin, Victoria Braxton, who has just arrived with her husband to help take care of Elizabeth, and a house keeper, who has been there for a long time. Victoria comes to Mason with Elizabeth's holographic will leaving most of the money to her, Victoria, but the will seems to end oddly, as if it were unfinished. Within a short time the wife is dead, apparently poisoned with arsenic. This time, suspicion does not fall on the nurse, as she seems to have no motive, but on Victoria, who now also shows some "fiery fingers." The jewel box again? She is arrested for murder and Perry takes the case. The holographic will now seems more complete. Did Victoria change it?
There is good use of Holcomb and a bit with Tragg. There are some excellent courtroom scenes with Hamilton Burger. The ending is good for several reasons. One is that Perry asks a key witness a simple question about the disappearing jewels, one that I kicked myself for not thinking of. Another is the clever method by which Perry gets a key witness to reveal something, a method that skirts around the edge of the law.
I did not like the fact that a certain piece of "damning evidence" against Victoria Braxton is revealed by Burger with a chapter or two to go. But it is apparently just a coincidence, one that is rather "hard to swallow," so to speak.
In summary, we have here the standard classic features of a typical Perry Mason story: good courtroom scenes with Burger, a domestic murder, a situation where Perry skirts around the edge of the law and gets away with it, a client who may be pulling a fast one in some way. Holcomb and Tragg play their stereotypical roles as bad cop/good cop. That's all good. Yet in the end, some of those nonstandard features would have added some pizzaz.
Those who are used to really fine mystery writers (with the emphasis on "writer"), such as Ross Macdonald, may find the writing style here off-putting. It can be stiff and repititious. Nonetheless, I still love the general setting: the characters of Perry, Della, Paul, Lt. Tragg, and Hamilton Berger. That, and the ingenious plots, are why I read Perry Mason.
On the whole, the ones written by 1950 are the best. This one was written in 1951, and it is archetypical of the later books in the series (those after, say, 1945). By that I mean it is in many ways average, without embelishment. For example, unlike several written in the early 1950s, it does not involve organized crime. It does not involve an exotic or unusual site, such as a mountain cabin or a desert ranch. There is no fake elopement of Perry and Della. Perry does not switch guns or other evidence. There aren't two or three bodies or disappearing corpses.
What there is is a classic set up: a murder occurs in a domestic situation. The husband, Nathan Bain, has married a wealthy woman, Elizabeth. But he has a girl friend. Elizabeth finds out but refuses to grant a divorce. Soon there is a car crash, the wife is seriously injured and may never walk again. While she is recuperating at home with a nurse, jewelery starts disappearing. The husband hires a detective to investigate, who coats the jewelry case with a phosphorescent powder. The nurse is soon found with "fiery fingers", meaning she has touched the case. That is enough for the husband to have her arrested. Perry Mason defends her. The case is actually pretty easy, as Perry points out that there is really no evidence that the nurse ever reached inside the case, and several people could have touched the outside of the case. (We really have to wonder if in real life such a case would have been prosecuted.) So barely half way through
the book we have our court room scenes.
Also in the household are a cousin, Victoria Braxton, who has just arrived with her husband to help take care of Elizabeth, and a house keeper, who has been there for a long time. Victoria comes to Mason with Elizabeth's holographic will leaving most of the money to her, Victoria, but the will seems to end oddly, as if it were unfinished. Within a short time the wife is dead, apparently poisoned with arsenic. This time, suspicion does not fall on the nurse, as she seems to have no motive, but on Victoria, who now also shows some "fiery fingers." The jewel box again? She is arrested for murder and Perry takes the case. The holographic will now seems more complete. Did Victoria change it?
There is good use of Holcomb and a bit with Tragg. There are some excellent courtroom scenes with Hamilton Burger. The ending is good for several reasons. One is that Perry asks a key witness a simple question about the disappearing jewels, one that I kicked myself for not thinking of. Another is the clever method by which Perry gets a key witness to reveal something, a method that skirts around the edge of the law.
I did not like the fact that a certain piece of "damning evidence" against Victoria Braxton is revealed by Burger with a chapter or two to go. But it is apparently just a coincidence, one that is rather "hard to swallow," so to speak.
In summary, we have here the standard classic features of a typical Perry Mason story: good courtroom scenes with Burger, a domestic murder, a situation where Perry skirts around the edge of the law and gets away with it, a client who may be pulling a fast one in some way. Holcomb and Tragg play their stereotypical roles as bad cop/good cop. That's all good. Yet in the end, some of those nonstandard features would have added some pizzaz.
March 22, 2021
I've been missing Perry and the gang! A nice visit!
December 31, 2018
Perry Mason is much more of a smartass and inclined to play fast and loose with the technicalities of the law in these old novels compared to how he was portrayed in the TV series. And the author really evokes the feel of LA in the 1940s & 50s. Cleverly constructed plots, a quick pace to the action, occasional hints of danger, and a likable cast of repeating characters are the familiar hallmarks of these books. They are also faithful to the most advanced criminal science and forensics of the time, which lends an air of authenticity and makes the story lines and the solving of the cases rather intriguing. This book was one of the better ones in the series.
May 3, 2020
This is pretty different than the TV episode adaption, but it was still enjoyable.
Recommended 14+ for murder, language, abuse? (hinted at, hence the question mark), and affairs.
Recommended 14+ for murder, language, abuse? (hinted at, hence the question mark), and affairs.
September 13, 2022
Perry seems to have gone pretty reckless in this one. Overall it was a good one with Tragg, Holcomb and Burger in major roles.
September 9, 2017
First sentence: Perry Mason had just returned to the office after a long day in court.
Premise/plot: Perry is far from impressed when Nellie Conway shows up at his office needing his legal advice. (She pays him a dollar.) She is a nurse--a night nurse--working for the Bain family. Mrs. Bain has been seriously injured in a car accident and is estranged from her husband. Nurse Nellie claims that Mr. Bain has offered to pay her money to give his wife "special medicine." Nellie is convinced that the medicine he's given her is really poison. Perry Mason wasn't her first choice; she went to the police first and was laughed out of the building. Mason, well, he's not taking Nurse Conway seriously either. But he does have one of the tablets tested to see what it is, if it is poison. Within days--if not hours--Nurse Conway finds herself in need of a lawyer for another reason altogether. She's been accused of theft by her employer, Mr. Bain. Will Mason represent her? He says yes, but more to annoy other people than to help her out. Mason soon regrets ever hearing the name of Bain....
My thoughts: This murder mystery is enjoyable. It involves TWO trials. Mason has two different clients.
Judge Peabody:
Perry Mason:
Perry Mason:
Charlotte Moray:
Lt. Tragg:
Lt. Tragg:
Premise/plot: Perry is far from impressed when Nellie Conway shows up at his office needing his legal advice. (She pays him a dollar.) She is a nurse--a night nurse--working for the Bain family. Mrs. Bain has been seriously injured in a car accident and is estranged from her husband. Nurse Nellie claims that Mr. Bain has offered to pay her money to give his wife "special medicine." Nellie is convinced that the medicine he's given her is really poison. Perry Mason wasn't her first choice; she went to the police first and was laughed out of the building. Mason, well, he's not taking Nurse Conway seriously either. But he does have one of the tablets tested to see what it is, if it is poison. Within days--if not hours--Nurse Conway finds herself in need of a lawyer for another reason altogether. She's been accused of theft by her employer, Mr. Bain. Will Mason represent her? He says yes, but more to annoy other people than to help her out. Mason soon regrets ever hearing the name of Bain....
My thoughts: This murder mystery is enjoyable. It involves TWO trials. Mason has two different clients.
Judge Peabody:
The vice of a leading question, of course, consists in having asked it.
Perry Mason:
A lawyer isn't paid to consider probabilities. He's paid to consider possibilities.
Perry Mason:
A good lawyer must always remember one thing. Never get mad unless someone pays him to do it.
Charlotte Moray:
He likes his pastures while they're green and while they're on the other side of the fence. Give him the key to the gate and it would mean nothing.
Lt. Tragg:
You know lots of things, Mason. Sometimes you amaze me when I find out what you do know, and then again there are times when I am afraid I never do find out what you know. So I have to try to keep you from finding out what I know.
Lt. Tragg:
Winners never explain. Losers always do.
January 7, 2022
I found this old, tattered, yellowing copy in my grandfather's shelf years ago and never got around to reading it. I'm not a Perry Mason "stan" but I have enjoyed other books from the Perry Mason series well enough and I think this one is the best so far. The court room scenes were marvelous and gripping and managed to subvert the expectations of my jaded self. You'd think that there could be no plot twists surprising enough in a book published more than three decades ago after having watched the various CSI series, House, Law & Order, Dexter, Criminal Minds, NCIS, etc. but I was proven wrong.
Yes, women are not portrayed to the exacting standards of the 21st Century: the book could do without the unnecessary leering at women that Perry Mason is fond of but the story, pace and courtroom dialogues cannot be overlooked.
Yes, women are not portrayed to the exacting standards of the 21st Century: the book could do without the unnecessary leering at women that Perry Mason is fond of but the story, pace and courtroom dialogues cannot be overlooked.
January 7, 2011
I'm not really sure why I like these old Perry Mason mysteries. Sure, they move fast, but you can't say the characters are well defined. Mason and his cohorts Della, Paul and the rest never change and you really don't learn much about them. The mysteries themselves are impossible to solve yourself, at least the ones I've read. You can guess, but solve...no. Gardner doesn't give you everything. This one was a case of "if A didn't do it, then it had to be B." Yes, I enjoy the "hardboiled" writing style, the terse language and descriptions. The real reason, though, is the courtroom drama. When Mason tears into some hapless soul on the witness stand, you just have to smile, mainly because they deserve it so much, having been so smug the rest of the book.
August 16, 2014
Another Perry Mason mystery, but with a few more twists and turns than normal along with 2 trials instead of the usual one. Nurse consults with Mason because she believes her employer is attempting to kill his wife. Mason then successfully defends her when she is accused of petty larceny by her employer. She promptly returns to work for him when his wife is murdered and her half sister is charged and she hires Mason to defends her.
October 17, 2011
A man coats his valuable objects with a flourescent powder to catch a thief in his household. Instead it catches a murderer. Perry Mason has to defend the woman with the flourescent powder (fiery fingers) on her hands. Perry has to solve the thefts and the motive for murder in this case. The courtroom drama is fun to read in this book.
October 25, 2016
As usual Gardner keeps the pages turning in a typical Perry Mason whodunnit / courtroom drama. I'd give this one 4-1/2 stars just because there were not quite enough suspects and complications compared to his best to give it 5; but it was in every other way superb.
March 22, 2018
Words can't describe how happy it makes me that the book named "The Case of the Fiery Fingers" has some of the most blatant Sapphic undertones in all of the Perry Mason series. Great setup and I'm always a fan of getting two trials in, but the book's conclusion was underwhelming.
November 30, 2013
Not one of the most engaging Mason thrillers but certainly worth the couple days it takes to read these books.
May 18, 2021
Typical Perry Mason tale. Not high literature, but a pleasant read.
September 2, 2017
Another classic Perry Mason courtroom thriller, where Mason even collaborates with the police! Never disappointed in Gardner's work.
October 21, 2025
Two courtroom scenes in this one. Top notch Mason.
July 20, 2023
Nellie Conway adında bir hemşire Perry Mason'a gelir ve bir ölümü engellemek istediğini söyler. Bakımını yaptığı hasta Elizabeth Bain, kocası tarafından öldürülmek istenmektedir. Geçirdiği kaza da onun yüzündendir ve Nellie'ye bazı ilaçlar vermiştir karısına vermesi için. Mason, ondan sadece 1 dolar alarak bazı tavsiyelerde bulunur ve haplardan birini tahlil eder. Ama aspirin çıkar ilaç. Bu arada Nathan Bain, Nellie'sen hırsızlık gerekçesi ile davacı olur. Karısının mücevher kutusuna özel bir toz sürmüş ve ultraviyole ışığında Nellie'nin elinin parladığını görmüştür. Mason, bu hırsızlık davasında Nathan'ı paramparça eder ve dava düşer. Bu arada Elizabeth'in kardeşi Victoria ve akrabaları da gelir. Victoria elinde kardeşinin yazdığı bir vasiyet olduğunu söyler. Bu vasiyet bir nokta eksikliği yüzünden tam uygun değildir. Ama bir gece Elizabeth ölür. Arsenik zehirlenmesi ile ölmüştür. Victoria ise bahçeye bir şişe arsenik atarken görülür. Bu arada Nathan, Nellie ile anlaşmış ona para verip başka bir şehre yollamıştır. Bu şehirde onu sorgulayan Mason, Nathan'ın sevgilisi Charlotte Moray ile de karşılaşır. Nathan'ın ilk karısı da zehirlenip ölmüştür. Hamilton Burger davada kozlar elinde zanneder ama Nathan ve Holcomb dahil çoğu tanığın ifadesini çürütür. İmogene adındaki hizmetli de şüpheliler arasındadır. Çaresiz kalan Mason, Victoria'yı kurtarmak için Drake ile Nathan'ın evine dinleme cihazı yerleştirir. Della da onu arayıp Moray'ın zehirlendiğini söyler. Bu durumu Tragg'e de haber veren Mason acaba ne yapacaktır? Katil kimdir? Nathan ile nasıl bir ilişkisi vardır? Mason müvekkilini kurtarabilecek midir? Keyifle soluksuz okunan bir roman.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 17, 2019
Nellie Conway, a practical nurse, comes to Perry Mason concerned that her patient's husband is trying to poison her patient. She hires Perry for $1 to help her find out. When Perry gets the results that the pills the husband gave Nellie to give to his wife are not poison, it looks like the case is over. But it is not!
The husband, Nathan Bain, accuses Nellie of stealing some of his wife's expensive jewellery. Now Perry finds himself defending Nellie on theft charges. Of course he gets her off, but all is not done.
Seems Nathan Bain has a suspicious history, and when his wife does wind up dead from poisoning, Perry again finds himself defending a member of this group in court. This time it is the half-sister of the victim.
Along with finding out what is in Nathan Bain's background and that of others, who is to benefit from the victim's death, and making it all make sense, Perry is dealing with a Sargeant Holcomb. I prefer Tragg to Holcomb for the police presence. Holcomb seem to be close to a by-the-book cop, where Tragg does give Perry a tiny bit of slack.
Over all, I again enjoyed another Perry Mason mystery.
Side note: I discovered that the plot of this book was used for two different episodes of the TV series.
The husband, Nathan Bain, accuses Nellie of stealing some of his wife's expensive jewellery. Now Perry finds himself defending Nellie on theft charges. Of course he gets her off, but all is not done.
Seems Nathan Bain has a suspicious history, and when his wife does wind up dead from poisoning, Perry again finds himself defending a member of this group in court. This time it is the half-sister of the victim.
Along with finding out what is in Nathan Bain's background and that of others, who is to benefit from the victim's death, and making it all make sense, Perry is dealing with a Sargeant Holcomb. I prefer Tragg to Holcomb for the police presence. Holcomb seem to be close to a by-the-book cop, where Tragg does give Perry a tiny bit of slack.
Over all, I again enjoyed another Perry Mason mystery.
Side note: I discovered that the plot of this book was used for two different episodes of the TV series.
May 3, 2023
This is the forth Perry Mason mystery I’ve read, and the best so far. They are all formulaic and like episodes in a long-running TV series (this book actually was an episode in the tv series, although I haven’t seen it) but suspenseful pageturners every one. This mystery starts with an odd frame-up, careens into plenty of crazy twists and new characters popping out of the woodworks, and builds to a climax in some intense and laugh out loud funny courtroom scenes.
Oh, and the plot? It starts off with a poker-faced, mousy young woman who turns up at Mason’s office with a tale that the husband of the rich woman she is nursing is offering her money to give his wife some unidentified pills, which she believes is arsenic. Mason distrusts her immediately when it becomes obvious that she is trying to fix herself up with an alibi - but for what?
There are no great insights or deep character studies in this mystery, but it’s a light, enjoyable evening read. I love the toughtalking banter between Mason, secretary/assistant Della Street, detective Paul Drake and the police - just crackling with period 1950s charm.
Oh, and the plot? It starts off with a poker-faced, mousy young woman who turns up at Mason’s office with a tale that the husband of the rich woman she is nursing is offering her money to give his wife some unidentified pills, which she believes is arsenic. Mason distrusts her immediately when it becomes obvious that she is trying to fix herself up with an alibi - but for what?
There are no great insights or deep character studies in this mystery, but it’s a light, enjoyable evening read. I love the toughtalking banter between Mason, secretary/assistant Della Street, detective Paul Drake and the police - just crackling with period 1950s charm.
April 2, 2021
Very complex, but typical of the Mason books. Good characters and an interesting case even if the conclusion is less then satisfying. Always nice to see Mason grilling witnesses and making mockery of the DAs and police, especially when they are smug and think they are beating him. The case for the most part was a rich woman is killed and everyone is figuring its the husband but it seems that he didn't do it at least the police and DA thinks that. Mason has a couple of cases in this one and the courtroom scenes were fun.
Highly recommend all the Mason novels I've read, this may be a lesser one but still is a solid read.
Highly recommend all the Mason novels I've read, this may be a lesser one but still is a solid read.
July 4, 2025
Practical nurse Nellie Conway thinks her boss is trying to murder his wife. So she hires Perry Mason for $1.00, and the plot convolutions begin. The result —Mason has to go to court twice and then has to get Paul Drakes’s help in violating some other guy’s rights so he can get himself out of a typical Mason ethical jam.
Not Perry at his best, though it starts well and the first case Perry works pits Mason against the corrupt and incompetent Sgt Holcomb. (Good courtroom moments) In the second case, Mason basically has to cheat to avoid losing in the courtroom. (This trial is atypically dull).
Not Perry at his best, though it starts well and the first case Perry works pits Mason against the corrupt and incompetent Sgt Holcomb. (Good courtroom moments) In the second case, Mason basically has to cheat to avoid losing in the courtroom. (This trial is atypically dull).
November 29, 2020
Lots of snappy dialog and caustic humor make this Perry Mason mystery fun. Typical mid-century fare: stolen jewels, arsenic poisoning, and mysteriously unattached glamorous femme fatales and innocent accused.
My gripe: the ending too rushed. There's your killer. Goodnite.
My question is why is Perry Mason so removed from love and lust while the bad guys have all the fun?
Secondly, you might get a kick out of how Perry Mason could operate by an end-justifies-the-means morality, like having his enemies' rooms wiretapped ♥.
My gripe: the ending too rushed. There's your killer. Goodnite.
My question is why is Perry Mason so removed from love and lust while the bad guys have all the fun?
Secondly, you might get a kick out of how Perry Mason could operate by an end-justifies-the-means morality, like having his enemies' rooms wiretapped ♥.
February 22, 2024
The Lawyer at His Finest
Read about how Perry Mason skewers a prosecution witness over a sexist remark, rubbing it in for the benefit of the women on the jury. Read about how he manages to elude New Orleans police officials who have a God complex. And read about how in the end he cunningly traps the killer.
If you have watched the TV episode of this book, forget what you saw, and read the book. The TV series episode does not do justice to the book. The book is a masterpiece!
Read about how Perry Mason skewers a prosecution witness over a sexist remark, rubbing it in for the benefit of the women on the jury. Read about how he manages to elude New Orleans police officials who have a God complex. And read about how in the end he cunningly traps the killer.
If you have watched the TV episode of this book, forget what you saw, and read the book. The TV series episode does not do justice to the book. The book is a masterpiece!
February 20, 2022
If you are familiar with the old TV show with Raymond Burr or the new HBO series, you will be pleasantly surprised to read the original stories written by Gardner. Perry, Della, Paul Drake, and Lt. Tragg are such interesting characters in the books and there are many laugh-out-loud moments in each book. Also, Perry's strategies to free his clients are clever and entertaining and are not even hinted at in the TV adaptations, which is a real shame.
November 9, 2022
My very first book from the legal thriller was Perry Mason. I have loved the speed in the books and the courtroom trials. I have never been disappointed.
Enter someone wanting to prevent a murder
Enter the death of said person
Enter the method of death - 3 tablets. 1 tested to reveal aspirin the other death
Read to see if the client is guilty. As with Earle Stanley Gardner the twists keep coming.
Brilliant
Enter someone wanting to prevent a murder
Enter the death of said person
Enter the method of death - 3 tablets. 1 tested to reveal aspirin the other death
Read to see if the client is guilty. As with Earle Stanley Gardner the twists keep coming.
Brilliant
April 7, 2023
Perry is more of a jerk than usual to Paul. Once again forces him to risk his PI license but odd even more callous about it - Perry doesn’t care about Paul only wants to save his case. In the end he gets Tragg to back him up on a clearly illegal move.
There resolution of the case is totally unsatisfying and doesn’t depend on Perry’s courtroom skills.
Characters less believable than usual for a Gardner book.
There resolution of the case is totally unsatisfying and doesn’t depend on Perry’s courtroom skills.
Characters less believable than usual for a Gardner book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews