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Perry Mason #9
The Case of the Stuttering Bishop
When a stuttering bishop comes to Perry Mason's office for help, Mason becomes involved in a battle of wills with a woman and the long-lost daughter she believes to be a fraud. The key to the puzzle lies in the bishop--who, unfortunately, has disappeared. Reissue.
189 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 1936
98 people are currently reading
798 people want to read
About the author
Erle Stanley Gardner
1,350 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 121 reviews
August 3, 2024
In which story we learn that Perry Mason knows how to foxtrot and demonstrates it with Della. :)
On consideration, this is not a bad book at all. It has all the usual action / red-herrings and startling outcome at the end, and yet it did not leave a lasting impression.
Possibly, because I recently re-read 2 of my favourite Mason-books - The Case of the Lucky Loser & The Case of the Angry Mourner - and it seems less intriguing in comparison.
Interestingly enough, district attorney Hamilton Burger (first introduced to the series in book #6) is not too antagonistic and belligerent towards Mason, he only turns into his arch nemesis later in the series (this is only book #9). Here he is polite and almost "friendly", giving the case against Mason's client the benefit of the doubt and it is not even him who represents the prosecution in the trial. Maybe this is what I am missing.
On consideration, this is not a bad book at all. It has all the usual action / red-herrings and startling outcome at the end, and yet it did not leave a lasting impression.
Possibly, because I recently re-read 2 of my favourite Mason-books - The Case of the Lucky Loser & The Case of the Angry Mourner - and it seems less intriguing in comparison.
Interestingly enough, district attorney Hamilton Burger (first introduced to the series in book #6) is not too antagonistic and belligerent towards Mason, he only turns into his arch nemesis later in the series (this is only book #9). Here he is polite and almost "friendly", giving the case against Mason's client the benefit of the doubt and it is not even him who represents the prosecution in the trial. Maybe this is what I am missing.
December 17, 2014
This is an early entry from the Perry Mason series, first published in 1936, when Perry could still drive anywhere in Los Angeles and get there in about twenty minutes and when one still had no problems finding a cab in L.A.
A stuttering bishop from Australia appears in Perry's office one afternoon, hinting at an injustice that began twenty-two years earlier when a millionaire, angry because his son had married against his wishes, conspires to make the son's new bride a fugitive from justice, fleeing from a trumped-up manslaughter charge. Now the son has died and it turns out that before divorcing his wife on Dad's orders, the wife got pregnant and had a daughter. After the son dies, Grandad takes the twenty-year-old daughter into his home.
The bishop can't or won't give Perry the full story and says Perry will have to puzzle it out for himself and see that justice is served. Perry is very suspicious because he can't imagine a stutterer rising to the rank of a bishop. But Mason loves a good mystery above all else and so dives in with both feet. Inevitably, someone's going to die and the case will take all sorts of complicated twists and turns.
Reading this book, one is again particularly impressed with the abilities of Mason's detective, Paul Drake, and the size of the agency that Drake runs. Paul is always there when Perry calls; he's never out of the office, and he never has to tell Perry that he's busy with another case and will get back to him next week. And he's virtually never short of manpower.
The second the bishop leaves the office, Perry is on the horn to Paul, wanting every last scrap of information about the bishop and several other people. And of course he wants it immediately. This would be virtually impossible, even in the age of the Internet, but it poses no problem for Paul. Perry also instructs Drake to track down the bishop and have him followed. Perry also wants Paul to follow everyone who contacts the bishop. Again, this appears to be no problem and Paul will dispatch several of the thirty or forty operatives who are apparently hanging around the office and ready to go to work.
My father loved these books and they were the first "adult" novels I ever read as a child, thus I've always had a soft spot in my heart for them. It's always fun to pull one off the shelf and turn back the clock to the days of my youth. As implausible as Perry's cases always are, they never fail to entertain me.
A stuttering bishop from Australia appears in Perry's office one afternoon, hinting at an injustice that began twenty-two years earlier when a millionaire, angry because his son had married against his wishes, conspires to make the son's new bride a fugitive from justice, fleeing from a trumped-up manslaughter charge. Now the son has died and it turns out that before divorcing his wife on Dad's orders, the wife got pregnant and had a daughter. After the son dies, Grandad takes the twenty-year-old daughter into his home.
The bishop can't or won't give Perry the full story and says Perry will have to puzzle it out for himself and see that justice is served. Perry is very suspicious because he can't imagine a stutterer rising to the rank of a bishop. But Mason loves a good mystery above all else and so dives in with both feet. Inevitably, someone's going to die and the case will take all sorts of complicated twists and turns.
Reading this book, one is again particularly impressed with the abilities of Mason's detective, Paul Drake, and the size of the agency that Drake runs. Paul is always there when Perry calls; he's never out of the office, and he never has to tell Perry that he's busy with another case and will get back to him next week. And he's virtually never short of manpower.
The second the bishop leaves the office, Perry is on the horn to Paul, wanting every last scrap of information about the bishop and several other people. And of course he wants it immediately. This would be virtually impossible, even in the age of the Internet, but it poses no problem for Paul. Perry also instructs Drake to track down the bishop and have him followed. Perry also wants Paul to follow everyone who contacts the bishop. Again, this appears to be no problem and Paul will dispatch several of the thirty or forty operatives who are apparently hanging around the office and ready to go to work.
My father loved these books and they were the first "adult" novels I ever read as a child, thus I've always had a soft spot in my heart for them. It's always fun to pull one off the shelf and turn back the clock to the days of my youth. As implausible as Perry's cases always are, they never fail to entertain me.
October 23, 2020
Note on the Goodreads description for this book: every one of the three sentences involves a major inaccuracy, so readers are best advised to ignore it!
In 1936 (the author's present) Los Angeles, lawyer Perry Mason is visited by a man who claims to be (but IS he?) William Mallory, Anglican bishop of Sydney, Australia. He gives Mason a heads-up that he's soon to be consulted about a case involving "the rights of a woman who has been greatly wronged." Mallory will be a witness in that case, and he doesn't want his contact with Mason to be known. What he reveals is the introduction to a tangled case that will involve: the inheritance rights to a millionaire's estate; a manslaughter charge from a drunk-driving allegation back in 1914; a long-missing fugitive; two claimants to be the aforesaid millionaire's granddaughter (only one of whom can be genuine); abuse of wealth and power; and, before it's over, murder, disappearance of key players in the case, thugs up to skulduggery, and lots and lots of hidden secrets and hard-to-unravel mysteries.
As a kid, I was a fan of the 1957-1966 TV series Perry Mason, starring Raymond Burr, which was inspired by Gardner's series; and I also read several of the later books, written in the 50s and 60s (Gardner died in 1970), though I'd never listed them here because I couldn't recall the titles. (There are something like 85 books in the series, but they don't need to be read in order.) I read this one, picked from a library, to give Gardner some representation on my shelves that would at least reflect the fact that I'd read his work. As it turned out, though, this early Mason incarnation isn't actually very representative of the later ones that I read. The later Mason had evolved into the urbane, polished figure aptly portrayed by Burr, and the style had matured into something more like the traditional mysteries of writers like Christie (which I was reading at the same time in my life). But his early roots were in the noir, "hard-boiled" tradition of inter-war American detective pulp fiction, which is more violent, grittier, and written with a lot of slang and tough talk; Mason here, despite his law degree, comes across as more of a roughneck. That's not to say that the mystery isn't challenging, and doesn't require considerable deductive reasoning --it does. (I figured out some things before the reveal, but very far from everything.) And unlike some writers in this tradition, Gardner does have a solid moral vision, and his protagonist reflects it --Mason won't take big money to help a guilty brat escape the consequences of his actions, though he has an offer. He's genuinely interested in using his skills to see justice done.
As in the later books and the TV series, Mason employs detective Paul Drake and his agency to do much of his leg work; but he's the deductive brains behind the solution of the mysteries, and here he's also involved in some evidence-gathering on his own --in one case, putting both himself and his secretary Della Street in danger rather foolishly, IMO. (Della plays a more active role in investigation here than her later incarnations would.) There's no sexual content here, and no romance for the unmarried hero --it's clear to the reader in a couple of places, from her body language, that Della is romantically attracted to him; but for somebody who prides himself on his ability to read people, he's sadly clueless to this. (Of course, given that he often addresses her as "kid," he's probably significantly older than she is.) Bad language is mostly of the h- and d-word variety, and not extensive, though there are a couple instances of religious profanity I didn't appreciate. Racist language here in a couple of places is also grating --a character, in praising an action, says that it's "white of you" (as if whites hold the monopoly on commendable behavior!), and Mason uses the n-word casually. (There are no black characters here; he's using it simply as part of a colloquialism --but still!)
Overall, I felt there were enough positives here to rate this at three stars (rounded up from two and a half). But I don't plan to revisit the series, since there are other fictional detectives I like better.
In 1936 (the author's present) Los Angeles, lawyer Perry Mason is visited by a man who claims to be (but IS he?) William Mallory, Anglican bishop of Sydney, Australia. He gives Mason a heads-up that he's soon to be consulted about a case involving "the rights of a woman who has been greatly wronged." Mallory will be a witness in that case, and he doesn't want his contact with Mason to be known. What he reveals is the introduction to a tangled case that will involve: the inheritance rights to a millionaire's estate; a manslaughter charge from a drunk-driving allegation back in 1914; a long-missing fugitive; two claimants to be the aforesaid millionaire's granddaughter (only one of whom can be genuine); abuse of wealth and power; and, before it's over, murder, disappearance of key players in the case, thugs up to skulduggery, and lots and lots of hidden secrets and hard-to-unravel mysteries.
As a kid, I was a fan of the 1957-1966 TV series Perry Mason, starring Raymond Burr, which was inspired by Gardner's series; and I also read several of the later books, written in the 50s and 60s (Gardner died in 1970), though I'd never listed them here because I couldn't recall the titles. (There are something like 85 books in the series, but they don't need to be read in order.) I read this one, picked from a library, to give Gardner some representation on my shelves that would at least reflect the fact that I'd read his work. As it turned out, though, this early Mason incarnation isn't actually very representative of the later ones that I read. The later Mason had evolved into the urbane, polished figure aptly portrayed by Burr, and the style had matured into something more like the traditional mysteries of writers like Christie (which I was reading at the same time in my life). But his early roots were in the noir, "hard-boiled" tradition of inter-war American detective pulp fiction, which is more violent, grittier, and written with a lot of slang and tough talk; Mason here, despite his law degree, comes across as more of a roughneck. That's not to say that the mystery isn't challenging, and doesn't require considerable deductive reasoning --it does. (I figured out some things before the reveal, but very far from everything.) And unlike some writers in this tradition, Gardner does have a solid moral vision, and his protagonist reflects it --Mason won't take big money to help a guilty brat escape the consequences of his actions, though he has an offer. He's genuinely interested in using his skills to see justice done.
As in the later books and the TV series, Mason employs detective Paul Drake and his agency to do much of his leg work; but he's the deductive brains behind the solution of the mysteries, and here he's also involved in some evidence-gathering on his own --in one case, putting both himself and his secretary Della Street in danger rather foolishly, IMO. (Della plays a more active role in investigation here than her later incarnations would.) There's no sexual content here, and no romance for the unmarried hero --it's clear to the reader in a couple of places, from her body language, that Della is romantically attracted to him; but for somebody who prides himself on his ability to read people, he's sadly clueless to this. (Of course, given that he often addresses her as "kid," he's probably significantly older than she is.) Bad language is mostly of the h- and d-word variety, and not extensive, though there are a couple instances of religious profanity I didn't appreciate. Racist language here in a couple of places is also grating --a character, in praising an action, says that it's "white of you" (as if whites hold the monopoly on commendable behavior!), and Mason uses the n-word casually. (There are no black characters here; he's using it simply as part of a colloquialism --but still!)
Overall, I felt there were enough positives here to rate this at three stars (rounded up from two and a half). But I don't plan to revisit the series, since there are other fictional detectives I like better.
June 23, 2019
My reading copy is pre-ISBN, hardcover with dusk jacket Towerbooks 1946.
This is a pre-war Perry Mason and then I mean pre-WWII. The story lost me a few times in the first hundred pages, it could be my lack of understanding or the really convulsed plot that left me scratching my head in bewilderment.
It is about false identities, murder, inheritances, and falsehoods. Even Perry became physical when his assistent Della Street was assaulted. It is very little courtroom and a lot of melodrama. I would not advise first-time readers to start with this book by Erle Stanley Gardner about Perry Mason, it just might put you of for the better installments.
These books are fun uncomplicated, well they are supposed to be uncomplicated fun this one isn't. But as I have quite few more and read more in the past and will do again I do enjoy this era of book hero's when the world of crime was solved by thinking and not CSI tactics or computers. Good old fashioned entertainment from another era.
This is a pre-war Perry Mason and then I mean pre-WWII. The story lost me a few times in the first hundred pages, it could be my lack of understanding or the really convulsed plot that left me scratching my head in bewilderment.
It is about false identities, murder, inheritances, and falsehoods. Even Perry became physical when his assistent Della Street was assaulted. It is very little courtroom and a lot of melodrama. I would not advise first-time readers to start with this book by Erle Stanley Gardner about Perry Mason, it just might put you of for the better installments.
These books are fun uncomplicated, well they are supposed to be uncomplicated fun this one isn't. But as I have quite few more and read more in the past and will do again I do enjoy this era of book hero's when the world of crime was solved by thinking and not CSI tactics or computers. Good old fashioned entertainment from another era.
June 9, 2019
COUNTDOWN: Mid 20th Century American Crime
BOOK 226 (of 250)
Hook=2: A stuttering bishop enters Mason's office and tells a sort-of-interesting story but not enough of a good story to hook a reader, not even for a few chapters.
Pace=2: At only 93,342 words, relatively short for the crime genre, there is no reason this book couldn't have been a one-sit fast read. But its seemed sluggish. AND, it took me 4 days to wade through this one. I love one-sit crime stories, but there aren't many out there.
Plot=1: If you're a fan of world literature and contradictions/feuds/trials within, you're certainly familiar with The Tichnor Case of Victorian England in which an imposter returns from Australia to claim a fortune. Well, here it is again, with about a dozen imposters and an over-convoluted plot.
People=3: Why, it's Perry and Della and Paul, made famous primarily by the TV show which ran nine years. They may or may not really be great characters, but they do have their place in crime literature in America. And Della is the standout, making Perry and Paul seem like total fools often, and that's unusual for this genre, and a very nice change.. But in book form, movies, and TV shows, they naturally became well-known, and liked, characters, even though Paul is a total jerk.
Atmosphere=2: How can one NOT nail Los Angeles and San Francisco? This book could have been set anywhere.
Summary: My average rating is 2.0. I know there must be more original stories by this author, but oddly it feels these were written specifically for 45 minute TV shows. One big flaw I thought was that suddenly, at the end, we're in a courtroom to settle matters, but what happened to all the investigation needed to arrive at Mason's conclusion?
BOOK 226 (of 250)
Hook=2: A stuttering bishop enters Mason's office and tells a sort-of-interesting story but not enough of a good story to hook a reader, not even for a few chapters.
Pace=2: At only 93,342 words, relatively short for the crime genre, there is no reason this book couldn't have been a one-sit fast read. But its seemed sluggish. AND, it took me 4 days to wade through this one. I love one-sit crime stories, but there aren't many out there.
Plot=1: If you're a fan of world literature and contradictions/feuds/trials within, you're certainly familiar with The Tichnor Case of Victorian England in which an imposter returns from Australia to claim a fortune. Well, here it is again, with about a dozen imposters and an over-convoluted plot.
People=3: Why, it's Perry and Della and Paul, made famous primarily by the TV show which ran nine years. They may or may not really be great characters, but they do have their place in crime literature in America. And Della is the standout, making Perry and Paul seem like total fools often, and that's unusual for this genre, and a very nice change.. But in book form, movies, and TV shows, they naturally became well-known, and liked, characters, even though Paul is a total jerk.
Atmosphere=2: How can one NOT nail Los Angeles and San Francisco? This book could have been set anywhere.
Summary: My average rating is 2.0. I know there must be more original stories by this author, but oddly it feels these were written specifically for 45 minute TV shows. One big flaw I thought was that suddenly, at the end, we're in a courtroom to settle matters, but what happened to all the investigation needed to arrive at Mason's conclusion?
October 5, 2025
4 Stars. This will strain your concentration - mine was never good anyway! It's worth it. I enjoyed the action of this Perry Mason mystery. There are even a few great court scenes too. On the opening page, Mason and his secretary, Della Street, meet Bishop William Mallory of Australia. He stutters. He's looking for legal advice and brings a convoluted story to the table. About a young couple who fell in love twenty years ago. Julia Branner, a nurse, and Oscar Brownley, son of the not-yet-but-soon-to-be millionaire Renwold Brownley - one of the least liked people in California. Dad didn't approve and the young couple fled to Australia. But, there was a car crash with Julia at the wheel before the two departed during which a rancher was killed. Renwold had authorities charge her with manslaughter. Oscar returned but Julia didn't. It turned out she was pregnant. Janice is now a young adult and her father has since passed away. The Bishop thinks Perry should help her to be recognized as Renwold's granddaughter. And heir. Can Perry and Paul Drake believe the Bishop? There's an imposter in the mix somewhere. And soon old man Brownley gets murdered. Who dun-it? (Oc2025)
February 4, 2019
I've been reading Gardner's Perry Mason books off and on for decades. 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 (in the literary sense), such as Ross Macdonald, may find Gardner's writing to be stiff and mechanical. 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 1954 are the best. This one was published in 1936, and is a prime example of Gardner's early, gritty, film noir stage, which lasted until around 1941. It is great!
The story begins when Anglican Bishop Mallory from Australia calls on Perry Mason. He tells a story of a chain of events of twenty-two years ago. Briefly, back then in LA, the elder son of a wealthy man named Renwold Brownley impetuously married a woman "beneath him" named Julia. Renwold Brownley hated her. The two young folks went to Australia where a baby girl was born. It was put up for adoption. The bishop was then a pastor who helped in the adoption. The young man soon returned to the US; his wife did not. In a few more years the young man died, and the young woman (Julia) faded from sight.
About three years before the present, the wealthy man, now old, wants to find his lost granddaughter. He spends a lot of money on detectives, who find the young woman -- or "a" young woman. She comes to live in the old man's mansion, where there is also living a grandson, who is the son of Brownley's other son, who is also now deceased.
So what's the problem? Bishop Mallory, who was coming to the US anyway, is convinced the young woman living with Brownley is an imposter. He wants to right this wrong. Furthermore, he says he knows where Julia is, and where the real granddaughter is! Both are in the US. But Mason is suspicious: the bishop stutters. A real bishop wouldn't do that, as public speaking is important to those who rise to that rank. Maybe Mallory is the imposter?
Soon Julia shows up and becomes Mason's client. The bishop mysteriously drops from sight, old man Brownley is murdered, Julia is arrested, and the race is on to find out what really happened. As usual, Mason skates around the edge of the law. He sets up a ruse involving Della Street as decoy to try to flush some of the people into the open. As a result, Della is almost murdered! Perry is in a fist fight and clobbers someone!
The sequence of events leading to the murder is quite complex. Many people are on the move in the vicinity. How many yellow or white raincoats can there be in LA? (Three at least) Yet the ultimate resolution is satisfying. The plot is ingenious in that two plausible explanations exist (before the last few pages), one of which implicates Perry in illegal activities.
Hamilton Burger takes a personal interest in the case. Burger is out to get Mason. He says Mason has gone too far this time, and he is going to get him disbarred!
Like many of the stories early in the Perry Mason opus, this is an exotic romantic story. It's a real page turner, full of tense scenes. There is a bit of violence. I love it!
The courtroom scenes are very good, but not among the very best in the Perry Mason canon.
Characters:
Bishop William Mallory, of Sydney, Australia, who comes with a story of 22 years ago and stutters while telling it -- unless he's a fake.
Renwold C. Brownley, millionaire grandfather looking for his long-lost graddaughter.
Oscar Brownley, deceased son who fathered the grandchild long ago.
Janice Seaton, one candidate for the missing grandaughter.
Julia Branner, who married Oscar 22 years ago.
Janice Brownley, presumed missing granddaughter, recently living with Renwold.
Philip Brownley, grandson of Renwold, cousin of Janice.
Jim Pauley, house detective at a hotel where Mallory stays.
Stella Kenwood, friend of Julia Branner.
Harry Coulter, detective in the employ of Paul Drake.
Gordon Bixler, yacht owner who witnesses a murder.
Peter Sacks, hard boiled detective.
Victor Stockton, detective mastermind.
This is a story that could not happen today, with much more extensive and easy communication and with DNA testing.
Good points: sympathetic client, Perry in jeopardy for his career, Della is a decoy in a dangerous ruse. Good use of Paul Drake, great use of Burger. No Lt. Tragg. (too early)
This is one of my favorite Mason stories. Highly recommended.
Negative points: coincidence of Mallory being on the same ship as the young woman "imposter." Without giving away a spoiler, I'll just say that the actions of some of the people (the imposters) seem a bit unreal.
This story is somewhat similar to the Careless Kitten: something happened at least ten years ago in a wealthy family involving a disappearance. At least one innocent young person today is affected, as is the ownwership of all that money.
It is very similar to Ross Macdonald's The Galton Case. I have to wonder if this was not the inspiration for the Galton Case.
Those who are used to really fine mystery writers (in the literary sense), such as Ross Macdonald, may find Gardner's writing to be stiff and mechanical. 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 1954 are the best. This one was published in 1936, and is a prime example of Gardner's early, gritty, film noir stage, which lasted until around 1941. It is great!
The story begins when Anglican Bishop Mallory from Australia calls on Perry Mason. He tells a story of a chain of events of twenty-two years ago. Briefly, back then in LA, the elder son of a wealthy man named Renwold Brownley impetuously married a woman "beneath him" named Julia. Renwold Brownley hated her. The two young folks went to Australia where a baby girl was born. It was put up for adoption. The bishop was then a pastor who helped in the adoption. The young man soon returned to the US; his wife did not. In a few more years the young man died, and the young woman (Julia) faded from sight.
About three years before the present, the wealthy man, now old, wants to find his lost granddaughter. He spends a lot of money on detectives, who find the young woman -- or "a" young woman. She comes to live in the old man's mansion, where there is also living a grandson, who is the son of Brownley's other son, who is also now deceased.
So what's the problem? Bishop Mallory, who was coming to the US anyway, is convinced the young woman living with Brownley is an imposter. He wants to right this wrong. Furthermore, he says he knows where Julia is, and where the real granddaughter is! Both are in the US. But Mason is suspicious: the bishop stutters. A real bishop wouldn't do that, as public speaking is important to those who rise to that rank. Maybe Mallory is the imposter?
Soon Julia shows up and becomes Mason's client. The bishop mysteriously drops from sight, old man Brownley is murdered, Julia is arrested, and the race is on to find out what really happened. As usual, Mason skates around the edge of the law. He sets up a ruse involving Della Street as decoy to try to flush some of the people into the open. As a result, Della is almost murdered! Perry is in a fist fight and clobbers someone!
The sequence of events leading to the murder is quite complex. Many people are on the move in the vicinity. How many yellow or white raincoats can there be in LA? (Three at least) Yet the ultimate resolution is satisfying. The plot is ingenious in that two plausible explanations exist (before the last few pages), one of which implicates Perry in illegal activities.
Hamilton Burger takes a personal interest in the case. Burger is out to get Mason. He says Mason has gone too far this time, and he is going to get him disbarred!
Like many of the stories early in the Perry Mason opus, this is an exotic romantic story. It's a real page turner, full of tense scenes. There is a bit of violence. I love it!
The courtroom scenes are very good, but not among the very best in the Perry Mason canon.
Characters:
Bishop William Mallory, of Sydney, Australia, who comes with a story of 22 years ago and stutters while telling it -- unless he's a fake.
Renwold C. Brownley, millionaire grandfather looking for his long-lost graddaughter.
Oscar Brownley, deceased son who fathered the grandchild long ago.
Janice Seaton, one candidate for the missing grandaughter.
Julia Branner, who married Oscar 22 years ago.
Janice Brownley, presumed missing granddaughter, recently living with Renwold.
Philip Brownley, grandson of Renwold, cousin of Janice.
Jim Pauley, house detective at a hotel where Mallory stays.
Stella Kenwood, friend of Julia Branner.
Harry Coulter, detective in the employ of Paul Drake.
Gordon Bixler, yacht owner who witnesses a murder.
Peter Sacks, hard boiled detective.
Victor Stockton, detective mastermind.
This is a story that could not happen today, with much more extensive and easy communication and with DNA testing.
Good points: sympathetic client, Perry in jeopardy for his career, Della is a decoy in a dangerous ruse. Good use of Paul Drake, great use of Burger. No Lt. Tragg. (too early)
This is one of my favorite Mason stories. Highly recommended.
Negative points: coincidence of Mallory being on the same ship as the young woman "imposter." Without giving away a spoiler, I'll just say that the actions of some of the people (the imposters) seem a bit unreal.
This story is somewhat similar to the Careless Kitten: something happened at least ten years ago in a wealthy family involving a disappearance. At least one innocent young person today is affected, as is the ownwership of all that money.
It is very similar to Ross Macdonald's The Galton Case. I have to wonder if this was not the inspiration for the Galton Case.
July 17, 2017
Bishops don't stutter.
This is one of my favorite in the series, but I can't really explain why.
Perhaps I like when Perry gets a bit meta towards the end:
Then he said, "Della, it's so damned wild that it doesn't sound logical, but it's absolutely the only thing which will explain the facts in this case, and, when you stop to think of it, it's so absolutely plain and open that the great wonder is we didn't realize it before."
This quote could summarize almost every Perry Mason book out there, and I know for a fact he says similar things in many of the other stories. But it is particularly true in this book. Here we have a story that furnishes enough clues for the readers to perhaps piece together the basics, but which are not obvious or blaring - you never have to yell at the characters to figure it out in Perry Mason.
This masterful and, honestly, more complex-than-the-standard-Perry-Mason, also provides the reader quite a bit more action than is usually (directly) seen in a Perry Mason case (that is because this is an early one - Perry got his hands a bit dirtier in the 30s and 40s than he did in the 50s, 60s, and 70s!).
Overall this book is just great, but there isn't one thing that makes it so. The plot, mystery, characters, and confession all just fits together well. It is paced well and involves interesting characters and clews, and I MUCH prefer the book to the television episode of the same name.
This is one of my favorite in the series, but I can't really explain why.
Perhaps I like when Perry gets a bit meta towards the end:
Then he said, "Della, it's so damned wild that it doesn't sound logical, but it's absolutely the only thing which will explain the facts in this case, and, when you stop to think of it, it's so absolutely plain and open that the great wonder is we didn't realize it before."
This quote could summarize almost every Perry Mason book out there, and I know for a fact he says similar things in many of the other stories. But it is particularly true in this book. Here we have a story that furnishes enough clues for the readers to perhaps piece together the basics, but which are not obvious or blaring - you never have to yell at the characters to figure it out in Perry Mason.
This masterful and, honestly, more complex-than-the-standard-Perry-Mason, also provides the reader quite a bit more action than is usually (directly) seen in a Perry Mason case (that is because this is an early one - Perry got his hands a bit dirtier in the 30s and 40s than he did in the 50s, 60s, and 70s!).
Overall this book is just great, but there isn't one thing that makes it so. The plot, mystery, characters, and confession all just fits together well. It is paced well and involves interesting characters and clews, and I MUCH prefer the book to the television episode of the same name.
January 31, 2018
A bishop visits Perry Mason to ask for his advice about a situation that happened many years ago. A young woman faced a manslaughter charge and it has kept her out of the country. She had a child but gave the child to the Bishop to put up for adoption. Later her husband dies. Her father-in-law wants her child in order to make her the heir of his wealth.
The Bishop wants to know if the woman still is in any danger of having charges pressed against her after all these years. The reason is because he feel it is imperative that this woman come forward and identify her daughter.
The bishop is convinced that a woman who has come forward claiming to be the long lost granddaughter is an imposter. If the mother could return without fear of arrest, this question could be put to rest.
This starts an investigation by Perry Mason that leads to all sorts of mysteries and wheels within wheels that must all be resolved before arriving at who is the real grand daughter.
At times I found the plot a little convoluted because a murder happens and the one person who looks guilty is the only person without a motive. I also found it hard to keep up with everyone's name and remember who was who.
Still, a satisfying weekend read and I recommend it.
The Bishop wants to know if the woman still is in any danger of having charges pressed against her after all these years. The reason is because he feel it is imperative that this woman come forward and identify her daughter.
The bishop is convinced that a woman who has come forward claiming to be the long lost granddaughter is an imposter. If the mother could return without fear of arrest, this question could be put to rest.
This starts an investigation by Perry Mason that leads to all sorts of mysteries and wheels within wheels that must all be resolved before arriving at who is the real grand daughter.
At times I found the plot a little convoluted because a murder happens and the one person who looks guilty is the only person without a motive. I also found it hard to keep up with everyone's name and remember who was who.
Still, a satisfying weekend read and I recommend it.
October 22, 2015
I read a lot of Perry Mason books back in the 60s. Now I'm going through the whole series by taking them in chronological order and reading one every so often. I usually don't review each one because they are all 4 star mysteries, highly readable, entertaining etc. This time I am writing a review to pat myself on the back and say that this is the first time I correctly identified the shooter early on in the book.
November 14, 2014
First of all, one should keep in mind that this was written in 1936 (a whopping 58 years before I was even born) when criticizing it. A lot has been said about it, especially its written style.
Some say it is tedious. I say that this novel was way beyond its time. It could only have come from an American in those times, and I admire Stanley Gardner's courage in style. In fact, it is like reading a TV episode of the same genre (though I guess this was intended in this case). It will keep you guessing a lot, I honestly did not figure it out on my own. I mean I did notice who the Seaton girl really was from nearly the beginning, but not that her real mother's friend was the murderer, for example (no spoiler here). People do not realize that this was written at a time when the mode of execution in America was the Gallows. It is bold in style, creative and enjoyable.
Some compare it to the TV , Perry Mason, episodes. My suggestion? Read the books as well: if you manage to find copies of them, that is.
Some say it is tedious. I say that this novel was way beyond its time. It could only have come from an American in those times, and I admire Stanley Gardner's courage in style. In fact, it is like reading a TV episode of the same genre (though I guess this was intended in this case). It will keep you guessing a lot, I honestly did not figure it out on my own. I mean I did notice who the Seaton girl really was from nearly the beginning, but not that her real mother's friend was the murderer, for example (no spoiler here). People do not realize that this was written at a time when the mode of execution in America was the Gallows. It is bold in style, creative and enjoyable.
Some compare it to the TV , Perry Mason, episodes. My suggestion? Read the books as well: if you manage to find copies of them, that is.
April 13, 2015
Bishop William Mallory, on vacation/sabbatical in LA from Sydney, Australia, arrives at to Perry Mason's office to retain the lawyer under curious conditions. Twenty-two years ago, Mallory says, a young woman in this state was involved in a fatal car crash immediately after her wedding; although there was no clear evidence that she was at fault, her rich father-in-law, who loathed her, bribed the local authorities to level a charge of manslaughter at her. She and her husband fled to Australia, where she bore a daughter. Finally the rich man bought back his son. Since then the son has died. The rich man hired detectives to find the granddaughter, who's now ensconced in the home of granddad. Except that the young woman is an impostor . . .
Bishop Mallory cannot say more. Perry will be able to put things together in due course, Mallory's sure. And indeed Perry very soon, with the help of Paul Drake of the Drake Detective Agency (which seems to have unlimited manpower), identifies the principals as Renwold C. Brownley, his estranged daughter-in-law Julia Branner, and his "granddaughter" Janice. What Mason can't work out is how a man with a pronounced stutter, as Mallory has, could ever become a bishop . . .
Soon enough Julia Branner calls by Mason's office, and he obeys Mallory's instructions to try to help her. At first she's cooperative but, after someone matching her description knocks off Ol' Man Brownley, she clams up on him. It seems Perry will yet again have to solve a murder case despite a reluctant client.
It's hard to assess the literary merit of a Perry Mason novel. They always give the impression of being written in great haste (in fact, Gardner dictated them to a battery of secretaries), so that there are all sorts of stylistic blemishes -- repeated words, etc. And there are a couple of plot flaws here, too. At one point a character tailing another's car switches on his headlights so the prey won't be able to identify the make of the car that's following her; a couple of pages earlier, we've been told it's daylight. Elsewhere, Julia tells Perry she sent a message to Brownley via taxi; twenty or thirty pages later she tells him it wasn't her, and neither of them seem to have a memory of the earlier conversation. Added to this, the opening sequences of the courtroom chapters are far too full of those tedious "Objection, your honor! The question is immaterial, leading, misleading, irrelevant, badly phrased, contentious, inhospitable and full of basic grammatical errors!" interruptions.
But where this succeeds magnificently, like all the (many) Perry Mason books I've read, is in keeping the pages speeding along at great pace. The key lies, of course, in Gardner's adroit puzzle creation. Here the plot is of a staggering level of implausibility and yet, within its own constraints, it functions extremely well and seems perfectly credible. No one in real life would behave the way these characters do, but this isn't real life: it's a Perry Mason novel. After our initial suspension of disbelief, everything works just fine.
Even the stuttering of Bishop Mallory is adequately explained by book's end.
A warning to folk who've not read a Perry Mason novel before -- two warnings, really. First, the characters in the novels (with the arguable exception of Della) aren't much at all like either of the Raymond Burr TV incarnations. Second, to go by my decades-ago first encounter with the books, you need to read two or three (they're quite short) to really get into the swing of PerryMasonWorld. Yes, Gardner's prose is mediocre . . . but in due course you realize it's wonderfully serviceable; it's just what's needed for the tales he's telling. Yes, his characterization is rudimentary and stereotyped . . . and again, in due course, you realize this serves as a means of not distracting you from the puzzle, which is the main -- and not inconsiderable -- pleasure on offer.
The Case of the Stuttering Bishop was, for me, a long overdue and very enjoyable revisit to a series I've been ignoring for far too long. I must read more of them . . .
-----
This is an offering for Rich Westwood's Past Offences 1936 signup.
Bishop Mallory cannot say more. Perry will be able to put things together in due course, Mallory's sure. And indeed Perry very soon, with the help of Paul Drake of the Drake Detective Agency (which seems to have unlimited manpower), identifies the principals as Renwold C. Brownley, his estranged daughter-in-law Julia Branner, and his "granddaughter" Janice. What Mason can't work out is how a man with a pronounced stutter, as Mallory has, could ever become a bishop . . .
Soon enough Julia Branner calls by Mason's office, and he obeys Mallory's instructions to try to help her. At first she's cooperative but, after someone matching her description knocks off Ol' Man Brownley, she clams up on him. It seems Perry will yet again have to solve a murder case despite a reluctant client.
It's hard to assess the literary merit of a Perry Mason novel. They always give the impression of being written in great haste (in fact, Gardner dictated them to a battery of secretaries), so that there are all sorts of stylistic blemishes -- repeated words, etc. And there are a couple of plot flaws here, too. At one point a character tailing another's car switches on his headlights so the prey won't be able to identify the make of the car that's following her; a couple of pages earlier, we've been told it's daylight. Elsewhere, Julia tells Perry she sent a message to Brownley via taxi; twenty or thirty pages later she tells him it wasn't her, and neither of them seem to have a memory of the earlier conversation. Added to this, the opening sequences of the courtroom chapters are far too full of those tedious "Objection, your honor! The question is immaterial, leading, misleading, irrelevant, badly phrased, contentious, inhospitable and full of basic grammatical errors!" interruptions.
But where this succeeds magnificently, like all the (many) Perry Mason books I've read, is in keeping the pages speeding along at great pace. The key lies, of course, in Gardner's adroit puzzle creation. Here the plot is of a staggering level of implausibility and yet, within its own constraints, it functions extremely well and seems perfectly credible. No one in real life would behave the way these characters do, but this isn't real life: it's a Perry Mason novel. After our initial suspension of disbelief, everything works just fine.
Even the stuttering of Bishop Mallory is adequately explained by book's end.
A warning to folk who've not read a Perry Mason novel before -- two warnings, really. First, the characters in the novels (with the arguable exception of Della) aren't much at all like either of the Raymond Burr TV incarnations. Second, to go by my decades-ago first encounter with the books, you need to read two or three (they're quite short) to really get into the swing of PerryMasonWorld. Yes, Gardner's prose is mediocre . . . but in due course you realize it's wonderfully serviceable; it's just what's needed for the tales he's telling. Yes, his characterization is rudimentary and stereotyped . . . and again, in due course, you realize this serves as a means of not distracting you from the puzzle, which is the main -- and not inconsiderable -- pleasure on offer.
The Case of the Stuttering Bishop was, for me, a long overdue and very enjoyable revisit to a series I've been ignoring for far too long. I must read more of them . . .
-----
This is an offering for Rich Westwood's Past Offences 1936 signup.
September 6, 2021
The Case of the Stuttering Bishop by Erle Stanley Gardner is the 9th book in the Perry Mason series. A stuttering bishop hires Perry Mason to help a woman prove her daughter is rightfully the granddaughter of a millionaire. This book seemed to have too many twists making it rather confusing and convoluted. Perry Mason also seemed to take unnecessary risks. Not one of the better books in the series.
April 28, 2008
Well if it wasn't for the fact that this is a Perry Mason, I probably would have given it 1 star. It also proves the point that you can't always say 'the book is better than the movie' because I've seen this TV show and it is far better than the book. Way too confusing...even the title is misleading.
July 27, 2018
Confusing. But redeemed by the extensive use of ridiculous slang - old timey but not cool enough to reenter current vernacular.
October 8, 2014
A very concocted mystery that, if followed carefully, can be a great surprise in the end. I think this would be best to read in one sitting. What didn't help me is the amount of everything else happening around me from travel to performing. I forgot a couple bits of the book and got a bit lost as the book wound up.
I just had the exact same trouble with the Colin Dexter novel i read before this, 'The Riddle of the Third Mile'. Both have a series of characters that have similar names, various motivations, disappearing characters, etc. Both are similar in many ways, except, I feel, Dexter rather cheated in the end by a massive kill off of characters that didn't make much sense. This Perry Mason mystery ends with a rather complicated conclusion due to Gardner not being a killing machine towards the final bow.
Bottom line: I recommend this book.
I just had the exact same trouble with the Colin Dexter novel i read before this, 'The Riddle of the Third Mile'. Both have a series of characters that have similar names, various motivations, disappearing characters, etc. Both are similar in many ways, except, I feel, Dexter rather cheated in the end by a massive kill off of characters that didn't make much sense. This Perry Mason mystery ends with a rather complicated conclusion due to Gardner not being a killing machine towards the final bow.
Bottom line: I recommend this book.
March 28, 2022
I was curious how this would compare to my memories of the old TV series, and to no one's surprise it's significantly different and better. On the whole, though, I'm not a big fan of old mysteries (1936) and only give this one 3 stars. One way older mysteries make it hard to figure out who did it is to introduce a plethora of characters. This adds confusion rather than suspense or cleverness and to me detracts from the story. Give me fewer but richer, more finely drawn characters any day.
April 6, 2016
Julia Banner had to give up her baby when she was a young woman. Years after the fact, a young woman appears claiming to be Julia's daughter. Perry Mason is hired to sort out the true facts. This story is full of Gardner's usual twists and turns.
August 3, 2015
A good confusing mystery. I really liked the equation between Mason and Drake in this one. It is more equal, more friendly than the later books. Mr Gardner made Drake more of a side-kick, subordinate to Mason, in the later works... I like this better in that respect.
April 8, 2020
2,5 - way too convoluted.
January 25, 2021
Brilliant!!
Always a treat to read these books. Della is such a swell gal and Perry is brilliant. Had to chuckle at Paul Drake and Perry trading insults about the other's driving.
Always a treat to read these books. Della is such a swell gal and Perry is brilliant. Had to chuckle at Paul Drake and Perry trading insults about the other's driving.
September 28, 2020
Fra sostituzioni di persona, madri, giudici che scompaiono, sparatorie e inseguimenti, ho fatto un po' di confusione. Basso nella mia scala di gradimento, come tipo di giallo. Mi piaceva di più il Perry Mason televisivo.
August 27, 2021
3.5 stars
December 18, 2022
My advice: only read this one if you're the sort of person who guesses correctly whodunnit before the end of a crime show or book. If, like me, you need it explained to you at the end, you will, like me, be thoroughly confused.
This was one I picked to read for blogging challenge to read books published in 1936. I still have to write the review because I'm still totally confused. My husband collects the Perry Mason books, but previously I had been extremely disparaging. I have to grudgingly admit that the stories are pretty good. There were two Perry Masons published in 1936: this and The Case of the Sleepwalker's Niece. I chose to read this one because it was shorter and the other one's back cover put me off because it emphasised the court case, which is my least favourite part.
This was an interesting story revolving round people claiming to be who they weren't for the purposes of gaining an inheritance. Perry Mason in this book is more like a detective than a lawyer and is surprisingly rough, even getting involved in some fisticuffs. In the last Perry Mason I read, The Case of the Terrified Typist (1956), Della Street took a small risk to help the case by retrieving some documents, but in this one, her life is put in serious danger to bait the criminals. She also has to die her hair red with henna, but nobody comments on this later, as if it were no problem to wash it right out of your hair; I'm pretty sure it would have stayed that colour for a long time until it faded out.
This was an interesting case, but by the time it came to unravelling it, I was thoroughly confused as to exactly who was doing what at which time on the night of the murder. There were also puzzling inconsistencies in the story, or at least things that left me puzzled. Why would an Australian clergyman find parents to adopt a baby in the USA? Why is Janice worried about losing her citizenship if she is charged for manslaughter when she killed somebody in a car accident? And, most puzzling of all, why does the cover show blood and a white raincoat on a yacht? But most frustrating of all is not being able to completely follow what was going on. I may have to read through part of it all over again.
This was one I picked to read for blogging challenge to read books published in 1936. I still have to write the review because I'm still totally confused. My husband collects the Perry Mason books, but previously I had been extremely disparaging. I have to grudgingly admit that the stories are pretty good. There were two Perry Masons published in 1936: this and The Case of the Sleepwalker's Niece. I chose to read this one because it was shorter and the other one's back cover put me off because it emphasised the court case, which is my least favourite part.
This was an interesting story revolving round people claiming to be who they weren't for the purposes of gaining an inheritance. Perry Mason in this book is more like a detective than a lawyer and is surprisingly rough, even getting involved in some fisticuffs. In the last Perry Mason I read, The Case of the Terrified Typist (1956), Della Street took a small risk to help the case by retrieving some documents, but in this one, her life is put in serious danger to bait the criminals. She also has to die her hair red with henna, but nobody comments on this later, as if it were no problem to wash it right out of your hair; I'm pretty sure it would have stayed that colour for a long time until it faded out.
This was an interesting case, but by the time it came to unravelling it, I was thoroughly confused as to exactly who was doing what at which time on the night of the murder. There were also puzzling inconsistencies in the story, or at least things that left me puzzled. Why would an Australian clergyman find parents to adopt a baby in the USA? Why is Janice worried about losing her citizenship if she is charged for manslaughter when she killed somebody in a car accident? And, most puzzling of all, why does the cover show blood and a white raincoat on a yacht? But most frustrating of all is not being able to completely follow what was going on. I may have to read through part of it all over again.
September 6, 2022
Major characters:
Bishop William Mallory
Janice Seaton
Renwold C. Brownley
Oscar Brownley, Renwold's son (deceased)
Julia Branner, Oscar's widow, Perry Mason's client
Janice Brownley, Oscar & Julia's daughter
Philip Brownley, Oscar's nephew
Perry Mason, attorney at law
Locale: Los Angeles
Synopsis: Bishop William Mallory consults attorney Perry Mason - he is concerned about the statute of limitations on a drunk driving/manslaughter charge from 22 years ago. It is gradually revealed that the driver was Julia Branner, daughter-in-law of wealthy Renwold C. Brownley. She had become widowed upon the death of her husband, Oscar Brownley prior to the story. She has not been heard from for years. As there is no statue of limitations on a manslaughter charge, she is still a fugitive.
Renwold Brownley is about to change his will, reducting the inheritance to grandson Philip Brownley, and in favor of his granddaughter Janice Brownley, who is living with him. Several people suspect that Janice is not his real granddaughter, but a fake planted there by a rival detective agency to get the inheritance. It seems that the bishop's friend, Janice Seaton, may be the real granddaughter.
Renwold Browney is lured to the waterfront one night, and is shot by a woman unknown. Julia Branner calls on Mason, and although a fugitive, Mason takes her on as a client. The case hinges on identifying who the real granddaughter is, and the one person who can vouch for that - Bishop Mallory - is missing.
Review: This is one of the earlier (#9 in the series) Masons, and has the hard-boiled, more dominant Mason than in later books; and he is a better character for it. He is not afraid to kick in doors and punch faces. His relationship with D.A. Hamilton Burger is one of mutual wariness.
Early in the story Mason has a tense standoff discussion with Renwold Brownley. It is a long, excellent scene. Mason has met his match, and neither one budges an inch.
The plot device of announcing a will change to the relatives - in advance - always means a murder in the offing, and this one is no different.
The story ends with a teaser of the next book, The Case of the Dangerous Dowager; reminiscent of the teasers at the end of a Hardy Boys book.
Bishop William Mallory
Janice Seaton
Renwold C. Brownley
Oscar Brownley, Renwold's son (deceased)
Julia Branner, Oscar's widow, Perry Mason's client
Janice Brownley, Oscar & Julia's daughter
Philip Brownley, Oscar's nephew
Perry Mason, attorney at law
Locale: Los Angeles
Synopsis: Bishop William Mallory consults attorney Perry Mason - he is concerned about the statute of limitations on a drunk driving/manslaughter charge from 22 years ago. It is gradually revealed that the driver was Julia Branner, daughter-in-law of wealthy Renwold C. Brownley. She had become widowed upon the death of her husband, Oscar Brownley prior to the story. She has not been heard from for years. As there is no statue of limitations on a manslaughter charge, she is still a fugitive.
Renwold Brownley is about to change his will, reducting the inheritance to grandson Philip Brownley, and in favor of his granddaughter Janice Brownley, who is living with him. Several people suspect that Janice is not his real granddaughter, but a fake planted there by a rival detective agency to get the inheritance. It seems that the bishop's friend, Janice Seaton, may be the real granddaughter.
Renwold Browney is lured to the waterfront one night, and is shot by a woman unknown. Julia Branner calls on Mason, and although a fugitive, Mason takes her on as a client. The case hinges on identifying who the real granddaughter is, and the one person who can vouch for that - Bishop Mallory - is missing.
Review: This is one of the earlier (#9 in the series) Masons, and has the hard-boiled, more dominant Mason than in later books; and he is a better character for it. He is not afraid to kick in doors and punch faces. His relationship with D.A. Hamilton Burger is one of mutual wariness.
Early in the story Mason has a tense standoff discussion with Renwold Brownley. It is a long, excellent scene. Mason has met his match, and neither one budges an inch.
The plot device of announcing a will change to the relatives - in advance - always means a murder in the offing, and this one is no different.
The story ends with a teaser of the next book, The Case of the Dangerous Dowager; reminiscent of the teasers at the end of a Hardy Boys book.
December 17, 2015
his is an early entry from the Perry Mason series, first published in 1936, when Perry could still drive anywhere in Los Angeles and get there in about twenty minutes and when one still had no problems finding a cab in L.A.
A stuttering bishop from Australia appears in Perry's office one afternoon, hinting at an injustice that began twenty-two years earlier when a millionaire, angry because his son had married against his wishes, conspires to make the son's new bride a fugitive from justice, fleeing from a trumped-up manslaughter charge. Now the son has died and it turns out that before divorcing his wife on Dad's orders, the wife got pregnant and had a daughter. After the son dies, Grandad takes the twenty-year-old daughter into his home.
The bishop can't or won't give Perry the full story and says Perry will have to puzzle it out for himself and see that justice is served. Perry is very suspicious because he can't imagine a stutterer rising to the rank of a bishop. But Mason loves a good mystery above all else and so dives in with both feet. Inevitably, someone's going to die and the case will take all sorts of complicated twists and turns.
Reading this book, one is again particularly impressed with the abilities of Mason's detective, Paul Drake, and the size of the agency that Drake runs. Paul is always there when Perry calls; he's never out of the office, and he never has to tell Perry that he's busy with another case and will get back to him next week. And he's virtually never short of manpower.
The second the bishop leaves the office, Perry is on the horn to Paul, wanting every last scrap of information about the bishop and several other people. And of course he wants it immediately. This would be virtually impossible, even in the age of the Internet, but it poses no problem for Paul. Perry also instructs Drake to track down the bishop and have him followed. Perry also wants Paul to follow everyone who contacts the bishop. Again, this appears to be no problem and Paul will dispatch several of the thirty or forty operatives who are apparently hanging around the office and ready to go to work.
I love stepping back in time.
A stuttering bishop from Australia appears in Perry's office one afternoon, hinting at an injustice that began twenty-two years earlier when a millionaire, angry because his son had married against his wishes, conspires to make the son's new bride a fugitive from justice, fleeing from a trumped-up manslaughter charge. Now the son has died and it turns out that before divorcing his wife on Dad's orders, the wife got pregnant and had a daughter. After the son dies, Grandad takes the twenty-year-old daughter into his home.
The bishop can't or won't give Perry the full story and says Perry will have to puzzle it out for himself and see that justice is served. Perry is very suspicious because he can't imagine a stutterer rising to the rank of a bishop. But Mason loves a good mystery above all else and so dives in with both feet. Inevitably, someone's going to die and the case will take all sorts of complicated twists and turns.
Reading this book, one is again particularly impressed with the abilities of Mason's detective, Paul Drake, and the size of the agency that Drake runs. Paul is always there when Perry calls; he's never out of the office, and he never has to tell Perry that he's busy with another case and will get back to him next week. And he's virtually never short of manpower.
The second the bishop leaves the office, Perry is on the horn to Paul, wanting every last scrap of information about the bishop and several other people. And of course he wants it immediately. This would be virtually impossible, even in the age of the Internet, but it poses no problem for Paul. Perry also instructs Drake to track down the bishop and have him followed. Perry also wants Paul to follow everyone who contacts the bishop. Again, this appears to be no problem and Paul will dispatch several of the thirty or forty operatives who are apparently hanging around the office and ready to go to work.
I love stepping back in time.
November 7, 2016
I read this one twice, and yes, still three stars. The only "spoiler" here in this review is a warning to beware of the "N word" used early on in the novel by Perry Mason. It may have suited 1942 white male casual conversation, but it does not suit our current times and could be distasteful for many of you.
The story revolves around an Australian Bishop who has held the adoptive parents and identity of a illegitimate girl secret for decades and decides he must right a wrong being done to her. Both seek his help and have no money. This starts a mystery which Perry cannot resist. This involves several other money-hungry gold diggers who set up an elaborate hoax to keep their precarious hold on an inheritance. Their identities and motive for murder Perry has to solve on his own (although we get the actual solution from Della) with no help from his tight lipped client. Well, at least she isn't lying to him like his other clients always seem to. Della also puts herself in harms way for the case- shocking scenes!
This does not have my favorite hilarious banter with Lieutenant Tragg and is rather a straight forward mystery that develops into a murder. A pretty good mystery that you just don't quite see coming. You get classic Paul Drake, Perry Mason and Della Street, staying up all hours to find something on these people. The only running jokes that you will recognize from other novels are the driving abilities of Paul versus Perry, and Della on feminine intuition and skill.
Perry is actually worried about his reputation which is also precarious from this case, and D.A. Hamilton Berger gives him what for, somewhat dressing him down for his bad habit of chasing down evidence rather than just performing the law. Perry decides to join forces with the prosecution and at first they don't really buy it, but at the very end they start to change their minds and listen to him...
The story revolves around an Australian Bishop who has held the adoptive parents and identity of a illegitimate girl secret for decades and decides he must right a wrong being done to her. Both seek his help and have no money. This starts a mystery which Perry cannot resist. This involves several other money-hungry gold diggers who set up an elaborate hoax to keep their precarious hold on an inheritance. Their identities and motive for murder Perry has to solve on his own (although we get the actual solution from Della) with no help from his tight lipped client. Well, at least she isn't lying to him like his other clients always seem to. Della also puts herself in harms way for the case- shocking scenes!
This does not have my favorite hilarious banter with Lieutenant Tragg and is rather a straight forward mystery that develops into a murder. A pretty good mystery that you just don't quite see coming. You get classic Paul Drake, Perry Mason and Della Street, staying up all hours to find something on these people. The only running jokes that you will recognize from other novels are the driving abilities of Paul versus Perry, and Della on feminine intuition and skill.
Perry is actually worried about his reputation which is also precarious from this case, and D.A. Hamilton Berger gives him what for, somewhat dressing him down for his bad habit of chasing down evidence rather than just performing the law. Perry decides to join forces with the prosecution and at first they don't really buy it, but at the very end they start to change their minds and listen to him...
May 4, 2021
Magnificent! I LOVE Erle Stanley Gardner! He never disappoints, and I think that this is the best book that I have yet read in the Perry Mason series.
I also love the Perry Mason TV show. I have the DVD collection for the entire series, and I watch an episode a day.
I recently saw the TV adaptation of this book, so I was reluctant to read the book, concerned that the book would disappoint. It did not. There was more to enjoy in this book than in the TV adaptation: a more complicated plot, and more and interesting characters. There is much that must be cut or rewritten from a book if it is adapted to a TV show, simply because each TV episode is only 51 minutes long. In future, I will not be reluctant to read any other books that were adapted for the TV series.
I highly recommend the books and the TV series. I plan to read all of the books in the series.
CAVEAT: The Perry Mason series began in the 1930's, so occasionally you will read sayings and names common to that era that are offensive by any measure today, such as "That is mighty white of you" -- and worse! (The same is true of Raymond Chandler's books and the films of that time.) But the books are still worth reading if you like mysteries with complex plots that keep you guessing until the end. (However, Gardner is not a great stylist.)
I also love the Perry Mason TV show. I have the DVD collection for the entire series, and I watch an episode a day.
I recently saw the TV adaptation of this book, so I was reluctant to read the book, concerned that the book would disappoint. It did not. There was more to enjoy in this book than in the TV adaptation: a more complicated plot, and more and interesting characters. There is much that must be cut or rewritten from a book if it is adapted to a TV show, simply because each TV episode is only 51 minutes long. In future, I will not be reluctant to read any other books that were adapted for the TV series.
I highly recommend the books and the TV series. I plan to read all of the books in the series.
CAVEAT: The Perry Mason series began in the 1930's, so occasionally you will read sayings and names common to that era that are offensive by any measure today, such as "That is mighty white of you" -- and worse! (The same is true of Raymond Chandler's books and the films of that time.) But the books are still worth reading if you like mysteries with complex plots that keep you guessing until the end. (However, Gardner is not a great stylist.)
June 28, 2022
Perry Mason is much more on the hard boiled PI side than the lawyer side. He even puts Della Street in a precarious situation at one point. Paul Drake of the Drake Detective Agency, as usual, manages to find out impossible information within hours of being asked and is able to employ an infinite number of operatives on a moments notice. I imagine the Yelp reviews of the agency are all one star because Paul Drake always drops everything else when Perry Mason orders Della Street to call him.
I did like the book but the plot seemed complicated and some of the names were similar so it was a little confusing. The reveal was a couple long monologues by Perry Mason rather than the courtroom dramatics that are more effective.
The premise that “Bishops never stutter” seems weak but it’s all part of the fun. I will continue going through the series in order.
I did like the book but the plot seemed complicated and some of the names were similar so it was a little confusing. The reveal was a couple long monologues by Perry Mason rather than the courtroom dramatics that are more effective.
The premise that “Bishops never stutter” seems weak but it’s all part of the fun. I will continue going through the series in order.
July 16, 2022
I started watching the TV show again which I remembered liking as a kid. So I decided to read the books the show was based on. My libraries carried none of the books , but I found a few online. This is my third novel in the series, and, the second that was adapted to TV. So far, the characters are not very like the TV show characters. Perry is very physically active to the point of fist fighting and more investigator than lawyer. The TV show did a good job adapting these novels into tightly plotted mysteries. This story in particular had a convoluted plot that the show changed and simplified extensively. I can’t say I love these novels, but I will read a few more to see the character development.
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