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Perry Mason #47
The Case of the Glamorous Ghost
Master defense attorney Perry Mason is hired by a young woman to protect her scandalous and headstrong halfsister, Eleanor Corbin, from the consequences of her last escapade. Reissue.
232 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 1955
50 people are currently reading
647 people want to read
About the author
Erle Stanley Gardner
1,353 books819 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 96 reviews
June 10, 2025
Snappy
This one was fun to read and super easy to digest , perfect for when you’re in the mood for a one sitting kind of book. The writing flows smoothly without overcomplicating things, which makes it an enjoyable pick if you want something light but still clever.
What I really liked was the case itself, it had enough layers to keep me curious, and the way the main character managed to piece everything together was satisfying without feeling far fetched. Nothing groundbreaking, but definitely well done. A good choice when you're craving something crimey, quick, and entertaining.
This one was fun to read and super easy to digest , perfect for when you’re in the mood for a one sitting kind of book. The writing flows smoothly without overcomplicating things, which makes it an enjoyable pick if you want something light but still clever.
What I really liked was the case itself, it had enough layers to keep me curious, and the way the main character managed to piece everything together was satisfying without feeling far fetched. Nothing groundbreaking, but definitely well done. A good choice when you're craving something crimey, quick, and entertaining.
September 25, 2022
The trusted (and not-so-secret) & perfect Perry Mason formula:
- MC Perry Mason: handsome, astute, indefatigable and relentless defense attorney? √ Check
- his sidekick Della Street: pretty secretary with unwavering loyalty and devotion? √ Check
- sidekick Paul Drake, trustworthy and efficient private detective? √ Check
- his legal adversary and nemesis Hamilton Burger, bull-headed district attorney who should know better than to lock horns with Mason? √ Check
- his law enforcement adversary and nemesis Sgt. Holcomb, pig-headed police officer who should also know better than to lock horns with Mason? √ Check
- a client caught bang to rights in a hopeless case, but turning out to be innocent in the end? √ Check
- dramatic and gripping courtroom coup de theatre? √ Check
Does it make me happy? √√√ HELL, YESSS!√√√
- MC Perry Mason: handsome, astute, indefatigable and relentless defense attorney? √ Check
- his sidekick Della Street: pretty secretary with unwavering loyalty and devotion? √ Check
- sidekick Paul Drake, trustworthy and efficient private detective? √ Check
- his legal adversary and nemesis Hamilton Burger, bull-headed district attorney who should know better than to lock horns with Mason? √ Check
- his law enforcement adversary and nemesis Sgt. Holcomb, pig-headed police officer who should also know better than to lock horns with Mason? √ Check
- a client caught bang to rights in a hopeless case, but turning out to be innocent in the end? √ Check
- dramatic and gripping courtroom coup de theatre? √ Check
Does it make me happy? √√√ HELL, YESSS!√√√
July 26, 2024
A beautiful woman is caught scantily dressed and frolicking in a public park. She claims amnesia and cannot explain her actions. Perry Mason is approached by a woman who says she is the half-sister of the lady who was arrested and wants Mason to handle the adverse publicity that is likely to arise from this incident.
Mason secludes the woman in a private sanatarium to keep her out of the public eye. She claims she married her boyfriend in Las Vegas, but Paul Drake finds no evidence of such marriage. The boyfriend's body is later discovered in the park where the woman was arrested. It is established that he was murdered with a weapon she possessed and had brandished to several people before leaving for Las Vegas.
This is an unusual Perry Mason novel in that none of the action transpires in the courthouse; rather, the entire story centers around Mason's investigation. Another unusual feature is Mason using Della Street in an undercover role disguised as a woman on the make.
This is an unusual novel but very satisfying to read. (I read it over several days while on a recent cruise—this is a good book for that type of reading.)
Mason secludes the woman in a private sanatarium to keep her out of the public eye. She claims she married her boyfriend in Las Vegas, but Paul Drake finds no evidence of such marriage. The boyfriend's body is later discovered in the park where the woman was arrested. It is established that he was murdered with a weapon she possessed and had brandished to several people before leaving for Las Vegas.
This is an unusual Perry Mason novel in that none of the action transpires in the courthouse; rather, the entire story centers around Mason's investigation. Another unusual feature is Mason using Della Street in an undercover role disguised as a woman on the make.
This is an unusual novel but very satisfying to read. (I read it over several days while on a recent cruise—this is a good book for that type of reading.)
October 22, 2022
This novel is one of the more rollicking, exciting Perry Mason novels. It begins with a naked woman dancing in a park late at night, covered only by a diaphonous robe. She is taken into custody, and claims amnesia. Unfortunately, her alleged husband has been murdered, and it doesn't look good for her. She is a beautiful young woman, with a long history of madcap scrapes, and even her sister, Olga thinks she is lying.
The case builds against her, and it looks airtight. Mason is facing his first loss; Hamilton Burger is practically dancing into court until...Mason cross examines a witness who overheard a significant conversation. The examination becomes a court room face off when the witness cannot clearly state where he was when he overheard the women fighting. That is the thread that Mason pulls until the true facts are as naked as Eleanor was in the opening scene. One of my favourites, and if you like Perry Mason, you will love this one.
The case builds against her, and it looks airtight. Mason is facing his first loss; Hamilton Burger is practically dancing into court until...Mason cross examines a witness who overheard a significant conversation. The examination becomes a court room face off when the witness cannot clearly state where he was when he overheard the women fighting. That is the thread that Mason pulls until the true facts are as naked as Eleanor was in the opening scene. One of my favourites, and if you like Perry Mason, you will love this one.
August 14, 2017
I've been in a reading slump lately and started this one on a plane ride from Wisconsin. It turned out to be a pretty good one. Sometimes the plots get crazy in Erle Stanley Gardner's books, but this one clipped along at a good pace. The case concerns a young woman found wandering in a park, nearly naked and claiming to have amnesia. Of course there is a body discovered in the same park. Luckily for the young woman in question, she's an heiress and is possibly married to the murder victim. Unluckily for her, there are a number of witnesses and circumstantial evidence pointing the finger of guilt her way. There is also a subplot involving smuggling gems. A good one.
December 6, 2022
Definitely a weirder Perry Mason in some ways. I never fully get what's going on
January 7, 2016
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, such as Ross Macdonald, may find the writing style here a bit 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 1950 are the best. This one was written in 1955, and it shows. While the plot is ingenious and complex, the book overall has flaws. The writing is competent but lacks the flair of those written before 1950. The plot has a few odd features.
The story begins with a young woman named Olga consulting Perry about a sensational story that has just appeared in a newspaper. A young woman dressed only in a diaphanous nightgown was attracting a lot of attention the night before in a local park. She claims not to remember anything. This "glamorous ghost" is named Eleanor and is the half sister of the woman who has called on Perry. Olga is positive that there is nothing wrong with Eleanor's memory, that she is faking because she is mixed up is something really bad. Perry arranges to get Eleanor to a private mental hospital.
Before long a body is discovered in that same park, near where Eleanor was dancing in the moonlight. It turns out to be one Douglas Hepner, who Olga says they met on a recent voyage to Europe. It turms out that Eleanor was more than friends with Hepner, and he was murderd with Eleanor's gun. She is arrested.
Soon we meet two other young women who know Hepner, Suzanne and Ethel. Hepner was engaged in a rather odd profession. He was a detective of sorts, traveling to Europe to catch jewel smugglers. We also meet a supercilious apartment house manager, and Hepner's mysterious "mother" who lives in Salt Lake City.
The situations are quite complex, yet there really are not very many suspects for who could have done it. But how does all this fit together?
There are extensive courtroom scenes, among the most of any Perry Mason novel -- maybe even too much. Hamilton Burger is at his sputtering best.
Excellent Hamilton Burger, no Tragg, very little Holcomb. Good use of Della and Drake.
For once, Perry is not in a dangerous predicament for his own career.
Recurring themes: Della is used in a decoy ruse, which may put her in jeopardy. Sisters, one sane and responsible, one a bit "flighty". Use of private mental hospital. A supercilious character.
Recommended for the plot.
Questions: (semi-spoilers)
1. Did the murderer know that Eleanor would walk close to the body? How?
2. Why did the "mother" in Salt Lake play dumb when Perry first calls her, telling him about Suzanne?
3. When Perry is first interviewing Suzanne, who calls her to report that Hepner is dead? The police wouldn't have.
4. Why Salt Lake City? Why not some place much closer to LA, like San Bernardino or Santa Barbara?
5. Why have two hideout apartments in LA? (in the Titterington Apartments).
Those who are used to really fine mystery writers, such as Ross Macdonald, may find the writing style here a bit 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 1950 are the best. This one was written in 1955, and it shows. While the plot is ingenious and complex, the book overall has flaws. The writing is competent but lacks the flair of those written before 1950. The plot has a few odd features.
The story begins with a young woman named Olga consulting Perry about a sensational story that has just appeared in a newspaper. A young woman dressed only in a diaphanous nightgown was attracting a lot of attention the night before in a local park. She claims not to remember anything. This "glamorous ghost" is named Eleanor and is the half sister of the woman who has called on Perry. Olga is positive that there is nothing wrong with Eleanor's memory, that she is faking because she is mixed up is something really bad. Perry arranges to get Eleanor to a private mental hospital.
Before long a body is discovered in that same park, near where Eleanor was dancing in the moonlight. It turns out to be one Douglas Hepner, who Olga says they met on a recent voyage to Europe. It turms out that Eleanor was more than friends with Hepner, and he was murderd with Eleanor's gun. She is arrested.
Soon we meet two other young women who know Hepner, Suzanne and Ethel. Hepner was engaged in a rather odd profession. He was a detective of sorts, traveling to Europe to catch jewel smugglers. We also meet a supercilious apartment house manager, and Hepner's mysterious "mother" who lives in Salt Lake City.
The situations are quite complex, yet there really are not very many suspects for who could have done it. But how does all this fit together?
There are extensive courtroom scenes, among the most of any Perry Mason novel -- maybe even too much. Hamilton Burger is at his sputtering best.
Excellent Hamilton Burger, no Tragg, very little Holcomb. Good use of Della and Drake.
For once, Perry is not in a dangerous predicament for his own career.
Recurring themes: Della is used in a decoy ruse, which may put her in jeopardy. Sisters, one sane and responsible, one a bit "flighty". Use of private mental hospital. A supercilious character.
Recommended for the plot.
Questions: (semi-spoilers)
1. Did the murderer know that Eleanor would walk close to the body? How?
2. Why did the "mother" in Salt Lake play dumb when Perry first calls her, telling him about Suzanne?
3. When Perry is first interviewing Suzanne, who calls her to report that Hepner is dead? The police wouldn't have.
4. Why Salt Lake City? Why not some place much closer to LA, like San Bernardino or Santa Barbara?
5. Why have two hideout apartments in LA? (in the Titterington Apartments).
May 24, 2022
My sister-in-law Pauline in Jefferson City, MO kindly keeps me stocked with Erle Stanley Gardners and Louis L'Amours. This one was published in 1955. The odd title refers to the opening scene, in which an indignant woman tells L.A. cops that, as she and her gentleman friend were parked on a lovers' lane in Sierra Vista Park, this bimbo came out of the woods trying to entice her boyfriend out of the car by making gestures prancing around in a see-through nightgown. Perry Mason gets involved when the "glamorous ghost's" half-sister hires him to manage the media circus and possible legal ramifications, since the dancer claims to have amnesia once in police custody. She tells him that her half-sister has a long history of similar pranks and ploys on unsuspecting men, and is now claiming to have just eloped to Las Vegas where she was involved in a terrible car accident.
Gardner didn't spend as much effort sprinkling in familiar L.A. locales in this one as I like him to. Some snippets of dialogue aren't up to his usual high standards, including segments where he inadvisedly puts procedural details into conversations between people who would both be very familiar with them. On a couple of occasions here, outside of the courtroom, people blab embarrassing things to Mason that he doesn't have the power to make them admit. At times I found it difficult to follow all of the details and twists.
As his readers know, Perry Mason often uses the phrase "I'll cross that bridge when I come to it." I enjoyed it when his detective Paul Drake, exasperated with Mason's quasi-legal antics responded, "The hell of it is, there isn't any bridge. There's only a chasm, and when you come to it you're going to have to jump."
Gardner didn't spend as much effort sprinkling in familiar L.A. locales in this one as I like him to. Some snippets of dialogue aren't up to his usual high standards, including segments where he inadvisedly puts procedural details into conversations between people who would both be very familiar with them. On a couple of occasions here, outside of the courtroom, people blab embarrassing things to Mason that he doesn't have the power to make them admit. At times I found it difficult to follow all of the details and twists.
As his readers know, Perry Mason often uses the phrase "I'll cross that bridge when I come to it." I enjoyed it when his detective Paul Drake, exasperated with Mason's quasi-legal antics responded, "The hell of it is, there isn't any bridge. There's only a chasm, and when you come to it you're going to have to jump."
May 31, 2022
Perry Mason's books usually follow a pattern. A prospective client, usually a beautiful damsel in distress, reaches out to Mason and then lies her head off in order to get Mason to assume the role of her attorney as well as her knight in the shining armour. And every single time, Mason does get involved and, luckily for him, he sticks his neck out for an innocent client. This particular book has a similar beginning, except that it is the girl's sister seeking Mason out.
There's a lot going on at the beginning and a foreboding atmosphere is built as Mason has to rush out with very limited time on his hands, even before he gets a chance to consider what exactly he is getting tied up in. And then there's the familiar trope of a seemingly innocuous encounter turning into something more sinister as a body is found, and before long, the damsel in distress is the defendant in a murder case.
For the majority of this case, Mason has his back against the wall as the DA's office rushes proceedings to get a favorable sentencing, but as always, this gives Mason the chance to counter attack and find out the chink in the armor of the prosecution. The clues in this case are not as complicated in some others, and it becomes evidently clear who the real criminal(s) is even before the final courtroom scene. Even so, Mason manages to make a grandstand defence, something the DA and the judge so often dread(I have no clue why) and gets his client's neck off the hook.
The plot, even though not as convoluted and complex, still flows naturally, giving the reader gratification at the end of the book. With a particularly weak red herring that had been given a lot of prominence, I would rate the book 4 stars(ideally a 4+ rating).
There's a lot going on at the beginning and a foreboding atmosphere is built as Mason has to rush out with very limited time on his hands, even before he gets a chance to consider what exactly he is getting tied up in. And then there's the familiar trope of a seemingly innocuous encounter turning into something more sinister as a body is found, and before long, the damsel in distress is the defendant in a murder case.
For the majority of this case, Mason has his back against the wall as the DA's office rushes proceedings to get a favorable sentencing, but as always, this gives Mason the chance to counter attack and find out the chink in the armor of the prosecution. The clues in this case are not as complicated in some others, and it becomes evidently clear who the real criminal(s) is even before the final courtroom scene. Even so, Mason manages to make a grandstand defence, something the DA and the judge so often dread(I have no clue why) and gets his client's neck off the hook.
The plot, even though not as convoluted and complex, still flows naturally, giving the reader gratification at the end of the book. With a particularly weak red herring that had been given a lot of prominence, I would rate the book 4 stars(ideally a 4+ rating).
September 22, 2014
Good, reading the whole series.
April 3, 2020
Surely this great person, who was a lawyer by profession (& so were his most famous creations) and was a crime writer by passion (or the other, whatever you say) has very little influence in India (direct; there are a lot indirect influences) unlike Agatha Christie or Conan Doyle. Let me start by saying that his amazing creation Perry Mason series is cited by the Guinness Book of World Records as No. 3 bestseller of all time. Not only this, this man was responsible for the imprisonment of one of the deadliest serial killers that USA had ever seen - The Boston Strangler. Starting with a short story in 1921, he ended in 1973 with more than 150 novels, short stories, novelettes which include most authentic & puzzling crimes. Perry Mason is a criminal-side lawyer who takes case from those, who have somehow become convicted but have not actually committed the crime. All of his tales take part in the courtroom and uncovers the truth almost at the last scene. Gardner has written 80 novels featuring him. Only his name introduced a couple of terms in literature starting from 'Perry Mason moments' or 'Perry Mason syndrome'.
Now the story: A young woman, who is claimed to have amnesia, is accused of a murder of her fiancé, who was a freelance detective and secret agent of Customs. The murder has happened with the bullets shot from her revolver, which has known to be buried by her after the murder. Yet she describes herself innocent. And she was right! However, this can be easily placed upon his one of the mediocre works, as I know the level of his top-notch ones.
Before proceeding with most of the Gardner tales, a statutory warning: this needs a certain amount of brain-work, knowledge (at least the terminologies) about law, and a great amount of patience, particularly because his tales are not ‘thriller-type’. No physical action, no plot twist at every page, no kind of cock-and-bull clues that suddenly announce the criminal’s name out of the blue sky ! And with all these, he was ‘The best-selling American author of the 20th century at the time of his death’. Some critics have found his later writings a bit lengthy. Wikipedia gives this information: When asked why his heroes always defeated villains with the last bullet in their guns Gardner answered, "At three cents a word, every time I say ‘Bang’ in the story I get three cents. If you think I’m going to finish the gun battle while my hero still has fifteen cents worth of unexploded ammunition in his gun, you’re nuts". Personally I, by no means, argue at this point.
Most of his novels are available at a very cheap price in India (published by Master Mind Books). And yes, most of them are available online free of cost. While the pages are not much better than newspapers, the binding is amazingly well. It will be a painful fact in very near future that excess technology dependence has already taken ‘The Golden Age of Detective Fiction’ in the verge of being extinct and gradually make Gardners irrelevant from literature, or perhaps life!
Now the story: A young woman, who is claimed to have amnesia, is accused of a murder of her fiancé, who was a freelance detective and secret agent of Customs. The murder has happened with the bullets shot from her revolver, which has known to be buried by her after the murder. Yet she describes herself innocent. And she was right! However, this can be easily placed upon his one of the mediocre works, as I know the level of his top-notch ones.
Before proceeding with most of the Gardner tales, a statutory warning: this needs a certain amount of brain-work, knowledge (at least the terminologies) about law, and a great amount of patience, particularly because his tales are not ‘thriller-type’. No physical action, no plot twist at every page, no kind of cock-and-bull clues that suddenly announce the criminal’s name out of the blue sky ! And with all these, he was ‘The best-selling American author of the 20th century at the time of his death’. Some critics have found his later writings a bit lengthy. Wikipedia gives this information: When asked why his heroes always defeated villains with the last bullet in their guns Gardner answered, "At three cents a word, every time I say ‘Bang’ in the story I get three cents. If you think I’m going to finish the gun battle while my hero still has fifteen cents worth of unexploded ammunition in his gun, you’re nuts". Personally I, by no means, argue at this point.
Most of his novels are available at a very cheap price in India (published by Master Mind Books). And yes, most of them are available online free of cost. While the pages are not much better than newspapers, the binding is amazingly well. It will be a painful fact in very near future that excess technology dependence has already taken ‘The Golden Age of Detective Fiction’ in the verge of being extinct and gradually make Gardners irrelevant from literature, or perhaps life!
August 9, 2024
I am a lifelong fan of Perry Mason and his creator, Erle Stanley Gardner. I've read most, if not all, of the novels in this series. This one has everything I've come to love in a Perry Mason novel:
It was fast-paced and full of action, both in and out of the courtroom. I read the novel easily in two sittings.
It featured Perry "bending the law" to protect his client but always remaining technically within the bounds of the law.
The storyline had Paul Drake, the private eye, trying to get Perry to compromise several times, which gave Perry a chance to explain his view of the law and his own high ethical standards regarding his duty to his client.
It showed Perry cross-examining a snotty, "supercilious" witness and reducing him to a confused mess on the witness stand.
It featured Della Street prominently, from the very first sentence. In this and several other novels, she really served more as an assistant private eye than as a secretary (although she did keep trying to get Perry to sit down and read his mail!).
It was fast-paced and full of action, both in and out of the courtroom. I read the novel easily in two sittings.
It featured Perry "bending the law" to protect his client but always remaining technically within the bounds of the law.
The storyline had Paul Drake, the private eye, trying to get Perry to compromise several times, which gave Perry a chance to explain his view of the law and his own high ethical standards regarding his duty to his client.
It showed Perry cross-examining a snotty, "supercilious" witness and reducing him to a confused mess on the witness stand.
It featured Della Street prominently, from the very first sentence. In this and several other novels, she really served more as an assistant private eye than as a secretary (although she did keep trying to get Perry to sit down and read his mail!).
February 13, 2018
Too dramatic. I somehow saw the end. It took too long for Mason to see it though.
December 28, 2020
O Dr. Perry Mason continua em grande forma.
May 31, 2025
One of the best Perry Mason novels I have read so far. An edge of the seat thriller murder with an intriguing court case which baffled everyone including the judge and the prosecution. The Genius lawyer Perry Mason keeps everyone astounded with his reasoning and evidence, he leaves no stone unturned to defend his client who would have been given the electric chair if it was not for his law wisdom to prove her innocence...
March 31, 2020
Eleanor.... a good character. This was the first ever (too bad it was number 47 in the series) book of Erle Stanley Gardner, and I loved it, so much.
Though some think they saw a ghost, it was a real, live woman in the (mostly exposed) flesh flitting through Sierra Vista Park. Eleanor Corbin has a taste for trouble—and a talent for getting out of it using the most outrageous means to cover her tracks. Now her scandalized half-sister, Olga, fears Eleanor may be using lascivious antics to camouflage more larcenous acts.
Enter Perry Mason—retained by Olga to keep the press at bay while pressing Eleanor for the sordid details of her latest escapade. The glamorous “ghost” claims she can’t recall anything except eloping with a smooth-talking gambler... and a terrifying car crash. But a hidden cache of precious gems has another story to tell. And so does a murdered corpse that speaks louder than words.
Though some think they saw a ghost, it was a real, live woman in the (mostly exposed) flesh flitting through Sierra Vista Park. Eleanor Corbin has a taste for trouble—and a talent for getting out of it using the most outrageous means to cover her tracks. Now her scandalized half-sister, Olga, fears Eleanor may be using lascivious antics to camouflage more larcenous acts.
Enter Perry Mason—retained by Olga to keep the press at bay while pressing Eleanor for the sordid details of her latest escapade. The glamorous “ghost” claims she can’t recall anything except eloping with a smooth-talking gambler... and a terrifying car crash. But a hidden cache of precious gems has another story to tell. And so does a murdered corpse that speaks louder than words.
July 24, 2015
I thought I had this one figured out the entire time but once again I was proved wrong and when the evidence was revealed I don't know how I missed it as the whole thing is widely used in popular crime TV nowadays. The legal battling and other excitements within this novel were enough to warrant four stars even if the conclusion I expected from the time it began to flesh itself out was the true one - but with the final reveal I had to give this five stars. Possibly the best Perry Mason novel I have read this far.
September 2, 2010
classic perry mason quick light read
September 29, 2023
Della, bir gün Mason'a bir gazete haberi gösterir. İçinde sadece yağmurluk olan bir kadın ortalığı birbirine katmıştır. Parkta bir kadın bu hayalete saldırmıştır. Aynı gün Olga Corbin adında bir kadın Mason'a gelir. Gazetedeki kadının üvey kardeşi Eleanor Corbin Hepner olduğunu, Douglas Hepner adında bir adamla 2 hafta önce evlenmek için yola çıktığını, böyle amnezi taklidi yaptığı için ciddi bir şey olduğunu, hastaneden çıkarma ve sonrası için yardım istediğini beyan eder. Hastaneye gidince çok az bir şey hatırlama numarası yapan Eleanor, yolda kaza yaptıklarını ve Douglas'ın annesini aradıklarını söyler. Paul ve adamları işe koyulur. Anneyi telefonla ararlar ama kadın az bir bilgi verdikten sonra kapatır. Bu arada Eleanor'un krem kutularından ciddi miktarda mücevher çıkar. Soruşturma ilerledikçe ve Paul ile ekibi çalıştıkça yeni bilgiler ortaya çıkar. Douglas aslında mücevher kaçıranlar gümrüğe ihbar eden bir muhbirdir. Bir çeteyi takip etmektedir. Ethel Nolan ile aynı odada kalan Eleanor'un komşusu olan ressam Suzanne Granger'dan şüphelenir. Boya tüplerinde sakladığını düşünür. Ama cinayet silahı bulunur. Hamilton Burger bu sefer kendinden çok emindir. Herşey Eleanor'un aleyhine görünmektedir. Ama Doktor Oberon'un çektiği iğne fotoğrafı ve kapıcı Richey'in çelişkili ifadeleri durumu değiştirir. Bu kaçakçılık şebekesi kimlerdir? Eleanor masum mudur? Mason müvekkilini kurtarabilecek midir? Keyifle bir solukta okunan bir roman.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 19, 2023
“Judge Moran glanced at Perry Mason. There was grudging admiration in his eyes. “Some very clever reasoning, Counselor,” he said. “But I still deplore your dramatic use of my courtroom.”
Another very fun Perry Mason Mystery. And one with a surprisingly salacious hook to boot for the time period it was first published.
I think now what I’m responding to are the familiarity of how they read. There is an inciting incident, Perry and Della catch the case, they bring Paul into it somehow. Eventually it gets to trial and along the way, you get some fun interplay between the core cast and the plot’s defendants. It’s fun and it’s safe and it’s easy to just burn through in a few sittings. That’s precisely the sort of speed I want to be going rn between some of my larger resident goals for the year.
And the best part is, even if they aren’t like knockouts like some of the Hard Case Crimes are (or even Gardner’s Cool and Lam which I feel like if I read more of, I would REALLY love them), I always know I’m getting something fun and substantial enough to feel worth the time. That’s enough to keep me going and I’m sure eventually I’m gonna hit like an all-timer.
This one got close! It’s a really neat hook and a nicely twisty mystery further too. I’m happy I’m taking these little detours into the classic mystery canon.
Another very fun Perry Mason Mystery. And one with a surprisingly salacious hook to boot for the time period it was first published.
I think now what I’m responding to are the familiarity of how they read. There is an inciting incident, Perry and Della catch the case, they bring Paul into it somehow. Eventually it gets to trial and along the way, you get some fun interplay between the core cast and the plot’s defendants. It’s fun and it’s safe and it’s easy to just burn through in a few sittings. That’s precisely the sort of speed I want to be going rn between some of my larger resident goals for the year.
And the best part is, even if they aren’t like knockouts like some of the Hard Case Crimes are (or even Gardner’s Cool and Lam which I feel like if I read more of, I would REALLY love them), I always know I’m getting something fun and substantial enough to feel worth the time. That’s enough to keep me going and I’m sure eventually I’m gonna hit like an all-timer.
This one got close! It’s a really neat hook and a nicely twisty mystery further too. I’m happy I’m taking these little detours into the classic mystery canon.
August 26, 2020
I object heartily. This is the most ludicrous, cockeyed, loopy, gratuitous, arbitrary, flimsy, disappointing, farfetched set of implausibilities that Erle Stanley Gardner has, in my experience, yet devised, and that is saying something. The end is muddled. The reader never does learn exactly who (Ritchey? Belan?) killed Douglas Hepner and how. The transportation of his body—found in a park but stunned with morphine into immobility in the apartment he rented under a pseudonym?—is not accounted for.
The story begins well and develops an interesting understory—gem smuggling—but this subplot involves four people whose actions and connections to each other simply pass beyond the bounds of conceivable behavior. It is as bad as the defendant's, Eleanor Corbin's, deliberately cooked-up story, which no one in her right mind, no matter how much in love, would accede to sustaining at the behest of a paramour. The final idea that Belan and Ritchey without any known experience in the narcotics trade or means for conveying those drugs to others (whom?) would stash $250,000 worth of dope is so crazy, insubstantial, and obviously tacked on that I wonder if ESG didn't write this under influence of something funny himself. This is an object lesson in how not to write a detective story.
The story begins well and develops an interesting understory—gem smuggling—but this subplot involves four people whose actions and connections to each other simply pass beyond the bounds of conceivable behavior. It is as bad as the defendant's, Eleanor Corbin's, deliberately cooked-up story, which no one in her right mind, no matter how much in love, would accede to sustaining at the behest of a paramour. The final idea that Belan and Ritchey without any known experience in the narcotics trade or means for conveying those drugs to others (whom?) would stash $250,000 worth of dope is so crazy, insubstantial, and obviously tacked on that I wonder if ESG didn't write this under influence of something funny himself. This is an object lesson in how not to write a detective story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 15, 2021
The Perry Mason/Della Street/Paul Drake triumvirate continues to reign supreme in this novel. The three characters mesh together perfectly as Perry is asked to represent a woman who claims to have amnesia after being found running around a neighborhood with very few clothes on. An investigation soon turns into a murder case and Perry at first looks like he's sunk. The evidence against her is strong and even he doesn't believe her obviously contrived amnesia story. Unfortunately, when she finally tells Perry the truth, that sounds even MORE contrived.
The case has one of Gardner's typically clever solutions and Perry really is on the top of his game here. I especially love his improvised story when he, Della and Paul are caught by the cops in an apartment they had technically entered without permission. He soon has Sgt Holcombe (his nemesis before Lt. Trask showed up and who still puts in an occasional appearance) tangling from his verbal hook and gets out of the situation without Holcombe a thing. It's one of my favorite Perry Mason moments.
The case has one of Gardner's typically clever solutions and Perry really is on the top of his game here. I especially love his improvised story when he, Della and Paul are caught by the cops in an apartment they had technically entered without permission. He soon has Sgt Holcombe (his nemesis before Lt. Trask showed up and who still puts in an occasional appearance) tangling from his verbal hook and gets out of the situation without Holcombe a thing. It's one of my favorite Perry Mason moments.
May 17, 2024
The Case of the Glamorous Ghost - Erle Stanley Gardner
The plot deals with a woman who is supposed to have lost her memory is accused of murdering her husband....
Plot takes a turn when her own sister doesn't believe her Amnesia and the marriage is a big question mark....
An Excellent Courtroom Novel with unexpected twists in plot... & just as a Fictophile feels this brings an Ultimate love with Perry Mason ❤️ A fictionalized character... 😂
I still remember the days of my college... When during my semesters my mom used to accompany me with her Perry books... & She used to tell me stories when I took chai - breaks... Missing the good old days... Time Flies!!!
The one eyed witness was one such books
that my mom & I shared the book-moment together.... Nostalgic 💗
However, coming back to plot...
You can never guess the climax....
# Twisted
# Intriguing
# Riveting
Happy Reading 📖
The plot deals with a woman who is supposed to have lost her memory is accused of murdering her husband....
Plot takes a turn when her own sister doesn't believe her Amnesia and the marriage is a big question mark....
An Excellent Courtroom Novel with unexpected twists in plot... & just as a Fictophile feels this brings an Ultimate love with Perry Mason ❤️ A fictionalized character... 😂
I still remember the days of my college... When during my semesters my mom used to accompany me with her Perry books... & She used to tell me stories when I took chai - breaks... Missing the good old days... Time Flies!!!
The one eyed witness was one such books
that my mom & I shared the book-moment together.... Nostalgic 💗
However, coming back to plot...
You can never guess the climax....
# Twisted
# Intriguing
# Riveting
Happy Reading 📖
December 6, 2024
A wild young woman is wandering around a park at night nearly naked. She feigns amnesia. When her boyfriend turns up dead, she's in a real pickle, especially as it was her gun that killed him. At the 3/4 mark of this case, Perry and his client are in the most hopeless situation imaginable, with seemingly no chance of an escape from the gas chamber. Has D.A. Hamilton Burger finally found the perfect slam-dunk case to defeat his arch-nemesis? Oh, ye of little faith!
Note: The edition I read mixes up Sgt. Holcomb with Tragg at the 88% mark. That's probably one of the few errors made by ESG. But then there are also a number of odd line breaks and typos. "Goon" for "Go on" for example. Probably OCR glitches and no human could be bothered to proofread. I know Erle Stanley Gardner was too professional to have so many typos. I wish some of that professionalism would rub off on the people using OCR to create Kindle editions.
Note: The edition I read mixes up Sgt. Holcomb with Tragg at the 88% mark. That's probably one of the few errors made by ESG. But then there are also a number of odd line breaks and typos. "Goon" for "Go on" for example. Probably OCR glitches and no human could be bothered to proofread. I know Erle Stanley Gardner was too professional to have so many typos. I wish some of that professionalism would rub off on the people using OCR to create Kindle editions.
June 30, 2025
Friends, I think I have a new comfort author.
When I was at a used bookstore with my mom and some of her friends this spring, and I stumbled on a big hardcover collection of seven complete Perry Mason novels by Erle Stanley Gardner, some of the books that inspired the TV show. And I bought it, remembering that my grandpa used to read Perry Mason books once in a while and figuring maybe they would be enough like the show (which I'm a fan of) that I would enjoy them.
Y'all. Oh, y'all. They are so much like the show. I mean, I can hear and see the actors and actresses from the show on every page. And it's all so... cozy, somehow. Like a mug of hot chocolate with a little kick of chili powder in it that just warms you up all the way through. Or like hanging out with friends you have known three-quarters of your life. Comfortable.
When I was at a used bookstore with my mom and some of her friends this spring, and I stumbled on a big hardcover collection of seven complete Perry Mason novels by Erle Stanley Gardner, some of the books that inspired the TV show. And I bought it, remembering that my grandpa used to read Perry Mason books once in a while and figuring maybe they would be enough like the show (which I'm a fan of) that I would enjoy them.
Y'all. Oh, y'all. They are so much like the show. I mean, I can hear and see the actors and actresses from the show on every page. And it's all so... cozy, somehow. Like a mug of hot chocolate with a little kick of chili powder in it that just warms you up all the way through. Or like hanging out with friends you have known three-quarters of your life. Comfortable.
June 6, 2019
The case against Erle Stanley Gardner is that he writes about stick characters, and at this point in time, his attitudes toward women seem archaic.
I am also fascinated by the number of times his character stop the action to light a cigarette. This reminds of Nick and Nora Charles constant flow of martinis and Maigret's regular visits to cafes where he can sip Bols or clavados. Everyone needs a small vice, I guess.
The redeeming features for me are the ingenious criminal schemes piled one on top of another. Not only is the murder dishonest, so is the victim, and so is the client. The complicated schemes don't sound as if they would really work that well, but they are fun to think about.
I am also fascinated by the number of times his character stop the action to light a cigarette. This reminds of Nick and Nora Charles constant flow of martinis and Maigret's regular visits to cafes where he can sip Bols or clavados. Everyone needs a small vice, I guess.
The redeeming features for me are the ingenious criminal schemes piled one on top of another. Not only is the murder dishonest, so is the victim, and so is the client. The complicated schemes don't sound as if they would really work that well, but they are fun to think about.
January 21, 2018
I'm familiar with Perry Mason from the old TV show but this is the first of Erle Stanley Gardner's Perry Mason novels I've read. The novels are bit more "hard boiled" than the TV show was (Della Street actually says "damn" a few times) but I'm sure that's due to the standards for television at the time. I did figure out who the murderer was before the end but not much before. The court room scenes are well written and as dramatic as those in the TV show but the novel format allows them to be more detailed and well developed since everything doesn't have to be wrapped up in an hour. Overall a great read and a good mystery.
April 22, 2021
This isn't one of what I call the "fair mysteries", in that I don' think enough clues are given for the reader to figure it out before Mason drops a couple of bombshells, but it's still a great read. The mystery is complex and as dark as ever for Mason's client. A couple of the cross examinations are wonderful.
The novel contains two examples of amnesia. Mason's client claims amnesia over a two-week period, and Gardner himself exhibits amnesia over the rules of Discovery. It doesn't matter, it's still a fun read and his betrayal of his knowledge as a practicing attorney won't outrage you. ;-)
The novel contains two examples of amnesia. Mason's client claims amnesia over a two-week period, and Gardner himself exhibits amnesia over the rules of Discovery. It doesn't matter, it's still a fun read and his betrayal of his knowledge as a practicing attorney won't outrage you. ;-)
March 19, 2022
Another fun ride with Perry Mason working frantically to solve a case with scant clues and a far less than truthful client. There were a couple of places where the threads of logic didn't quite twine together: A corpse is discovered. Without any further evidence whatsoever, everyone immediately assumes that it's the missing character in the situation. This turns out to be correct, but it bothered me a little bit that the assumption came out of a nearly clear blue sky. Nevertheless, when we get to the courtroom scene and things are about to start popping, we can't resist the moment of anticipatory glee that Erle Stanley Gardner is so good at delivering.
February 16, 2021
The Case Of The Glamorous Ghost (1955) It’s been a long time since I’ve read one of the Perry Mason mysteries, and I was totally engaged. It was just as I remembered it, but I was engaged right from the beginning, from the (predictably) alliterative “hook” situation, to the comfortable team work of Perry, Della, and Paul, the frenetic pacing built around legal manipulations, the switch from a seemingly hopeless legal conundrum, to that final moment when Perry turns Prosecutor Hamilton Burger to, well, hamburger, was great fun throughout.
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