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Perry Mason #82
The Case of the Postponed Murder
When Mae Farr becomes the presumed stalking victim of wealthy playboy Penn Wentworth, she asks Perry Mason for help. Wentworth says he merely wants her for forging his name on a fat check. Farr claims he just wants her. Enter Harold Anders, a love-struck suitor from Mae's small hometown who's determined to ride to her rescue. But fatal gunplay leaves Wentworth dead, Mae a wanted woman and Perry Mason in trouble…
141 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1973
154 people are currently reading
402 people want to read
About the author
Erle Stanley Gardner
1,351 books817 followersErle Stanley Gardner was an American lawyer and author of detective stories who also published under the pseudonyms A.A. Fair, Kyle Corning, Charles M. Green, Carleton Kendrake, Charles J. Kenny, Les Tillray, and Robert Parr.
Innovative and restless in his nature, he was bored by the routine of legal practice, the only part of which he enjoyed was trial work and the development of trial strategy. In his spare time, he began to write for pulp magazines, which also fostered the early careers of Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler. He created many different series characters for the pulps, including the ingenious Lester Leith, a "gentleman thief" in the tradition of Raffles, and Ken Corning, a crusading lawyer who was the archetype of his most successful creation, the fictional lawyer and crime-solver Perry Mason, about whom he wrote more than eighty novels. With the success of Perry Mason, he gradually reduced his contributions to the pulp magazines, eventually withdrawing from the medium entirely, except for non-fiction articles on travel, Western history, and forensic science.
See more at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erle_Sta...
Innovative and restless in his nature, he was bored by the routine of legal practice, the only part of which he enjoyed was trial work and the development of trial strategy. In his spare time, he began to write for pulp magazines, which also fostered the early careers of Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler. He created many different series characters for the pulps, including the ingenious Lester Leith, a "gentleman thief" in the tradition of Raffles, and Ken Corning, a crusading lawyer who was the archetype of his most successful creation, the fictional lawyer and crime-solver Perry Mason, about whom he wrote more than eighty novels. With the success of Perry Mason, he gradually reduced his contributions to the pulp magazines, eventually withdrawing from the medium entirely, except for non-fiction articles on travel, Western history, and forensic science.
See more at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erle_Sta...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
May 25, 2017
I've been reading Gardner's Perry Mason books for many years. Those who are used to really fine mystery writers (in the literary sense) may find Gardner's writing style a bit dry, and the dialog a bit unrealistic. 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 about 1953 are the best. This is the last one, published in 1973, after Gardner's death. It is better written than most late novels, and is actually quite a page turner for most of its length. The plot is elaborate and carefully constructed.
A young woman comes into Mason's office saying she is Silvia Farr from a small town in northern California called North Mesa. She has come to LA looking for her sister Mae, who Silvia fears is in trouble. Mae came to LA sometime before to find a good job but seems to have fallen in with "undesirables," notably a businessman named Penn Wentworth. Perry tells her she doesn't need a lawyer and directs her to Paul Drake's office.
Turns out it wasn't Sylvia but was in fact Mae Farr who came in. She is wanted by the police on a forgery charge and deviously wanted to get Perry's help. She supposedly forged a check on Penn Wentworth's account, signing his name. But it is a clumsy forgery and Perry gets other ideas. Perry soon meets Wentworth and Harold Anders, a young man smitten with Mae who has followed her to LA.
That very night Wentworth is murdered on his yacht, and Mae and Harold tell a strange story. The next morning a belligerent Sgt. Holcomb is already on their trail. Holcomb is out to get Mason too!
Later we meet Wentworth's business partner, Wentworth's estranged wife Juanita, and her "boyfriend" Sidney Eversel. It seems that just about everybody owns a yacht or an airplane.
Characters who we meet:
Mae Farr, who first pretends she is her sister Sylvia. She's been in LA and gotten mixed up with wealthy
Penn Wentworth, a businessman who knows what he wants and won't take no for an answer.
Frank Marley, partner of Wentworth.
Harold Anders, rancher from North Mesa who is sweet on Mae.
Juanita, estranged wife of Penn Wentworth.
Sidney Eversell, amorous friend of Juanita.
Hazel Tooms, who likes yachts and sees a lot.
Sgt. Holcomb, Mason's old foil from the early novels of the 1930s.
Two assistant DAs and an old-school justice of the peace.
This is a very old school story, harkening back to the film noir style novels of the 1930s. Mason takes chances, skirting the edge of the law. The foil is Sgt. Holcomb, not Lt. Tragg. There is no mention of Hamilton Burger. One has to wonder, was this actually written before 1940 but only published after Gardner's death? There is a decription of an attempted rape scene, mild by today's standards, but probably considered too racy to be published before 1940.
Similarities to other Perry Mason stories: action on a yacht; several guns; old-school relatively uneducated but very savvy legal professional, here justice of the peace.
As often happens in the later books, Paul Drake seems able to discover some remarkable facts on short notice. I had no trouble guessing the culprit and the basic scenario. Still, definitely recommended!
On the whole, the ones written by about 1953 are the best. This is the last one, published in 1973, after Gardner's death. It is better written than most late novels, and is actually quite a page turner for most of its length. The plot is elaborate and carefully constructed.
A young woman comes into Mason's office saying she is Silvia Farr from a small town in northern California called North Mesa. She has come to LA looking for her sister Mae, who Silvia fears is in trouble. Mae came to LA sometime before to find a good job but seems to have fallen in with "undesirables," notably a businessman named Penn Wentworth. Perry tells her she doesn't need a lawyer and directs her to Paul Drake's office.
Turns out it wasn't Sylvia but was in fact Mae Farr who came in. She is wanted by the police on a forgery charge and deviously wanted to get Perry's help. She supposedly forged a check on Penn Wentworth's account, signing his name. But it is a clumsy forgery and Perry gets other ideas. Perry soon meets Wentworth and Harold Anders, a young man smitten with Mae who has followed her to LA.
That very night Wentworth is murdered on his yacht, and Mae and Harold tell a strange story. The next morning a belligerent Sgt. Holcomb is already on their trail. Holcomb is out to get Mason too!
Later we meet Wentworth's business partner, Wentworth's estranged wife Juanita, and her "boyfriend" Sidney Eversel. It seems that just about everybody owns a yacht or an airplane.
Characters who we meet:
Mae Farr, who first pretends she is her sister Sylvia. She's been in LA and gotten mixed up with wealthy
Penn Wentworth, a businessman who knows what he wants and won't take no for an answer.
Frank Marley, partner of Wentworth.
Harold Anders, rancher from North Mesa who is sweet on Mae.
Juanita, estranged wife of Penn Wentworth.
Sidney Eversell, amorous friend of Juanita.
Hazel Tooms, who likes yachts and sees a lot.
Sgt. Holcomb, Mason's old foil from the early novels of the 1930s.
Two assistant DAs and an old-school justice of the peace.
This is a very old school story, harkening back to the film noir style novels of the 1930s. Mason takes chances, skirting the edge of the law. The foil is Sgt. Holcomb, not Lt. Tragg. There is no mention of Hamilton Burger. One has to wonder, was this actually written before 1940 but only published after Gardner's death? There is a decription of an attempted rape scene, mild by today's standards, but probably considered too racy to be published before 1940.
Similarities to other Perry Mason stories: action on a yacht; several guns; old-school relatively uneducated but very savvy legal professional, here justice of the peace.
As often happens in the later books, Paul Drake seems able to discover some remarkable facts on short notice. I had no trouble guessing the culprit and the basic scenario. Still, definitely recommended!
April 6, 2014
This is the last published novel. As a disclaimer, I must admit that I have read them all, in order. I think Mr. Gardner, or perhaps Jeanne, had this one published to test the readers as to when it was actually written. I think it has all the hallmarks of having been written in the 1930s or 40s, and simply modernized for a later publication. The clues? Sergeant Holcomb had disappeared in favor of Tragg early in the series. Next, the Justice of the Peace instead of a municipal judge would have been much more common earlier, and it only took a minor rewrite to explain how Emil Scanlon could still sit. The order of ham and eggs was another feature quite common in the early novels but not in the newer ones. The threat to Paul Drake's license was also a common thread in the early novels that had disappeared by the 50's. The most telling clue,,however, is the issue of flash photography. The language is all wrong if written in the late 60s, but the more telling clue is that flash photography was a much noisier process in the earlier years and most certainly not very noisy, in fact virtually silent, by the time this novel was released. Given all of this, I think it very likely that it was written decades before publication. I also think it was an average to a little better than average motorcycle, and it is a rare one for Gardner in that we had all the clues in advance, and Perry admits that the surprise revelation at the end was nothing more than a hunch and a tremendous risk, but that's fine because he really didn't know any more than we did.
May 17, 2025
Why do I get the sneaking suspicion Gardner wrote this over a quiet weekend, perked up on chai and chocolate biscuits?
Seriously, the 82nd Perry Mason novel (but my first) is murder by numbers. The dialogue is uninventive, the mystery intriguing but ultimately more of an exercise than a narrative, and things plod along smoothly with the clockwork sound of an expert pulp writer. There's nothing really wrong with it, and I like that Gardner is (very lightly) self-parodic in the denouement scene, where an eccentric judge somehow convinces all parties to bypass usual trial procedure and just tell their stories to one another.
Still, I doubt I'd go back to this well very much, even if the "golden era" novels are much more clever in their execution. It just has that feel of a jobbing writer churning out another volume. There's nothing wrong with that but this book fulfills its function, nothing more.
Seriously, the 82nd Perry Mason novel (but my first) is murder by numbers. The dialogue is uninventive, the mystery intriguing but ultimately more of an exercise than a narrative, and things plod along smoothly with the clockwork sound of an expert pulp writer. There's nothing really wrong with it, and I like that Gardner is (very lightly) self-parodic in the denouement scene, where an eccentric judge somehow convinces all parties to bypass usual trial procedure and just tell their stories to one another.
Still, I doubt I'd go back to this well very much, even if the "golden era" novels are much more clever in their execution. It just has that feel of a jobbing writer churning out another volume. There's nothing wrong with that but this book fulfills its function, nothing more.
September 16, 2021
The usual trouble....girl gets in over her head & gets accused of murder. The D. A. is confident that Perry has committed an illegal act & he's in for a surprise. I just love the suspense &mystery involved in this series.
April 13, 2023
Slower start than usual for me but the courtroom was especially amusing because the judge was so unconventional, the district attorney was so mixed with his newness and stiffness, and the banter between Perry and Paul as always was fun (if not overdone if you've read enough of these). The mystery part was clever enough, and there's some twists there....I think this is the first one in memory that references rape without saying the actual word.
October 15, 2017
(3.7)
Once again, Perry pulls out legal tricks and proves his client innocent. Della is goals in this book and Paul's hatred of romance at the end makes me laugh.
Recommended 13+ for mentioned attempted assault, language, murder, and mild romance of secondary characters.
Once again, Perry pulls out legal tricks and proves his client innocent. Della is goals in this book and Paul's hatred of romance at the end makes me laugh.
Recommended 13+ for mentioned attempted assault, language, murder, and mild romance of secondary characters.
February 8, 2022
Finished on principle, but I couldn't have cared less about the crimes or who committed them. Tedious.
October 20, 2025
Perry Mason #82 first published in 1961. The Kindle Unlimited version I read was published by Della Street Press which, of course, makes it special.
A rather clever mystery involving yachts and independent women.
A rather clever mystery involving yachts and independent women.
June 22, 2016
Pretty okay mystery. It reminded of another yacht murder and so I wasn't enthusiastic about reading this one.
January 7, 2024
Slyvia Farr adında bir kadın Mason'a gelir ve North Mesa'dan ayrılan kardeşi Mae'nin bir süredir kayıp olduğunu, ölmüş olacağından korktuğunu söyler. Mason onu Paul Drake'e yönlendirir. Sonra Drake ile konuştuğunda onun aslında Mae olduğunu söyler. Bir çek sahteciliğine patronu olan Wentworth yüzünden karıştığını öğrenir. Ama ertesi gün bir teknede bu adam ölü bulunur. Bir gün önce Mae ile yakınken bir ses çıkmıştır. Mae'nin arkadaşı olan Harold Anders suya atlar. O Mae, Mae de o öldürdü zanneder. Ama silah bulunamaz. Ve tekne de ortada yoktur. Hazel Toams adında bir kadın da Wentworth ile ilgilenmektedir. Mason onunla görüşmeye gidince o da kaçmak istediğini söyler. Para karşılığı Mae'yi zorlamayacak bir ifade verecektir. Mason bir tuzak olacağından şüphelenir ve kabul etmez. İlk gün bulunmayan silah ikinci gün bulunur. Ama Mason, Drake ve Della ile araştırma yapınca bir silah daha bulur. Holcomb buna el koyar. Entsivil adında bir fotoğrafçı da Wentworth'un karısı Juanita ile ilgilenir. Onun evine gidip çektiği fotoğrafı çalan Mason'ın işi zordur. Acaba mahkemede ne olacaktır? Sonradan öldürüldüğü anlaşılan Wentworth kim tarafından öldürülmüştür? Mae'nin masumiyeti ispatlanacak mıdır? Mason, kimden şüphelenir? Fotoğraftaki madalya ne anlama gelir? Mae ve Harold ne yapacaktır? Keyifle okunan bir roman.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 13, 2018
"Why the devil do you violate laws in order to get justice for your clients? Mason grinned and said, 'I'll be damned if I know, Paul. I guess I'm just made this way. When I start unraveling a mystery, I can't seem to find a brake. Every time I put my foot down, it hits the throttle.'"
The last book in Mason series. Although it was publish post-mortem, it definitely was written years before. Mason gets to play in a detective. Della Street and Paul Drake have their share in solving the mystery. The plot was interesting, but I hoped it'd be better developed towards the end. I missed the court drama. Here, for the first time that I remember, the judge is quite liberal without formal education. Although still with Holcomb instead of Tragg, we can notice some changes in the DA's office attitude.
Mae Farr is a young, beautiful woman who moves to a big city to get a better life. She lost contact with her family back home to keep them from finding out what her profession is. She get accused by Penn Wentworth of forging his check and is a fugitive from justice. Mason agrees to help her and as always, ends up solving a postponed murder.
It was a nice read. I enjoyed it even without much courtroom mess.
The last book in Mason series. Although it was publish post-mortem, it definitely was written years before. Mason gets to play in a detective. Della Street and Paul Drake have their share in solving the mystery. The plot was interesting, but I hoped it'd be better developed towards the end. I missed the court drama. Here, for the first time that I remember, the judge is quite liberal without formal education. Although still with Holcomb instead of Tragg, we can notice some changes in the DA's office attitude.
Mae Farr is a young, beautiful woman who moves to a big city to get a better life. She lost contact with her family back home to keep them from finding out what her profession is. She get accused by Penn Wentworth of forging his check and is a fugitive from justice. Mason agrees to help her and as always, ends up solving a postponed murder.
It was a nice read. I enjoyed it even without much courtroom mess.
May 14, 2018
Earl Stanley Gardner at his very best.
A superb plot and an intriguing mystery.
The plot revolves around the murder of a Penn Wentworth who is found dead on his yatch and the suspect is a lady named Mae Farr ( Perry Mason’s client) . Have to say, she is one of the most interesting clients Mason has ever had !
As is the case with all Perry Mason mysteries, there are many parallel plots and sub plots running which boil down to a jaw dropping climax.
However, this is one story where Mason himself gets involved as an accessory to the murder. The remaining story involves around how Mason, Street and Drake collude and investigate to solve the murder and subsequently save their own asses.
I would however love to make a special mention to the character of Justice Scanlon. Its not until the last 10 pages that the case enters the courtroom and this character literally steals the show the way he directs the case. Its fun to read how Mason leads him to direct the case his way without the Justice giving much thought that he is being manipulated. I would still say that Justice Scanlon is the most formidable supporting character in a Perry Mason novel by Earl Stanley Gardner.
All in a all a delightful quick read with a twist in the end.
A superb plot and an intriguing mystery.
The plot revolves around the murder of a Penn Wentworth who is found dead on his yatch and the suspect is a lady named Mae Farr ( Perry Mason’s client) . Have to say, she is one of the most interesting clients Mason has ever had !
As is the case with all Perry Mason mysteries, there are many parallel plots and sub plots running which boil down to a jaw dropping climax.
However, this is one story where Mason himself gets involved as an accessory to the murder. The remaining story involves around how Mason, Street and Drake collude and investigate to solve the murder and subsequently save their own asses.
I would however love to make a special mention to the character of Justice Scanlon. Its not until the last 10 pages that the case enters the courtroom and this character literally steals the show the way he directs the case. Its fun to read how Mason leads him to direct the case his way without the Justice giving much thought that he is being manipulated. I would still say that Justice Scanlon is the most formidable supporting character in a Perry Mason novel by Earl Stanley Gardner.
All in a all a delightful quick read with a twist in the end.
January 15, 2020
this was my last novel from the Perry Mason series. I enjoyed this joy ride, spanning two years. the protagonist, perry mason, is an unorthodox lawyer. making the best use of detective work, intuitive mind, and in-depth knowledge of forensic medicine are the ingredients with which he can tear apart any witness on cross-examination and present the perfect courtroom drama. loved the chemistry between Perry and his confidential secretary Della street and mutual respect between Lt. Tragg and perry mason. Won't say the cliche that" this shouldn't have ended .would love recommendations of other courtroom dramas
November 2, 2022
Side adventures!
The close calls Mason had in getting in trouble with the law but not were phenomenal in this one. I can't believe he stuck his neck out like that, twice! And crawling down a pipe!? Loved that Della and Paul were right there with Perry for that. And Sergeant Holcom said he was under arrest!?! He let him go though, but wow. And I liked how there was a thunderstorm in this book. I really liked the judge in this one. How cool is that, a former baseball player and a no-nonsense guy being a JP! So fun. Man, I still can't pick the right "who dun it" in these stories. :D
The close calls Mason had in getting in trouble with the law but not were phenomenal in this one. I can't believe he stuck his neck out like that, twice! And crawling down a pipe!? Loved that Della and Paul were right there with Perry for that. And Sergeant Holcom said he was under arrest!?! He let him go though, but wow. And I liked how there was a thunderstorm in this book. I really liked the judge in this one. How cool is that, a former baseball player and a no-nonsense guy being a JP! So fun. Man, I still can't pick the right "who dun it" in these stories. :D
July 24, 2024
The second of two Perry Masons published posthumously, having been found in Gardner’s files.
Based on the involvement of Sergeant Holcomb and no Lieutenant Tragg or DA Burger,and on the fact that there OSS little courtroom action, I’d guess this was written maybe a decade or two earlier.
Not a bad story but I wonder why Gardner held onto it. Maybe because Mason is more legally out of line in his collection of evidence near the end of the book. He usually has some justification for pushing the boundaries but not really in this case.
Based on the involvement of Sergeant Holcomb and no Lieutenant Tragg or DA Burger,and on the fact that there OSS little courtroom action, I’d guess this was written maybe a decade or two earlier.
Not a bad story but I wonder why Gardner held onto it. Maybe because Mason is more legally out of line in his collection of evidence near the end of the book. He usually has some justification for pushing the boundaries but not really in this case.
November 9, 2025
A wealthy playboy, Penn Wentworth, is stalking Mae Farr. He has claimed that she forged a check in his name, and Mae goes to Perry Mason to help her out. However, she claims that she is her sister. Maye also has another man from her home town who is asking her to marry him. Of course, Perry calls in the investigator Paul to help with the case. The plot is very complicated with a man being shot on a boat and someone who took pictures through the top of the boat. The plot is quite confusing, but Perry Mason seems to be able to keep his calm and win the arguments in court.
June 6, 2021
Good Perry Mason mystery. Here we see Perry Mason at his best, skirting the law and stepping over the edge in pursuit of a mystery. The plot of how the murder took place turns out to be very convoluted, but that's a mystery writer's prerogative in adding enough red herrings to keep the mystery going. And as with all the Perry Mason stories I've read, everything happens in the world of white people. But a fun and entertaining mystery, nonetheless.
September 6, 2022
An “unpolished” Perry Mason mystery written before the author’s death is as still complete and as original as one expects — at least in the build up. At every turn, Mason’s attempts to access the truth backfire putting him further and further into legal jeopardy. The ending’s unorthodox Justice of the Peace and ridiculous “put Perry on the stand to explain the entire mystery in one go” approach seemed to suggest why this book was left pending before being published posthumously.
July 22, 2021
Masalah dengan Perry Mason itu ya (di mataku), fokusnya membuktikan klien nggak bermasalah. Sementara pelaku sebenarnya kadang melenggang kabur atau kalaupun tertangkap, dihukumnya ya begitulah. Seperti dalam kasus ini, bahkan Mason sendiri memprediksi pelakunya dihukumnya nggak berat. Kan kesal ya, apalagi kalau pelaku asli sampai fitnah orang lain (atau kebangetan jahatnya).
July 9, 2024
play girls, play boys
And the yachts they play on. And commit murder on. Mae, or is it her sister Sylvia, the good neighbor boy from back home, adulterous spouses, all make for for a great read. The DAs change, and so,stokes it is Holcomb, sometimes Tragg, but Perry takes them all in his stride, and usually leaves them reeling
And the yachts they play on. And commit murder on. Mae, or is it her sister Sylvia, the good neighbor boy from back home, adulterous spouses, all make for for a great read. The DAs change, and so,stokes it is Holcomb, sometimes Tragg, but Perry takes them all in his stride, and usually leaves them reeling
September 14, 2024
The Grand Finale
This novel is a fitting grand finale to Erle Stanley Gardner’s mystery writing career. First, you have to figure out when Penn Wentworth was killed. The next question is who killed him. There are a couple of key clues that pointed Perry Mason in the right direction. Will you notice them?
This novel is a fitting grand finale to Erle Stanley Gardner’s mystery writing career. First, you have to figure out when Penn Wentworth was killed. The next question is who killed him. There are a couple of key clues that pointed Perry Mason in the right direction. Will you notice them?
September 2, 2025
Wow, this turns out to be an extremely complicated case. But like the best of the Perry Mason stories, it moves quickly and showcases some remarkable out-of-the-box thinking by everybody's favorite defense attorney. It's from late in Erle Stanley Gardner's career, the 1970s, but I didn't guess that while I was reading it. In one day -- it was that much fun.
September 25, 2018
Didn't appreciate amazon forcing audible on this
Always wanted to read one of these books. Nice to know what the show had correct and incorrect. Appreciate it being on kindle unlimited.
Always wanted to read one of these books. Nice to know what the show had correct and incorrect. Appreciate it being on kindle unlimited.
July 2, 2021
What usually saves a lukewarm Perry Mason story is a brilliant courtroom scene. In this case the “justice of the peace” is an uneducated local who foregoes any regular procedure. This state of affairs does not make room for Perry’s courtroom technique.
A boring story with a boring ending.
A boring story with a boring ending.
November 7, 2021
Big fan of the genre and the author
I've been collecting and reading Perry Mason novels for about ten years. I like the noir feel and the clean language is pretty refreshing for a change.
I've been collecting and reading Perry Mason novels for about ten years. I like the noir feel and the clean language is pretty refreshing for a change.
June 11, 2024
An excellent Perry Mason in which he defends his client from murder -- I know, I know, sounds like a typical P.M. formula, and so it is, but solution is clever and the writing crisp. What fun escapism it is!
March 26, 2025
26 March 2025 . Book number 13 of 2025
A Perry Mason novel is usually a one day read. I really appreciate the. Legal research Erle Stanley Gardener must have put in during the old days.
As usual, the case explodes in the last 10 pages with a happy ending.
A Perry Mason novel is usually a one day read. I really appreciate the. Legal research Erle Stanley Gardener must have put in during the old days.
As usual, the case explodes in the last 10 pages with a happy ending.
May 29, 2018
The book started strong but dragged a little for me near the end. Overall a fun story.
December 31, 2019
One of my favorites so far! This genre can treat women either like victims or harridans. In this title, women make their own choices.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews