What do you think?
Rate this book
Perry Mason #52
Çığlık
Perry Mason 54
Perry Mason'un çok itimat ettiği sekreteri Delia Street, avukatın hususî ofisine girdi ve masaya doğru ilerleyerek:
«Siz daima basit olmayan şeylerden hazzedersiniz, elimdeki mesele de böyle bir şey patron» dedi.
Mason, masanın üstündeki kâğıtlardan başını kaldırarak: «Hayret edilecek bir şey mi?» diye sordu.
«Bir eşine daha rastlayacağınızı zannetmem.»
«Anlat bakalım!»
«Misis Jhon Kirby telefon etti. Kocası hakkında tahkikat yapmanızı istiyor.»
«Boşanmak mı istiyormuş?»
«Hayır, araları çok iyi»
«... Ve kocası hakkında tahkikat yapmamı istiyor, öyle mi?»
«Evet».
«Hangi hususta?»
«Dün gece nerede olduğu hususunda»
Perry Mason'un çok itimat ettiği sekreteri Delia Street, avukatın hususî ofisine girdi ve masaya doğru ilerleyerek:
«Siz daima basit olmayan şeylerden hazzedersiniz, elimdeki mesele de böyle bir şey patron» dedi.
Mason, masanın üstündeki kâğıtlardan başını kaldırarak: «Hayret edilecek bir şey mi?» diye sordu.
«Bir eşine daha rastlayacağınızı zannetmem.»
«Anlat bakalım!»
«Misis Jhon Kirby telefon etti. Kocası hakkında tahkikat yapmanızı istiyor.»
«Boşanmak mı istiyormuş?»
«Hayır, araları çok iyi»
«... Ve kocası hakkında tahkikat yapmamı istiyor, öyle mi?»
«Evet».
«Hangi hususta?»
«Dün gece nerede olduğu hususunda»
168 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1957
92 people are currently reading
431 people want to read
About the author
Erle Stanley Gardner
1,351 books818 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...
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 80 reviews
November 29, 2025
Another excellent whodunnit from Garner. The ending courtroom theatrics due to technicalities provided both thrilling and humorous legal drama at its finest.
July 8, 2016
One of the Perry Mason books that had them all - Interesting beginning, a core story, Legal theatricals and the usual end. I however, liked this for the legal responsibility angle (which might be considered a drag, in terms of pace) which is ever so often untouched.
Joan Kirby fixes an appointment for her husband with Perry Mason so that he could cross examine her husband on his implausible story. The investigation leads to a murder where everyone we meet (and not meet) seem to be involved. Everybody lies and that puts Perry right behind the eighth ball.
There is the angry Hamilton Burger and another crooked defence lawyer angle to it as well.
A good mystery.
Joan Kirby fixes an appointment for her husband with Perry Mason so that he could cross examine her husband on his implausible story. The investigation leads to a murder where everyone we meet (and not meet) seem to be involved. Everybody lies and that puts Perry right behind the eighth ball.
There is the angry Hamilton Burger and another crooked defence lawyer angle to it as well.
A good mystery.
June 23, 2018
3.5 stars
More Perry Mason court room shenanigans - he sailed a bit close to the wind in this one!
Not my favourite in the series (I would have told these people to do one as they put him in a really difficult position and that frustrated me the whole way through) but still an enjoyable and satisfying read.
Perry Mason Rules!!!
More Perry Mason court room shenanigans - he sailed a bit close to the wind in this one!
Not my favourite in the series (I would have told these people to do one as they put him in a really difficult position and that frustrated me the whole way through) but still an enjoyable and satisfying read.
Perry Mason Rules!!!
March 21, 2023
I've enjoyed the Perry Mason TV series in the past couple of years, rewatching the shows on MeTV. The Case of The Screaming Woman by Erle Stanley Gardner is the 52nd book in the series by my first attempt at it. Like the TV show it's an interesting mix of crime investigation and courtroom drama.
This is a somewhat confusing case, involving a mystery woman, a lying husband, an understanding wife, a dead doctor, nosy neighbors, a shady adoption practice and a vengeful DA (Hamilton Berger). Perry and his competent, lovely right hand woman, Della Street, with investigative help from PI Paul Drake and his staff investigate a case that hasn't really happened yet, until the discovery of the dead (murdered) doctor and then have to work to keep their client out of jail. At the same time, Perry and Della must try to keep themselves sanctioned by the DA and another lawyer, a shady character, from turning them in, or succumbing to his bribery attempts.
It's a bit overblown and the case is kind of far flung but it's still entertaining, quick moving and Perry and Della are great characters. I have a few other cases in my bookshelf and look forward to exploring the series more. (3.0 stars)
This is a somewhat confusing case, involving a mystery woman, a lying husband, an understanding wife, a dead doctor, nosy neighbors, a shady adoption practice and a vengeful DA (Hamilton Berger). Perry and his competent, lovely right hand woman, Della Street, with investigative help from PI Paul Drake and his staff investigate a case that hasn't really happened yet, until the discovery of the dead (murdered) doctor and then have to work to keep their client out of jail. At the same time, Perry and Della must try to keep themselves sanctioned by the DA and another lawyer, a shady character, from turning them in, or succumbing to his bribery attempts.
It's a bit overblown and the case is kind of far flung but it's still entertaining, quick moving and Perry and Della are great characters. I have a few other cases in my bookshelf and look forward to exploring the series more. (3.0 stars)
July 20, 2025
I was on absolute tenterhooks through the bulk of this one, about as worried as Della Street over how in the world Perry Mason was going to get out of some very serious trouble. The ending had an absolutely smashing payoff, and I actually cheered at one point.
October 19, 2021
Perry Mason was extraordinary in his rendition of solving the case. It appeared to others that it was the defendant. Once P. M. starts to pace the floor, information clicks in his mind like no one else.
The story was different, way different, from the television version. This was a little more complicated. The Case of the Screaming Woman (television version) was about a woman trying to keep her husband & blackmailing a Dr. that provided babies to families. The book version was about someone attempting to get information out of the doctor for monetary purposes. Both stories are good but the book version of P. M. is a very tough character that truly does not back down from anything; even if he's truly backed into a corner.
A good read for an older book club.
The story was different, way different, from the television version. This was a little more complicated. The Case of the Screaming Woman (television version) was about a woman trying to keep her husband & blackmailing a Dr. that provided babies to families. The book version was about someone attempting to get information out of the doctor for monetary purposes. Both stories are good but the book version of P. M. is a very tough character that truly does not back down from anything; even if he's truly backed into a corner.
A good read for an older book club.
May 16, 2018
A wife of a husband with a dubious story hires Mason to cross-examine the big lug, to prove to the guy his story isn’t as swell as he thinks. Of course, murder mystery, ethics violations and an apoplectic Hamilton Burger await Mr. Mason as he proves the coppers got the wrong guy again.
This one starts slow, gets slower, but then turns interesting after the first big reveal on page 50 or so. For a Mason story to be fully successful, Perry has got to be fighting something more formidable than Ham Burger, and, in this case, he has his own lying clients, and a sleazy attorney to battle.
This one starts slow, gets slower, but then turns interesting after the first big reveal on page 50 or so. For a Mason story to be fully successful, Perry has got to be fighting something more formidable than Ham Burger, and, in this case, he has his own lying clients, and a sleazy attorney to battle.
July 11, 2021
An above-average entry in the series with a clever solution and plenty of courtroom fireworks as Mason gives it to old Burger.
Still, for no valid reason, Gardner cannot refer to Della Street outside of speech by other characters by her first or last name only, it's always her full name. He'll call Mason "Mason" and Drake "Drake" all day long, but it's "Della Street" this and "Della Street" that, and even twice in one sentence!
Still, for no valid reason, Gardner cannot refer to Della Street outside of speech by other characters by her first or last name only, it's always her full name. He'll call Mason "Mason" and Drake "Drake" all day long, but it's "Della Street" this and "Della Street" that, and even twice in one sentence!
August 8, 2011
Not a life changing read, but good entertainment. Better than a couple of hours of tv...unless you're watching early Perry Mason.
April 17, 2009
Goody goody! I sunk my teeth into this one, and loved every bite! Not boring, not a put-you-to-sleep book.
Hint: Don't read it at night... you'll find it hard to fall asleep later.
Hint: Don't read it at night... you'll find it hard to fall asleep later.
February 10, 2021
I've been reading Gardner's Perry Mason books off and on for many years. Those who are used to really fine mystery writers may find Gardner's writing style 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 is number 53 in the series and was written in 1957. By that time, the books no longer had the film-noir feel of the earliest, as that had gone out of style, but they were more carefully crafted and better written than those of a decade later when they became dry and formulaic.
A woman named Joan Kirby phones the office with an odd request. She wants Perry to listen to her husband's story of where he was the previous night and cross examine him. "Why? Is this part of a divorce case?" No, not at all, she assures him. It's because she thinks the story is bogus, and if he tells it to someone it might lead to trouble. "Tell it to who?", Perry asks. She doesn't answer explicitly. Perry agrees, thinking it will be a break from monotony.
He is correct! The husband, John, comes in later than afternoon and tells an unlikely story of helping a hitchhiking young woman, Norma Logan, who ran of gas. She got a can of gas from a service station and was trying to find her car when John picked her up. They drove around but couldn't find her car. So the two of them registered at a motel as man and wife (uh oh!) John says he left immediately. He returned the next morning with his wife, but the young woman was gone. That's the end of it, he says. He's just a little bit worried that it might have been a frame-up of some sort. No worries really.
"So do, you still have the gas can?" asks Perry. Suddenly the confidence on the face of John Kirby vanishes and he quickly leaves. Evidently Perry found a hole in the story.
It soon develops that a murder occurred quite close to the motel where Norma Logan spent the night. A man named Dr. Babb was clubbed to death. A woman screamed, which attracted the neighbors and Dr. Babb's handyman servant, who came running right out of the shower. Did Norma Logan scream? The police soon think that John Kirby murdered him. They also think that Perry was an accessory after the fact, as he stole an important notebook. Dr. Babb was playing a deep game, one that involved Norma Logan and John Kirby in a surprising way. I won't go into any more details here on that key idea.
The story moves along well. It's a real page turner, written in a clipped aggressive style, unusual for Gardner. I have to wonder if someone helped him write it.
Not much Drake, no Holcomb, no Tragg. Hamilton Burger is very prominent, at his sputtering best.
Recurring theme: Mason in some jeopardy for suspected illegal activities.
This is a good story that held my interest. The clients are very sympathetic. It's quite well written, espcially for a late book in the canon. It's marred by the final explanation, in which it turns out that the murderer acted in an unreal way.
The Vagabond Virgin also has a rich man pick up an attractive young hitchhiker. The One-eyed Witness has a similar key idea.
The cast:
Joan Kirby, supportive wife of
John Kirby, salesman who tries to "sell" a story to Perry Mason.
Norma Logan, young woman who gets picked up by John Kirby.
Dr. Phineas L. Babb, semi-retired doctor.
Motley Dunkirk, neighbor of Dr. Babb.
Elvira Dunkirk, neighbor of Dr. Babb.
Gertrude Dunkirk, neice of Elvira.
Mr. and Mrs. Grover Olney, neighbors of Dr. Babb.
Donald Derby, handiman for Dr. Babb, lives over the garage.
Carver Kinsey, shyster lawyer who's going to get in on the big money.
Definitely recommended. The interractions with Burger are not to be missed!
On the whole, the ones written by 1950 are the best. This is number 53 in the series and was written in 1957. By that time, the books no longer had the film-noir feel of the earliest, as that had gone out of style, but they were more carefully crafted and better written than those of a decade later when they became dry and formulaic.
A woman named Joan Kirby phones the office with an odd request. She wants Perry to listen to her husband's story of where he was the previous night and cross examine him. "Why? Is this part of a divorce case?" No, not at all, she assures him. It's because she thinks the story is bogus, and if he tells it to someone it might lead to trouble. "Tell it to who?", Perry asks. She doesn't answer explicitly. Perry agrees, thinking it will be a break from monotony.
He is correct! The husband, John, comes in later than afternoon and tells an unlikely story of helping a hitchhiking young woman, Norma Logan, who ran of gas. She got a can of gas from a service station and was trying to find her car when John picked her up. They drove around but couldn't find her car. So the two of them registered at a motel as man and wife (uh oh!) John says he left immediately. He returned the next morning with his wife, but the young woman was gone. That's the end of it, he says. He's just a little bit worried that it might have been a frame-up of some sort. No worries really.
"So do, you still have the gas can?" asks Perry. Suddenly the confidence on the face of John Kirby vanishes and he quickly leaves. Evidently Perry found a hole in the story.
It soon develops that a murder occurred quite close to the motel where Norma Logan spent the night. A man named Dr. Babb was clubbed to death. A woman screamed, which attracted the neighbors and Dr. Babb's handyman servant, who came running right out of the shower. Did Norma Logan scream? The police soon think that John Kirby murdered him. They also think that Perry was an accessory after the fact, as he stole an important notebook. Dr. Babb was playing a deep game, one that involved Norma Logan and John Kirby in a surprising way. I won't go into any more details here on that key idea.
The story moves along well. It's a real page turner, written in a clipped aggressive style, unusual for Gardner. I have to wonder if someone helped him write it.
Not much Drake, no Holcomb, no Tragg. Hamilton Burger is very prominent, at his sputtering best.
Recurring theme: Mason in some jeopardy for suspected illegal activities.
This is a good story that held my interest. The clients are very sympathetic. It's quite well written, espcially for a late book in the canon. It's marred by the final explanation, in which it turns out that the murderer acted in an unreal way.
The Vagabond Virgin also has a rich man pick up an attractive young hitchhiker. The One-eyed Witness has a similar key idea.
The cast:
Joan Kirby, supportive wife of
John Kirby, salesman who tries to "sell" a story to Perry Mason.
Norma Logan, young woman who gets picked up by John Kirby.
Dr. Phineas L. Babb, semi-retired doctor.
Motley Dunkirk, neighbor of Dr. Babb.
Elvira Dunkirk, neighbor of Dr. Babb.
Gertrude Dunkirk, neice of Elvira.
Mr. and Mrs. Grover Olney, neighbors of Dr. Babb.
Donald Derby, handiman for Dr. Babb, lives over the garage.
Carver Kinsey, shyster lawyer who's going to get in on the big money.
Definitely recommended. The interractions with Burger are not to be missed!
December 19, 2014
#53 in the Perry Mason series. Intriguing case wherein Mason's client is an overconfident salesman and volunteers to answer the questions of the "friendly" DA about his semi-truthful alibi. The lies he tells before Mason arrives to extricate him will be found out and get him arrested for murder. Eventually there is a Rashomon-like situation where the aftermath of the murder is viewed differently by the witnesses and it is up to Mason to prove the correct viewpoint.
Perry Mason is retained by a woman who asks him to cross-examine her husband about a peculiar story he has told--a story involving an attractive and sadly stranded motorist that he rescued the night before. What interests Mason is the fact that Mrs. Kirby isn't the jealous type; she's only concerned that her husband may have fabricated the story in order to get himself out of a possibly dangerous scrape. And unfolding events show that she's right on target. It isn't long before a body surfaces and Mr. Kirby is in the hands of DA Hamilton Burger.
Perry Mason is retained by a woman who asks him to cross-examine her husband about a peculiar story he has told--a story involving an attractive and sadly stranded motorist that he rescued the night before. What interests Mason is the fact that Mrs. Kirby isn't the jealous type; she's only concerned that her husband may have fabricated the story in order to get himself out of a possibly dangerous scrape. And unfolding events show that she's right on target. It isn't long before a body surfaces and Mr. Kirby is in the hands of DA Hamilton Burger.
February 14, 2014
Typical Perry Mason book. Good for bedside reading and then getting to sleep. As usual, complicated story telling. Even then, you feel good to see Perry Mason winning and Hamilton Burger losing, whether you understood what happened really.
The handyman's motive not very convincing. Could he not have stolen the book earlier?
Somehow, you want to read Perry Mason even though the story is often muddled.
The handyman's motive not very convincing. Could he not have stolen the book earlier?
Somehow, you want to read Perry Mason even though the story is often muddled.
March 31, 2020
Joan Kirby asks renowned lawyer Perry Mason to check out what appears to be her husband's unbelievable story of helping out a stranded young woman. A story which inevitably lands John Kirby in trouble. The kind of trouble Perry Mason specialises in. Murder.
Gardner allows the rivalry between Mason and Burger to take centre stage, with the case taking a back seat through a series of clever legal arguments.
Gardner allows the rivalry between Mason and Burger to take centre stage, with the case taking a back seat through a series of clever legal arguments.
September 12, 2021
For a change, Mason regrets taking a case and finds it an obstacle headache. We get plenty of courtroom back and forth with the judge clearly more on Mason's side, perhaps unrealistically so, but the bulk of the story is an investigative mess that is different from the others I've read. Recommended and unique.
November 5, 2007
This Perry Mason mystery concerns a doctor who was operating a baby mill...one hospital for women who did not want their expected babies, one hospital for women who could receive original birth certificates for these babies and avoid adoption proceedings.
April 13, 2015
Few writers are as prolific and as consistently great as Gardner. The Case of the Screaming Woman is yet another excellent entry in the massive Gardner catalog. Fast paced and well plotted, this quick read is a very enjoyable mystery and courtroom drama.
August 6, 2025
From the beginning, this novel is sort of weird. Perry Mason is hired to interview a woman's husband and catch him in a lie---not because the wife is upset or believes the husband's done anything wrong, but because ... well, I'm not 100% sure why, at the end. Predictably, the man turns out to be in real trouble, and in spite of the fact that he's not engaged to represent him, Perry goes to considerable length to investigate the situation before finally representing him in court (there's a scene where Mason barges into the DA's office during an interrogation, and demands to speak with his "client," and it's lucky for him that his nemesis, DA Hamilton Berger, doesn't press the point, because Mason didn't actually have a client and was almost certainly breaking the law by representing himself in that way---by this point of the series, Erle Stanley Gardner is committed to presenting him in a squeaky clean, always follows the law, always has innocent clients sort of way, so it feels like a bit of a slip-up).
This novel feels very high-stakes for a Perry Mason novel, but also pretty unfocussed. Is it about the slimy lawyer who wants Mason's help blackmailing people with a piece of evidence that Mason is pseudo-legally holding onto? I mean, not really. The situation will be resolved by the end of the book, of course, but Mason's handling of the matter doesn't feel especially clever. He keeps objecting to everything Berger says about the notebook until the situation seems to just sort of go away, and while it might be all very well when a friendly writer is putting the questions on the DA's lips, I can't help thinking that a real DA would not struggle to establish that a notebook stolen from the scene of the crime was at least potentially relevant in the trial of someone accused as an accessory.
Is it about the fact that Mason is clearly breaking the law by holding onto that evidence? Well, no. He doesn't view it as a crisis of conscience---it will tear lives apart if it's revealed, so he won't let it be revealed. Good for him, of course, but a very different character than the man who got a guilty murderer off in one of his earlier outings while lecturing his secretary that the only thing that matters is following the letter of the law. But also, as mentioned, it's dealt with in a very cursory way for what could, in the real world, be a career-ending move.
Speaking of the "as an accessory" thing, is this novel primarily concerned about the murder? Well, in form, of course---it ends with the murderer being revealed. But at the same time, not really. The case at the end is not a murder trial, it is a preliminary hearing to determine whether Mason's client can be tried as an accessory to murder for helping the killer escape, held before the so-called killer herself has been tried or possibly even arrested. Gardner seems like he's making trouble for himself here---he wanted Mason to be employed by the man, not the female suspect, because he needed the female suspect to hire an evil lawyer to set up that whole subplot, but the result feels nonsensical on the face of it; Gardner's client is not a flight-risk, it's basically nonsensical that he is being held at all, never mind being brought to trial before the actual murderer. But that has to happen, because the book needs to end with the murderer being unmasked in the courtroom, and that can't happen in the actual murder trial, where Perry Mason has no standing to talk or act.
So is it about Mason's client, being held as an accessory? Well, this is closest to being correct, but if that was really what mattered, there would be no need to reveal the actual killer at all. The instant another person was established at the scene of the crime, the presumption of guilt against the women vanished, making it irrelevant that the man was helping her. So no, I wouldn't say it was about that, either.
This is vaguer than most of my reviews, but I feel vague after finishing the novel---like I spent 180 pages wandering around in a fog. And now it's lifted and I'm at my destination, but I'm still not quite sure what path I took, or why I took it, and I can't help feeling there were more interesting destinations I could have ended up at.
Oh, and one more thing. The evil attorney gives this speech about how Perry Mason is lucky, because all of his clients turn out to be innocent, and we're presumably supposed to boo and hiss at him, but ... yes. Perry Mason selects his clients seemingly at random, and if we're genuinely supposed to believe that he only ever represents innocent people, that's absolutely insane, and perpetrating a profoundly dangerous world view where people are or are not worthy of competent and sincere representation based on their guilt, even before their guilt has been determined. Screw that nonsense.
This novel feels very high-stakes for a Perry Mason novel, but also pretty unfocussed. Is it about the slimy lawyer who wants Mason's help blackmailing people with a piece of evidence that Mason is pseudo-legally holding onto? I mean, not really. The situation will be resolved by the end of the book, of course, but Mason's handling of the matter doesn't feel especially clever. He keeps objecting to everything Berger says about the notebook until the situation seems to just sort of go away, and while it might be all very well when a friendly writer is putting the questions on the DA's lips, I can't help thinking that a real DA would not struggle to establish that a notebook stolen from the scene of the crime was at least potentially relevant in the trial of someone accused as an accessory.
Is it about the fact that Mason is clearly breaking the law by holding onto that evidence? Well, no. He doesn't view it as a crisis of conscience---it will tear lives apart if it's revealed, so he won't let it be revealed. Good for him, of course, but a very different character than the man who got a guilty murderer off in one of his earlier outings while lecturing his secretary that the only thing that matters is following the letter of the law. But also, as mentioned, it's dealt with in a very cursory way for what could, in the real world, be a career-ending move.
Speaking of the "as an accessory" thing, is this novel primarily concerned about the murder? Well, in form, of course---it ends with the murderer being revealed. But at the same time, not really. The case at the end is not a murder trial, it is a preliminary hearing to determine whether Mason's client can be tried as an accessory to murder for helping the killer escape, held before the so-called killer herself has been tried or possibly even arrested. Gardner seems like he's making trouble for himself here---he wanted Mason to be employed by the man, not the female suspect, because he needed the female suspect to hire an evil lawyer to set up that whole subplot, but the result feels nonsensical on the face of it; Gardner's client is not a flight-risk, it's basically nonsensical that he is being held at all, never mind being brought to trial before the actual murderer. But that has to happen, because the book needs to end with the murderer being unmasked in the courtroom, and that can't happen in the actual murder trial, where Perry Mason has no standing to talk or act.
So is it about Mason's client, being held as an accessory? Well, this is closest to being correct, but if that was really what mattered, there would be no need to reveal the actual killer at all. The instant another person was established at the scene of the crime, the presumption of guilt against the women vanished, making it irrelevant that the man was helping her. So no, I wouldn't say it was about that, either.
This is vaguer than most of my reviews, but I feel vague after finishing the novel---like I spent 180 pages wandering around in a fog. And now it's lifted and I'm at my destination, but I'm still not quite sure what path I took, or why I took it, and I can't help feeling there were more interesting destinations I could have ended up at.
Oh, and one more thing. The evil attorney gives this speech about how Perry Mason is lucky, because all of his clients turn out to be innocent, and we're presumably supposed to boo and hiss at him, but ... yes. Perry Mason selects his clients seemingly at random, and if we're genuinely supposed to believe that he only ever represents innocent people, that's absolutely insane, and perpetrating a profoundly dangerous world view where people are or are not worthy of competent and sincere representation based on their guilt, even before their guilt has been determined. Screw that nonsense.
September 29, 2023
Joan Kirby adında bir kadın bir gün Mason'ı arar ve kocasının dün gece çok inanılmaz bir hikaye anlattığını, bunun olmadığını ispatlamasını ister. İşin içinde bir boşanma olmadığı için kabul eder. John Kirby bir toplantıdan çıkınca yolda elinde benzin bidonu olan bir kızla karşılaşmış, onu arabasına götürecekken arabanın kayıp olduğunu fark etmiş, bir otele karı koca gibi yerleşip evine gitmiştir. Hikayede aksak çok yön vardır. Sonrasında otele yakın bir yerde Doktor Babb adında birinin saldırıya uğradığı haberi gelir ve Mason oraya gider. Komşuları, kızı Gertrude ve doktorun evinde hjüzmeyli olan Don Derby'nin ifadelerini dinler. Doktorun aslında bebekleri doğurtup sonra onları ihtiyacı olan ailelere verdiğini öğrenirler. Logan adındaki kız da üvey annesinin bebeğinin Kirby ailesine verildiğini öğrenmiştir. Bu yüzden eve beraber gidip doktorla görüşmek istemiş ve sonra benzin yalanı uydurmuşlardır. Doktorun gizli defterini çalan kız bunu Della'ya verir. Ama Kirby cinayet şüphesi ile alınır. Hamilton Burger bu sefer Mason'a hırsızlıkla da suçlayabilecektir. Paul araştırmalara devam eder. Logan'ın amcası Steve de doktorla görülmektedir. Mahkemede doktorun son sözleri teybe alındığı için dinletilir ve burada en başta John Kirby dediği sanılır. Ama Logan Joan'ı görünce o akşam evde gördüğü kadının bu olduğunu söyler. John aklanacak ve Joan hapse girecek gibi görünür. Peki Joan gerçekten suçlu mudur? Don Derby havlu ile nasıl dışarı çıkmıştır? Bu işi Mason çözebilecek midir? Çocuk etkilenmeden bu işin altından kalkabilecek midir? Hamilton Burger ne yapacaktır? Defter Kinsey adlı avukatın eline geçecek midir? Mason Kinsey'in şantaj teklifine ne cevap verecektir? Keyifle okunan bir roman.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 22, 2023
Gardner copies an opening premise from an earlier book, have a man pick up a hitchhiking woman and check her into a hotel or motel because she has no money.
As always, Mason instructs Della to get ahold of Paul Drake at the Drake Detective Agency.
Things different from the standard Perry Mason case:
Mason defends the man not the attractive young woman (who is almost always his client)
Mason doesn’t hide any suspect or witness. This time he’s hiding important evidence.
Mason does not behave like a dick to Paul Drake.
The reader could figure out who the perpetrator is through the information presented. But there is late information presented that goes to the motive.
All in all, it was a bland effort by Gardner.
As always, Mason instructs Della to get ahold of Paul Drake at the Drake Detective Agency.
Things different from the standard Perry Mason case:
Mason defends the man not the attractive young woman (who is almost always his client)
Mason doesn’t hide any suspect or witness. This time he’s hiding important evidence.
Mason does not behave like a dick to Paul Drake.
The reader could figure out who the perpetrator is through the information presented. But there is late information presented that goes to the motive.
All in all, it was a bland effort by Gardner.
May 5, 2024
Excellent story. I have read so many mysteries that I frequently guess the who-done-it, but I think generally this is full of characters and provides a nice selection of suspects. Well worth the read, but I sure would like these scanned copies of original novels to go down in price. I think I'm at my top price now that I'm willing to pay so I won't have many more reviews. It's too bad. The stories are simple, the world is already developed when you've read two books, and the stable characters and their methods are familiar. The books aren't long and don't justify the prices. More would read the originals since there is the modern TV series, but the prices are too high for such old material.
January 13, 2024
This had its moments and was very readable as ever, but the denouement relied on the murderer having so much on the spot presence of mind and deviousness as to be unbelievable. There was a fair amount of repetition as Della agonized over the fact that Perry had concealed a piece of property stolen from the murder scene and thus put himself on the wrong side of the law. His motive for doing so was tied up with the business the murder victim had been involved in. No one seemed particularly bothered about the morality of keeping this secret, which troubled me a little. Obviously times have changed...
October 15, 2024
Oh what webs we weave
Husband accused of murder. Wife trying to conceal secret. A doctor harboring secrets and a handyman, car salesman, and crooked lawyer trying to maneuver a jackpot of wealth by selling the silence. Untangling these webs Perry as always is unable to serve justice.
Husband accused of murder. Wife trying to conceal secret. A doctor harboring secrets and a handyman, car salesman, and crooked lawyer trying to maneuver a jackpot of wealth by selling the silence. Untangling these webs Perry as always is unable to serve justice.
April 28, 2025
A wife hires Perry to cross-examine her husband's ridiculous story as to why he was forced to rent a hotel room for a woman while pretending to be the woman's husband. Turns out that murder was involved. As usual, Perry engages in illegal tactics and lands in D.A. Hamilton Burger's crosshairs. Not sure Perry's solution makes entire sense, but the courtroom theatrics are spot on.
April 20, 2024
She Didn’t Scream for Ice Cream!
If you watched the TV episode corresponding to this book, don’t expect the book to come out the same way. Will you recognize the key clue? If you do, you will have the solution figured out.
If you watched the TV episode corresponding to this book, don’t expect the book to come out the same way. Will you recognize the key clue? If you do, you will have the solution figured out.
June 22, 2024
black market baby selling.
A businessman who won’t tell the truth. An adoptive mother who wants to protect her son above all. A half sister trying to find her half brother. A dead Amazon explorer. A nasty attorney. And a woman who screamed!
A businessman who won’t tell the truth. An adoptive mother who wants to protect her son above all. A half sister trying to find her half brother. A dead Amazon explorer. A nasty attorney. And a woman who screamed!
January 13, 2024
This is my favorite kind of Perry mason, where there’s a slow release of info from the client and Perry is doing some good lawyering. A star off because I feel like Della got dumber in this book.
February 6, 2024
Nice short read.
March 11, 2024
3,5 balletjes. Voor een boek uitgegeven ergens in de jaren ‘60, is het merkwaardig modern geschreven.
June 6, 2025
😂😂😂😂
Fabulous story with a great ending.
Fabulous story with a great ending.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 80 reviews