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Perry Mason #16
The Case of the Baited Hook
Who was that masked woman? That's not the only question plaguing the perpetually inquiring mind of Perry Mason. Did the wealthy Fremont C. Sabin divorce his wife before his untimely death? That's the multimillion-dollar question. And the right answer will mean a windfall for either the dead man's angry son or headstrong widow. Each has accused the other of destroying Sabin's will—and murdering Sabin. But with no document declaring who the affable eccentric intended to leave his fortune to, Perry Mason faces a particularly prickly puzzle. Even more puzzling, however, is the talking parrot. Casanova was Fremont Sabin's beloved pet. But the bird found at the crime scene proves to be a foul-mouthed impostor. No one loves a good mystery more than Mason--but being asked to represent a client who's concealing her identity, not to mention the particulars of her case, has given even the legendary legal eagle a case of ruffled feathers.
237 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1940
194 people are currently reading
587 people want to read
About the author
Erle Stanley Gardner
1,348 books806 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 130 reviews
January 10, 2018
On a cold, rainy night in 1940, Perry Mason is awakened out of a sound sleep by a man who offers to give Mason $1,000.00 if he'll come into his office immediately. They guy gives Perry a name that the lawyer immediately recognizes is phony and after Mason agrees to come in, he calls the Drake Detective Agency and gets them on the job. Drake's people are so efficient that by the time Perry gets to his office, he knows that the mysterious caller is actually an architect named Robert Peltham.
Peltham is accompanied by a mysterious young woman who is wearing a mask and who refuses to speak, making it impossible for Mason to identify her. Peltham wants the woman to be protected against any legal danger. He removes a $10,000.00 bill from his wallet, cuts a piece off of it and gives it to Mason as a retainer. He gives the other piece to the woman and says that if she ever needs Mason's services, she will give him the rest of the bill.
Adjusted for inflation, the $10,000.00 bill would be worth just under $175,000.00 in 2018. (Actually, $174,847.14, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, but who's going to quibble over a hundred and fifty bucks or so?) Still, Mason initially refuses the case, pointing out all the problems involved in attempting to represent the interests of a client he can't even recognize. But in the end he agrees to the proposition.
Over the next several days, Mason sits around the office waiting for the other shoe to drop. In the meantime, he takes on a couple of other clients and before long, bodies are dropping, people are suing, and Mason still doesn't know what, if anything he should be doing.
The setup alone makes this among the most entertaining novels in this series. It's a lot of fun watching Perry trying to figure out what in the world is going on here and what he should be doing. In addition to a murder or two, there's also a scheming would-be heiress and a complicated stock sale that gives Perry an opportunity to trot out the Law of Agency, something that always spices up any mystery novel.
This is one of the few novels in the series that does not wind up in a courtroom. Things move so dramatically and so quickly, that Perry never even gets a chance to cross-examine anyone and expose them as lying fools on the stand. Still, it's a lot of fun and will appeal to anyone who enjoys this series.
Peltham is accompanied by a mysterious young woman who is wearing a mask and who refuses to speak, making it impossible for Mason to identify her. Peltham wants the woman to be protected against any legal danger. He removes a $10,000.00 bill from his wallet, cuts a piece off of it and gives it to Mason as a retainer. He gives the other piece to the woman and says that if she ever needs Mason's services, she will give him the rest of the bill.
Adjusted for inflation, the $10,000.00 bill would be worth just under $175,000.00 in 2018. (Actually, $174,847.14, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, but who's going to quibble over a hundred and fifty bucks or so?) Still, Mason initially refuses the case, pointing out all the problems involved in attempting to represent the interests of a client he can't even recognize. But in the end he agrees to the proposition.
Over the next several days, Mason sits around the office waiting for the other shoe to drop. In the meantime, he takes on a couple of other clients and before long, bodies are dropping, people are suing, and Mason still doesn't know what, if anything he should be doing.
The setup alone makes this among the most entertaining novels in this series. It's a lot of fun watching Perry trying to figure out what in the world is going on here and what he should be doing. In addition to a murder or two, there's also a scheming would-be heiress and a complicated stock sale that gives Perry an opportunity to trot out the Law of Agency, something that always spices up any mystery novel.
This is one of the few novels in the series that does not wind up in a courtroom. Things move so dramatically and so quickly, that Perry never even gets a chance to cross-examine anyone and expose them as lying fools on the stand. Still, it's a lot of fun and will appeal to anyone who enjoys this series.
January 8, 2024
Perry Mason & the Mystery Client
Review of the American Mystery Classics Kindle eBook (2020) of the William Morrow & Company hardcover original (1940)
Considering my love of mystery classics it is perhaps surprising that I'd never previously read a Perry Mason novel. I picked up the 16th of the series The Case of the Baited Hook in a 2023 Kindle Deal of the Day and also saw that it was part of an American Mystery Classics reprint series. I can see how the various complications of the case made it a candidate as a "classic" as selected by editor/publisher Otto Penzler.
Lawyer Perry Mason is called out in the middle of the night to accept a case where he is asked to defend a possible future client. The "bait" in the case is that Mason's fee is 1/2 of a $10,000 bill. He will only collect the other half when it is presented to him by his client if and when she calls on him. The catch (or the "hook") is that the client is a masked woman who prefers to not reveal her identity.
Later the next day, it becomes evident that the crime involved is a murder. Mason must not only find the killer in order to solve the crime, he also has to determine who his client is and what was the reason for the elaborate method of his hiring. His trusted secretary Della Street and right hand man private detective Paul Drake are there to back him up.
The front cover the original 1940 William Morrow & Company hardcover. Image sourced from AbeBooks.
Overall, this left a good impression and it was somewhat of the hard-boiled school, with Mason playing more of a detective role than a lawyer. There are no courtroom scenes. In fact I think I read somewhere that in the original books, the cases never get to court but are always solved through the preliminary investigations with Mason & company often in conflict with the District Attorney and the police force. I plan to read several more Perry Masons and American Mystery Classics.
Soundtrack
The Opening and Closing Themes for the original Perry Mason TV series were composed by Fred Steiner and you can hear them at this YouTube clip. The composition was actually called Park Avenue Beat and you can read about it further at Wikipedia.
Trivia and Links
The Case of the Baited Hook was adapted for television in the original Perry Mason TV series (1957-1966) which starred Raymond Burr as the lawyer/detective. The adaptation was broadcast as Season 1 Episode 14 on December 21, 1957.
This edition of The Case of the Baited Hook is part of the Otto Penzler American Mystery Classics series (2018-ongoing). There is a related Goodreads Listopia here with 55 books listed as of early January 2024. There are currently 68 titles listed at the Mysterious Press online bookshop. The official website for the series at Penzler Publishers seems to show only the most recent and upcoming titles.
Review of the American Mystery Classics Kindle eBook (2020) of the William Morrow & Company hardcover original (1940)
Considering my love of mystery classics it is perhaps surprising that I'd never previously read a Perry Mason novel. I picked up the 16th of the series The Case of the Baited Hook in a 2023 Kindle Deal of the Day and also saw that it was part of an American Mystery Classics reprint series. I can see how the various complications of the case made it a candidate as a "classic" as selected by editor/publisher Otto Penzler.
Lawyer Perry Mason is called out in the middle of the night to accept a case where he is asked to defend a possible future client. The "bait" in the case is that Mason's fee is 1/2 of a $10,000 bill. He will only collect the other half when it is presented to him by his client if and when she calls on him. The catch (or the "hook") is that the client is a masked woman who prefers to not reveal her identity.
Later the next day, it becomes evident that the crime involved is a murder. Mason must not only find the killer in order to solve the crime, he also has to determine who his client is and what was the reason for the elaborate method of his hiring. His trusted secretary Della Street and right hand man private detective Paul Drake are there to back him up.
The front cover the original 1940 William Morrow & Company hardcover. Image sourced from AbeBooks.
Overall, this left a good impression and it was somewhat of the hard-boiled school, with Mason playing more of a detective role than a lawyer. There are no courtroom scenes. In fact I think I read somewhere that in the original books, the cases never get to court but are always solved through the preliminary investigations with Mason & company often in conflict with the District Attorney and the police force. I plan to read several more Perry Masons and American Mystery Classics.
Soundtrack
The Opening and Closing Themes for the original Perry Mason TV series were composed by Fred Steiner and you can hear them at this YouTube clip. The composition was actually called Park Avenue Beat and you can read about it further at Wikipedia.
Trivia and Links
The Case of the Baited Hook was adapted for television in the original Perry Mason TV series (1957-1966) which starred Raymond Burr as the lawyer/detective. The adaptation was broadcast as Season 1 Episode 14 on December 21, 1957.
This edition of The Case of the Baited Hook is part of the Otto Penzler American Mystery Classics series (2018-ongoing). There is a related Goodreads Listopia here with 55 books listed as of early January 2024. There are currently 68 titles listed at the Mysterious Press online bookshop. The official website for the series at Penzler Publishers seems to show only the most recent and upcoming titles.
April 27, 2021
Hell, Yeah! Perry Mason rules! :)
August 27, 2023
One of the best Perry Mason mysteries I've ever read. This one never makes it into the courtroom, which is a little unusual for the series, but it is action packed with plenty of twists and turns in the intricately crafted plot. Red herrings abound. The writing style exudes a hardboiled pulp fiction vibe, and the dialogue liberally peppered with 1940's slang adds to the fun. This was a very entertaining fast read, and I highly recommend it for all fans of murder mysteries.
May 13, 2019
ESG is amazing. The Perry Mason series in this 16th book seem to be reaching it's full potential. The plots are consistently intricate and dazzling. That he could crank them out so prolifically is remarkable. This book marks the first appearance of DA Hamilton Burger. Still no Lieutenant Tragg.
August 24, 2020
I've had a little bit of luck lately finding some episodes of Perry Mason with I've found I like the oldest ones, plus the early TV ones, and I really liked the ones where Raymond Burr and Della Street are in them. I'm going to keep trying to see if I can find some. Fun, and highly recommend.
Bob Dawson (Willard Sage) confronts his partner, Albert Tydings (George N. Neise), about an $80,000 shortfall in a trust account belonging to Carol Stanley (Judith Braun). Tydings amits he embezzled it, but he has a file that prevents Dawson from doing anything. After he leaves, Tydings tells the company clerk, Richard Ellis (Al Hopson), that he himself took only $60,000 and gives Ellis a day to return the extra $20,000. He takes a call for Bob from Carol and arranges for her to come to the office at 10 PM to discuss her account. He seems pleased, but his secretary, Enid Shaw (Mary Castle) looks resentful.
Carol arrives at the office and finds no one there except Tydings, who is slumped over his desk. She calls Bob and tells him that his partner has been murdered. Outside, a policeman tickets Carol's car, which is parked to close to a fire hydrant. Bob (not revealing his identity) and Carol (going him one better with a thick veil) go to Perry's apartment. Bob gives him two "Grovers" ($1000 bills) as a retainer. Then he takes out a $10,000 bill, which Perry says he hasn't seen before. (They were very rare even in 1957, and bore the image of Salmon P. Chase, Lincoln's Treasury Secretary.) Bob tears it in half, giving one half to Perry and the other to the disguised Carol. Perry will get Carol's half if the need arises for him to represent her, or return the retainer if he declines the case.
The next morning the no-nonsense Miss Abigail Leeds (Geraldine Wall) barges into Perry's office. She says that in 1939 she was asked to take Carol (then known as Katrina) out of Poland and look after her until her parents could follow. They never made it out. Being single, she put Carol in what she thought was a respectable welfare home, but turned out to be a baby farm, i.e., an adoption-for-pay racket. Luckily, Carol was acquired by the Stanleys, who turned out to be kind. They adopted her legally and left her a six-figure trust fund when they were killed in a car crash. Unluckily, Tydings was named trustee. Abigail knows about his thievery, but only Carol has legal standing to start an investigation, so Abigail will bring Carol to the office that afternoon.
Paul reports that he traced the serial number on the $10,000 bill, and it had been issued to Tydings. Perry wonders if he's been retained by both sides of the same dispute. The pair go to Tydings' house and find blood both inside and out. The trail leads them to a closet, and when they open it, Tydings himself falls out, face forward. Paul calls the police. Back at the office, Perry tells Abigail and Carol that Tydings is dead. Abigail volunteers to be the new trustee, serving at no fee. Lt. Tragg arrives to question Abigail about an unpleasant meeting she'd had with Tydings. She says "Whoever murdered him did a civic service." Tragg admires her frankness.
Perry goes to the Tydings and Dawson office. With Tydings dead and Bob having left town last night, Ellis is in charge. He claims professional ethics prevent him from helping Perry. Perry wants to talk to Enid, but is told that she usually comes in late. Paul reports that Bob's car has been found, wrecked, by a lake. While the police are dragging for a body, Paul and Perry join them and don't correct the conclusion to which Officer Duggan (Lyle Latell) has jumped, that they are from the press. Perry points out that no one was driving when the car crashed, as the gas pedal has been wired down. So there's probably no body to find.
That evening, as soon as all the investment office staff have left, Perry and Della sneak in, with Paul as lookout. Perry examines the ledger of Carol's account, which he has a court order to do, and finds evidence of Tydings' defalcations. On the floor he finds the empty shell of a small-caliber bullet, perhaps from a Beretta. If Tydings was shot in his office, why was the body moved miles away to his house? Perry speculates that if a woman shot Tydings and Bob was involved with her, he might move the body to protect her. Perry notes that on his daily calendar for 10 PM the night he was murdered, Tydings made a sketch of a female torso. If Tydings was expecting something to happen, perhaps the woman involved is Enid, as there must be some reason she can come into the office late. Perry gets a frantic phone call from Paul, who had trouble getting through. Tragg is on his way up! They duck out a window onto the fire escape, and evade capture.
Back at the office, they learn that Bob is wanted for murder. Blood found in his car matched Tydings' blood found in his office. Paul's man tailing Carol calls in. She's led him to a motel where Bob is hiding. Paul and Perry go there to question him. However, Tragg has been following Perry (perhaps the fire escape ploy was less effective than Perry thought?) and arrests Bob and Carol. She hands Perry her half of the "Salmon". Eventually, the D.A. charges Carol with murder and Bob as an accessory, because the record of the parking ticket shows she was at the office building at that time.
Perry and Della go to Abigail and Carol's house. They find cancelled checks for $150 payments from Abigail to Ellis, going back five years. Perry goes to the T&D office and uses one of the checks, plus a court order, to put an end to Ellis' stalling. The clerk reluctantly hands over Tydings' blackmail file. Perry tells Ellis that he'll no longer have money problems, because by the time he gets out of prison for extortion and grand larceny, he'll be getting his old age pension. Perry tells Abigail that Burger is charging Carol with 1st degree murder, which means the gas chamber if she's convicted. He mentions that he knows who killed Tydings, but can't prove it to a jury. She realizes that he means her, but wonders if he's just a good guesser. He produces Carol's birth certificate, which shows that Abigail is the mother. Unwilling to risk her daughter's fate any more, she confesses. Tragg is waiting in the next office to arrest her, and Perry says he'll defend her. Tragg and Abigail leave, arm in arm. (If you'll forgive an editorial comment that doesn't really belong in a plot synopsis, this is perhaps the lieutenant's finest moment in the entire run of the series.)
Later at Perry's apartment, he has a bad cold and Della is mothering him. Della brings up the case, and Perry mentions that Carol had found out about her parentage while in high school and didn't care. She only avoided mentioning it to her mother to avoid embarrassing her. Della concludes that the murder to protect that secret turned out to be futile and senseless. "All murders are," replies Perry.
Bob Dawson (Willard Sage) confronts his partner, Albert Tydings (George N. Neise), about an $80,000 shortfall in a trust account belonging to Carol Stanley (Judith Braun). Tydings amits he embezzled it, but he has a file that prevents Dawson from doing anything. After he leaves, Tydings tells the company clerk, Richard Ellis (Al Hopson), that he himself took only $60,000 and gives Ellis a day to return the extra $20,000. He takes a call for Bob from Carol and arranges for her to come to the office at 10 PM to discuss her account. He seems pleased, but his secretary, Enid Shaw (Mary Castle) looks resentful.
Carol arrives at the office and finds no one there except Tydings, who is slumped over his desk. She calls Bob and tells him that his partner has been murdered. Outside, a policeman tickets Carol's car, which is parked to close to a fire hydrant. Bob (not revealing his identity) and Carol (going him one better with a thick veil) go to Perry's apartment. Bob gives him two "Grovers" ($1000 bills) as a retainer. Then he takes out a $10,000 bill, which Perry says he hasn't seen before. (They were very rare even in 1957, and bore the image of Salmon P. Chase, Lincoln's Treasury Secretary.) Bob tears it in half, giving one half to Perry and the other to the disguised Carol. Perry will get Carol's half if the need arises for him to represent her, or return the retainer if he declines the case.
The next morning the no-nonsense Miss Abigail Leeds (Geraldine Wall) barges into Perry's office. She says that in 1939 she was asked to take Carol (then known as Katrina) out of Poland and look after her until her parents could follow. They never made it out. Being single, she put Carol in what she thought was a respectable welfare home, but turned out to be a baby farm, i.e., an adoption-for-pay racket. Luckily, Carol was acquired by the Stanleys, who turned out to be kind. They adopted her legally and left her a six-figure trust fund when they were killed in a car crash. Unluckily, Tydings was named trustee. Abigail knows about his thievery, but only Carol has legal standing to start an investigation, so Abigail will bring Carol to the office that afternoon.
Paul reports that he traced the serial number on the $10,000 bill, and it had been issued to Tydings. Perry wonders if he's been retained by both sides of the same dispute. The pair go to Tydings' house and find blood both inside and out. The trail leads them to a closet, and when they open it, Tydings himself falls out, face forward. Paul calls the police. Back at the office, Perry tells Abigail and Carol that Tydings is dead. Abigail volunteers to be the new trustee, serving at no fee. Lt. Tragg arrives to question Abigail about an unpleasant meeting she'd had with Tydings. She says "Whoever murdered him did a civic service." Tragg admires her frankness.
Perry goes to the Tydings and Dawson office. With Tydings dead and Bob having left town last night, Ellis is in charge. He claims professional ethics prevent him from helping Perry. Perry wants to talk to Enid, but is told that she usually comes in late. Paul reports that Bob's car has been found, wrecked, by a lake. While the police are dragging for a body, Paul and Perry join them and don't correct the conclusion to which Officer Duggan (Lyle Latell) has jumped, that they are from the press. Perry points out that no one was driving when the car crashed, as the gas pedal has been wired down. So there's probably no body to find.
That evening, as soon as all the investment office staff have left, Perry and Della sneak in, with Paul as lookout. Perry examines the ledger of Carol's account, which he has a court order to do, and finds evidence of Tydings' defalcations. On the floor he finds the empty shell of a small-caliber bullet, perhaps from a Beretta. If Tydings was shot in his office, why was the body moved miles away to his house? Perry speculates that if a woman shot Tydings and Bob was involved with her, he might move the body to protect her. Perry notes that on his daily calendar for 10 PM the night he was murdered, Tydings made a sketch of a female torso. If Tydings was expecting something to happen, perhaps the woman involved is Enid, as there must be some reason she can come into the office late. Perry gets a frantic phone call from Paul, who had trouble getting through. Tragg is on his way up! They duck out a window onto the fire escape, and evade capture.
Back at the office, they learn that Bob is wanted for murder. Blood found in his car matched Tydings' blood found in his office. Paul's man tailing Carol calls in. She's led him to a motel where Bob is hiding. Paul and Perry go there to question him. However, Tragg has been following Perry (perhaps the fire escape ploy was less effective than Perry thought?) and arrests Bob and Carol. She hands Perry her half of the "Salmon". Eventually, the D.A. charges Carol with murder and Bob as an accessory, because the record of the parking ticket shows she was at the office building at that time.
Perry and Della go to Abigail and Carol's house. They find cancelled checks for $150 payments from Abigail to Ellis, going back five years. Perry goes to the T&D office and uses one of the checks, plus a court order, to put an end to Ellis' stalling. The clerk reluctantly hands over Tydings' blackmail file. Perry tells Ellis that he'll no longer have money problems, because by the time he gets out of prison for extortion and grand larceny, he'll be getting his old age pension. Perry tells Abigail that Burger is charging Carol with 1st degree murder, which means the gas chamber if she's convicted. He mentions that he knows who killed Tydings, but can't prove it to a jury. She realizes that he means her, but wonders if he's just a good guesser. He produces Carol's birth certificate, which shows that Abigail is the mother. Unwilling to risk her daughter's fate any more, she confesses. Tragg is waiting in the next office to arrest her, and Perry says he'll defend her. Tragg and Abigail leave, arm in arm. (If you'll forgive an editorial comment that doesn't really belong in a plot synopsis, this is perhaps the lieutenant's finest moment in the entire run of the series.)
Later at Perry's apartment, he has a bad cold and Della is mothering him. Della brings up the case, and Perry mentions that Carol had found out about her parentage while in high school and didn't care. She only avoided mentioning it to her mother to avoid embarrassing her. Della concludes that the murder to protect that secret turned out to be futile and senseless. "All murders are," replies Perry.
September 3, 2023
I enjoyed the nostalgia and witty banter. The story itself was too convoluted for me to enjoy thoroughly. I read this in fits and spurts, and maybe that contributed to the story feeling too complicated to follow. Even though this one didn't knock it out of the park for me, I'll read more in the series.
August 11, 2025
A good introduction by Otto Penzler, worth reading. Perry has a mystery client in the middle of a case where everyone is lying and scheming. Good, clean fun.
November 25, 2021
An interesting and enjoyable book.
May 15, 2017
Like many of Gardner's Perry Mason novels, Baited Hook begins with an unusual introduction to a client. In fact, the client is so mysterious that she is covered up and wearing a mask and doesn't even speak to Mason. And to top it off, although a large sum of money is dangled, Mason isn't told what the case is about or what he's expected to do. The case from there gets even more convoluted with Mason getting involved in a questionable stock trade, stumbling on corpses, and stands accused of being a pursesnatcher.
Gardner's Perry Mason stories are mysteries centered around a lawyer not a detective. Although this one is bereft of courtroom scenes, it has plenty of deductions and antics.
Gardner's Perry Mason stories are mysteries centered around a lawyer not a detective. Although this one is bereft of courtroom scenes, it has plenty of deductions and antics.
September 16, 2012
My first Perry Mason experience.Loved the writing style and the way the tale unfolds throughout the story instead of the usual makes-sense towards the end.Cropping of new problems in the last but chapter makes you read until the last line.
December 15, 2016
An interesting & enjoyable Perry Mason mystery. The novel is different from other books in the series due to non existence of courtroom drama. ABOUT AVERAGE.
August 22, 2022
One of the more complicated Perry Mason mysteries, and one without any court scenes! Perry Mason is approached by a wealthy man and masked, silent lovely lady, and is offered $12000 to represent the woman in the future, if she should need it.
There are so many threads and character intermingling and plot points and alibis given its very difficult to keep everything straight, as every single person in the book seems to be lying -- and most are. Perry gets into seriously hot water this time and barely gets out, flying by the seat of his pants as usual.
But it was fun as he went up against some very high level corporate attorneys to come out on top.
Oh yes, a $10,000 bill makes an appearance, and yes they existed. Had Salmon P. Chase on the front.
There are so many threads and character intermingling and plot points and alibis given its very difficult to keep everything straight, as every single person in the book seems to be lying -- and most are. Perry gets into seriously hot water this time and barely gets out, flying by the seat of his pants as usual.
But it was fun as he went up against some very high level corporate attorneys to come out on top.
Oh yes, a $10,000 bill makes an appearance, and yes they existed. Had Salmon P. Chase on the front.
March 8, 2023
Solid and absorbing entry in the famous Perry Mason series. This one is all detective work and never sets foot in the courtroom. Breezy and brisk, the story flies along and there's no filler or wasted words. It's closer to a hard-boiled detective novel than the courtroom dramas many of the Mason stories are. Very enjoyable.
October 9, 2018
I really liked this one. Even if Gardner went about it in a very elaborate and mysterious way, the case looked pretty logical and methodical to me. It made sense and it kept me engrossed.
January 18, 2022
It ticks all the boxes if you like your classic crime.
March 31, 2019
Just as one would expect from a Perry Mason book, but this was the first time Della has been given anything other than a step-and-fetch-it role. She even called Perry a "goose" - I got a laugh out of that!
July 12, 2022
Is $10,000 enough to interest you, Mr Mason?
I love the introduction to this book, written by the Grand Old Man of Mystery - Otto Penzler. He dismisses Gardner's modesty by pointing out the numerous critically acclaimed writers (such as G.K. Chesterton, Somerset Maugham, and Evelyn Waugh) who eagerly awaited the arrival of the latest Perry Mason book and who had nothing but praise for his creator. The Perry Mason books sold (and STILL sell) because they're well-constructed, well-written mysteries. Gardner created realistic characters and led them into fascinating situations. Most of us have never encountered such situations, but we can enjoy them vicariously, can't we?
This one was published in 1940, when Gardner was at his best and he pulls out all the stops to test Perry Mason's skills as an attorney and as a detective. Penzler calls it "complex" and he's not exaggerating. There are THREE gorgeous young women and when the stiff appears (and you KNOW there will be one) he's a man who has more enemies than a hanging judge. So who killed him?
One of the people Mr Tidings has wronged is a formidable dowager. Her beautiful young ward is the child of Russian aristocrats and was illegally adopted. Her adoptive parents are dead, but her stepfather (none other than Mr Tidings himself) is trying to cheat her of her inheritance. He's used her money to buy stock in a doubtful mine. If he was dead when the purchase was made, it's invalid. But when DID he die? And what does his shifty secretary know about the transaction?
Then there's Mrs Tidings - the seductive estranged wife. She wants out of the marriage, but he doesn't want to let her go. Sound like trouble to you?
And Mr Tidings is also one of the trustees for a local charitable hospital. The classy young socialite whose family endowed the hospital thinks he's siphoning money from the trust fund. She wants him stopped, but she's determined to protect the other trustee. Why?
And the wildcard in this strange set-up is the mystery client who gets Perry Mason out of bed in the middle of the night to offer him one half of a ten thousand dollar bill. Mason gets the other half if he defends the man's lady friend, who refuses to give her name and who's heavily veiled. Mason and Paul Drake quickly figure out the man's identity, but who's his GF? And what will Mason be defending her FROM?
This book is timely because it shows the shady side of the adoption business in the days when abortion was illegal. Even then, couples were desperate for babies and some orphanages were willing to make a deal if the price was right. If there were complaints, the orphanage just left town and opened up somewhere else under another name. But who had the records of those babies and their parents? At a time when having a baby out of wedlock was a scandal, that information was potential dynamite and blackmailers profit by exploiting the fears of respectable people.
If the book has a weakness, it's the absence of the intelligent Lt. Trask. Sgt. Halcombe is a stereotypical dumb cop and not a worthy opponent for Perry Mason. Neither Halcombe nor District Attorney Hamilton Burger like Mason's "methods" and they have a legitimate point. They accuse him of "sailing too close to the wind." If they only knew! In this case, he sails right into a hurricane.
The ending is not as satisfactory as the rest of the book and I just realized that I'm not sure if Perry ever got the other half of that large bill. If not, the reliably efficient Della Street will unquestionably demand that it be deposited in the the practice account. What would he do without her?
I love the introduction to this book, written by the Grand Old Man of Mystery - Otto Penzler. He dismisses Gardner's modesty by pointing out the numerous critically acclaimed writers (such as G.K. Chesterton, Somerset Maugham, and Evelyn Waugh) who eagerly awaited the arrival of the latest Perry Mason book and who had nothing but praise for his creator. The Perry Mason books sold (and STILL sell) because they're well-constructed, well-written mysteries. Gardner created realistic characters and led them into fascinating situations. Most of us have never encountered such situations, but we can enjoy them vicariously, can't we?
This one was published in 1940, when Gardner was at his best and he pulls out all the stops to test Perry Mason's skills as an attorney and as a detective. Penzler calls it "complex" and he's not exaggerating. There are THREE gorgeous young women and when the stiff appears (and you KNOW there will be one) he's a man who has more enemies than a hanging judge. So who killed him?
One of the people Mr Tidings has wronged is a formidable dowager. Her beautiful young ward is the child of Russian aristocrats and was illegally adopted. Her adoptive parents are dead, but her stepfather (none other than Mr Tidings himself) is trying to cheat her of her inheritance. He's used her money to buy stock in a doubtful mine. If he was dead when the purchase was made, it's invalid. But when DID he die? And what does his shifty secretary know about the transaction?
Then there's Mrs Tidings - the seductive estranged wife. She wants out of the marriage, but he doesn't want to let her go. Sound like trouble to you?
And Mr Tidings is also one of the trustees for a local charitable hospital. The classy young socialite whose family endowed the hospital thinks he's siphoning money from the trust fund. She wants him stopped, but she's determined to protect the other trustee. Why?
And the wildcard in this strange set-up is the mystery client who gets Perry Mason out of bed in the middle of the night to offer him one half of a ten thousand dollar bill. Mason gets the other half if he defends the man's lady friend, who refuses to give her name and who's heavily veiled. Mason and Paul Drake quickly figure out the man's identity, but who's his GF? And what will Mason be defending her FROM?
This book is timely because it shows the shady side of the adoption business in the days when abortion was illegal. Even then, couples were desperate for babies and some orphanages were willing to make a deal if the price was right. If there were complaints, the orphanage just left town and opened up somewhere else under another name. But who had the records of those babies and their parents? At a time when having a baby out of wedlock was a scandal, that information was potential dynamite and blackmailers profit by exploiting the fears of respectable people.
If the book has a weakness, it's the absence of the intelligent Lt. Trask. Sgt. Halcombe is a stereotypical dumb cop and not a worthy opponent for Perry Mason. Neither Halcombe nor District Attorney Hamilton Burger like Mason's "methods" and they have a legitimate point. They accuse him of "sailing too close to the wind." If they only knew! In this case, he sails right into a hurricane.
The ending is not as satisfactory as the rest of the book and I just realized that I'm not sure if Perry ever got the other half of that large bill. If not, the reliably efficient Della Street will unquestionably demand that it be deposited in the the practice account. What would he do without her?
September 8, 2021
Magnificent! I LOVE Erle Stanley Gardner! He never disappoints, and I think that this is the best book that I have yet read in the Perry Mason series.
I began reading the Perry Mason books years ago and then began watching the TV series. I used to really like the TV series and once had the DVD collection for the entire series. But I grew bored with the TV series after watching the first six seasons, and I recently gave away the DVD’s. I really prefer the books! The TV show tried to pack too much plot into 51 minutes, and I often found the shows confusing.
The characters in the Perry Mason books were rather one dimensional, and Gardner was not a great stylist. But he wrote incredible plots, and they make the books worth reading.
The Perry Mason book series began in the 1930's, so occasionally you will read sayings and names common to that era that are offensive by any measure today, such as "She is free, white and 21” -- and worse! (The same is true of Raymond Chandler's books and the films of that time.) But the books are still worth reading if you like mysteries with complex plots that keep you guessing until the end.
I highly recommend the books. I plan to read all of the books in the series.
I began reading the Perry Mason books years ago and then began watching the TV series. I used to really like the TV series and once had the DVD collection for the entire series. But I grew bored with the TV series after watching the first six seasons, and I recently gave away the DVD’s. I really prefer the books! The TV show tried to pack too much plot into 51 minutes, and I often found the shows confusing.
The characters in the Perry Mason books were rather one dimensional, and Gardner was not a great stylist. But he wrote incredible plots, and they make the books worth reading.
The Perry Mason book series began in the 1930's, so occasionally you will read sayings and names common to that era that are offensive by any measure today, such as "She is free, white and 21” -- and worse! (The same is true of Raymond Chandler's books and the films of that time.) But the books are still worth reading if you like mysteries with complex plots that keep you guessing until the end.
I highly recommend the books. I plan to read all of the books in the series.
January 15, 2014
At last, a Perry Mason mystery where I actually guessed the correct guilty party in the book's murder! Granted, I had no idea how or why this person was guilty--so Perry is still smarter than I am.
This enjoyable mystery from 1940 offers a change from the usual format, in that Perry never even goes to the courtroom in this novel. Perry Mason is dragged from bed one rainy night after midnight to meet a mysterious man (who's given him a fake name) and a woman who refuses to speak and wears a mask to disguise herself. The man wants Perry to represent the woman but refuses to say what the case involves, saying the headlines in tomorrow's newspapers will tell him. The man produces a $10,000 bill (they have Woodrow Wilson on them, in case anyone offers you one) and cuts it in two. He gives Mason the smaller half and tells him he will know his client when he or she produces the other half.
The fun of this mystery is that Perry Mason has no idea who he is supposed to be representing and has to keep putting ads in the daily newspaper to get updates about clients he can and can't represent (because they may be a conflict of interest). The suspects are varied and interesting. This is also one of those older Perry Mason mysteries when Perry is not above creating false evidence to lead the police in the wrong direction. I loved that switchboard operator, Gertie, got a chance to shine in a couple phone conversations with Mason that were laugh-out-loud funny.
At one point, Mason tells Della Street his philosophy of life: "Every time you stop to figure what the other fellow’s going to do, you unconsciously figure what you’d do in his place. The result is that you’re not fighting him, but yourself. You always come to a stalemate. Every time you think of a move, you think of a perfect defense. The best fighters don’t worry about what the other man may do."
This is book #16 of the 86 Perry Mason mysteries.
This enjoyable mystery from 1940 offers a change from the usual format, in that Perry never even goes to the courtroom in this novel. Perry Mason is dragged from bed one rainy night after midnight to meet a mysterious man (who's given him a fake name) and a woman who refuses to speak and wears a mask to disguise herself. The man wants Perry to represent the woman but refuses to say what the case involves, saying the headlines in tomorrow's newspapers will tell him. The man produces a $10,000 bill (they have Woodrow Wilson on them, in case anyone offers you one) and cuts it in two. He gives Mason the smaller half and tells him he will know his client when he or she produces the other half.
The fun of this mystery is that Perry Mason has no idea who he is supposed to be representing and has to keep putting ads in the daily newspaper to get updates about clients he can and can't represent (because they may be a conflict of interest). The suspects are varied and interesting. This is also one of those older Perry Mason mysteries when Perry is not above creating false evidence to lead the police in the wrong direction. I loved that switchboard operator, Gertie, got a chance to shine in a couple phone conversations with Mason that were laugh-out-loud funny.
At one point, Mason tells Della Street his philosophy of life: "Every time you stop to figure what the other fellow’s going to do, you unconsciously figure what you’d do in his place. The result is that you’re not fighting him, but yourself. You always come to a stalemate. Every time you think of a move, you think of a perfect defense. The best fighters don’t worry about what the other man may do."
This is book #16 of the 86 Perry Mason mysteries.
September 25, 2015
The Case of the Baited Hook by Erle Stanley Gardner is an legal/court mystery, with a touch of noir. It was written and 1940 and set in Los Angeles.
This book is one of many starring the perfect and slightly crooked California lawyer, Perry Mason, his eager secretary Della Street and lazy-mannered private-eye Paul Drake. This tells the story of Byrl Gailord and her guardian Mrs. A. E. Tump, and the protection of funds kept in trust. This small matter evolves into a clandestine meeting on a stormy night with a masked woman and half a ten thousand-dollar bill, the other half to be paid on completion of a job which may not even be required, and the murder of Albert Tidings, keeper of Byrl Gailord’s trust funds. The mystery gains complexity as alibis are found to be false, and the time of the murder cannot be determined.
One thing that I specifically enjoyed about this book was the complex mystery that pulled you along and made this worth reading. I also thought that the cast of characters was varied and interesting, each different in background and point of view from the others. Although the mystery was exciting the author, who was a lawyer himself, would sometimes get caught up in the details of the case and nothing would happen for 2 or 3 chapters. I am a huge fan of the TV show that is based on these books, and I thought that the main characters were not as happy as they were in the show. The whole book was a little gloomy, and I think it could have had a more upbeat feeling.
Overall I liked this book, but it was definitely for a more specific audience. Lovers of the TV show will enjoy it as well as fans of hardboiled fiction, like Sam Spade and Philip Marlowe.
This book is one of many starring the perfect and slightly crooked California lawyer, Perry Mason, his eager secretary Della Street and lazy-mannered private-eye Paul Drake. This tells the story of Byrl Gailord and her guardian Mrs. A. E. Tump, and the protection of funds kept in trust. This small matter evolves into a clandestine meeting on a stormy night with a masked woman and half a ten thousand-dollar bill, the other half to be paid on completion of a job which may not even be required, and the murder of Albert Tidings, keeper of Byrl Gailord’s trust funds. The mystery gains complexity as alibis are found to be false, and the time of the murder cannot be determined.
One thing that I specifically enjoyed about this book was the complex mystery that pulled you along and made this worth reading. I also thought that the cast of characters was varied and interesting, each different in background and point of view from the others. Although the mystery was exciting the author, who was a lawyer himself, would sometimes get caught up in the details of the case and nothing would happen for 2 or 3 chapters. I am a huge fan of the TV show that is based on these books, and I thought that the main characters were not as happy as they were in the show. The whole book was a little gloomy, and I think it could have had a more upbeat feeling.
Overall I liked this book, but it was definitely for a more specific audience. Lovers of the TV show will enjoy it as well as fans of hardboiled fiction, like Sam Spade and Philip Marlowe.
January 12, 2016
This is rather different from the other Perry Mason books to which I've listened. This one starts off with Perry receiving a call in the middle of the night when he's at home, and he heads out into the rain to meet a potential client at his office. The client goes through all kinds of measures to remain mysterious and to keep the identity of the woman with him a secret, and he ends up retaining Perry as the woman's attorney by leaving half of a $10,000 bill with Mason.
Since the client is unknown, Perry must send and receive messages through newspaper ads to make sure that he doesn't take any clients with conflicting interests. A woman shows up the next day, seeking to have Mason assist a young woman in obtaining the inheritance she deserves, and Mason takes that case. When a murder occurs and the other clients feel threatened, Perry Mason gets dragged into a nasty situation which could ruin his career.
The book is particularly interesting because of all the cloak and dagger stuff. Which woman holds the other half of the $10,000 bill? Who is the murderer, and why? Why exactly was Mason called out on that rainy night after midnight? Not everything that is told to Mason is the truth, and he gets caught up in the web of lies and has to extricate himself by
I quite often am bored by the courtroom scenes in the books, so I didn't miss them here.
Since the client is unknown, Perry must send and receive messages through newspaper ads to make sure that he doesn't take any clients with conflicting interests. A woman shows up the next day, seeking to have Mason assist a young woman in obtaining the inheritance she deserves, and Mason takes that case. When a murder occurs and the other clients feel threatened, Perry Mason gets dragged into a nasty situation which could ruin his career.
The book is particularly interesting because of all the cloak and dagger stuff. Which woman holds the other half of the $10,000 bill? Who is the murderer, and why? Why exactly was Mason called out on that rainy night after midnight? Not everything that is told to Mason is the truth, and he gets caught up in the web of lies and has to extricate himself by
I quite often am bored by the courtroom scenes in the books, so I didn't miss them here.
October 11, 2013
WhoWho did it? This is my first thought whenever I read a Perry Mason mystery.
Called to his office on a rainy night at midnight, Mason meets a man with an assumed name and a woman who is totally disguised from head to foot and wearing a mask. The man seeks Mason's services for the woman for something that will break in the newspapers in the next few days. Mason knows not what it will be but sits through the discussion nevertheless. He receives half of a $10,000 and is to help the woman when she presents the other half.
This is an unusual tale in that Mason finds himself running about trying to decide who was the masked woman. When a wealthy man is murdered he wonders if one of the women associated with him was the murderer. It's not a simple case and Mason finds himself running down leads that are no help at all. The wife of the murdered man was married previously but never divorced. A young woman who is seeking to check on her trust fund is not who she says she is. And, a woman who wants to have activities about the trust fund investigated is romantically involved. Add to the confusion is an investment in a mine with dubious return. Can Perry Mason unravel it all and find the murderer. I didn't until the author unveiled who it was. Good read.
Called to his office on a rainy night at midnight, Mason meets a man with an assumed name and a woman who is totally disguised from head to foot and wearing a mask. The man seeks Mason's services for the woman for something that will break in the newspapers in the next few days. Mason knows not what it will be but sits through the discussion nevertheless. He receives half of a $10,000 and is to help the woman when she presents the other half.
This is an unusual tale in that Mason finds himself running about trying to decide who was the masked woman. When a wealthy man is murdered he wonders if one of the women associated with him was the murderer. It's not a simple case and Mason finds himself running down leads that are no help at all. The wife of the murdered man was married previously but never divorced. A young woman who is seeking to check on her trust fund is not who she says she is. And, a woman who wants to have activities about the trust fund investigated is romantically involved. Add to the confusion is an investment in a mine with dubious return. Can Perry Mason unravel it all and find the murderer. I didn't until the author unveiled who it was. Good read.
August 12, 2012
#16 in the Perry Mason series. The $10,000 bill as a plot gimmick helps date this 1940 mystery. For a change, Perry is as puzzled as anyone else.
Perry Mason series - One rainy night Robert Peltham calls Perry Mason and asks to meet him at once. With him is a masked women whom Peltham wants Mason to represent. Peltham cuts a $10,000 bill in half, gives one half to Mason and the other half to the masked woman. The bait. When Albert Tidings is found murdered, Mason knows his client will be indicted. But who? Adelle Hastings whose charities Tidings administered? Or is it Byrl Gailord, whose trust fund Tidings managed. And why must Mason begin his investigation without knowing who retained him?
Perry Mason series - One rainy night Robert Peltham calls Perry Mason and asks to meet him at once. With him is a masked women whom Peltham wants Mason to represent. Peltham cuts a $10,000 bill in half, gives one half to Mason and the other half to the masked woman. The bait. When Albert Tidings is found murdered, Mason knows his client will be indicted. But who? Adelle Hastings whose charities Tidings administered? Or is it Byrl Gailord, whose trust fund Tidings managed. And why must Mason begin his investigation without knowing who retained him?
August 27, 2016
This is Sergeant Halcomb's last case, so I thought he'd get fired in it. Sadly, he gets transfered away from Homicide off-screen between this book and the next one.
The case was pretty interesting, though I'm skeptical that the set-up made sense considering Mason's character. In short, someone offers Mason to take a case without knowing the client, and offers him 12,000$ to do it. Mason takes the case, though in many previous books he's made a point of saying the money isn't a big deal to him.
The case was pretty interesting, though I'm skeptical that the set-up made sense considering Mason's character. In short, someone offers Mason to take a case without knowing the client, and offers him 12,000$ to do it. Mason takes the case, though in many previous books he's made a point of saying the money isn't a big deal to him.
August 28, 2023
The Case of the Baited Hook by Erle Stanley Gardner is the 16th book in the Perry Mason series. Perry Mason is called out in the middle of the night to meet a masked client with no details of a case but that he will be given the second half of a substantial cheque when his services are required. Lots of mystery in this book with Perry Mason trying to guess the identity of his client. Plenty of twists and misdirection and one of the times where it does not finish up in a courtroom. A bit of fun with Gertie trying to hold back the police. A very enjoyable classic mystery.
March 29, 2023
Major characters:
Robert Peltham, architect and hospital trustee
Abigail E. Tump
Byrl Gailord, adoptee from Russia
Albert Tidings, hospital trustee
Nadine Holmes, Albert's estranged wife, actress
Parker C. Stell, hospital trustee
Adelle Hastings, who endowed Hastings Memorial Hospital
Carl Mattern, Tiding's secretary
Locale: Los Angeles
Synopsis: Act 1: Robert Peltham, architect, hires Perry Mason to protect the interests of a mystery woman, who comes to his office masked. He cannot explain why, only that he expects to be exposed in something scandalous. He pays a retainer and then cuts a $10,000 bill in half, giving Mason half and the woman half; so that she can prove her identity to Mason in the future if need be.
Act 2: Abigial Tump seeks to hire Mason. She had brought a refugee girl out of Russia, and through an agency the child (Byrl) was placed with Frank and Marjorie Gailord. Byrl took the Gailord name as her own. Frank and Marjorie have passed away, and Byrl, now of age, has income from a trust they established. The trustee is Albert Tidings. Abigail claims Tidings is a crook, and wants Mason to have the courts replace him with a different trustee.
Act 3: A financial scandal erupts at Hastings Memorial Hospital. An audit is ordered, and the three trustees appear to mixed up in the trouble. The trustees are Robert Peltham, Albert Tidings, and Parker C. Stell. The hospital is endowed by wealthy Adelle Hastings, who tells Mason that Stell is the only honest one of the trustees. Mason already knows Peltham. He goes to find Tidings, and walks into his estranged wife's house to find him dead.
Review: Being one of the early Mason titles, this is back when he was directly descended from the pulps - not hesitating to rough people up, perform illegal searches, and manufacture and manipulate 'evidence'.
There is no Lt. Tragg, but Sgt. Holcomb provides a lot of conflict for Mason.
It was a bit involved following the Gailord family line. Here is the sequence of events:
1. Frank and Marjorie Gailord were the original adoptive parents of Byrl Gailord
2. Frank died.
3. Marjorie remarried (her second) to Albert Tidings
4. Marjorie died.
5. Tidings remarried (his second) to Nadine Holmes
6. They became separated.
7. Tidings found dead in Nadine's home.
The big surprise of the book was the lack of a courtroom scene! The only thing remotely like it is a brief meeting in the D.A.'s office.
If you like tough-guy Mason, this is him before he got more desk-bound and mellow.
Robert Peltham, architect and hospital trustee
Abigail E. Tump
Byrl Gailord, adoptee from Russia
Albert Tidings, hospital trustee
Nadine Holmes, Albert's estranged wife, actress
Parker C. Stell, hospital trustee
Adelle Hastings, who endowed Hastings Memorial Hospital
Carl Mattern, Tiding's secretary
Locale: Los Angeles
Synopsis: Act 1: Robert Peltham, architect, hires Perry Mason to protect the interests of a mystery woman, who comes to his office masked. He cannot explain why, only that he expects to be exposed in something scandalous. He pays a retainer and then cuts a $10,000 bill in half, giving Mason half and the woman half; so that she can prove her identity to Mason in the future if need be.
Act 2: Abigial Tump seeks to hire Mason. She had brought a refugee girl out of Russia, and through an agency the child (Byrl) was placed with Frank and Marjorie Gailord. Byrl took the Gailord name as her own. Frank and Marjorie have passed away, and Byrl, now of age, has income from a trust they established. The trustee is Albert Tidings. Abigail claims Tidings is a crook, and wants Mason to have the courts replace him with a different trustee.
Act 3: A financial scandal erupts at Hastings Memorial Hospital. An audit is ordered, and the three trustees appear to mixed up in the trouble. The trustees are Robert Peltham, Albert Tidings, and Parker C. Stell. The hospital is endowed by wealthy Adelle Hastings, who tells Mason that Stell is the only honest one of the trustees. Mason already knows Peltham. He goes to find Tidings, and walks into his estranged wife's house to find him dead.
Review: Being one of the early Mason titles, this is back when he was directly descended from the pulps - not hesitating to rough people up, perform illegal searches, and manufacture and manipulate 'evidence'.
There is no Lt. Tragg, but Sgt. Holcomb provides a lot of conflict for Mason.
It was a bit involved following the Gailord family line. Here is the sequence of events:
1. Frank and Marjorie Gailord were the original adoptive parents of Byrl Gailord
2. Frank died.
3. Marjorie remarried (her second) to Albert Tidings
4. Marjorie died.
5. Tidings remarried (his second) to Nadine Holmes
6. They became separated.
7. Tidings found dead in Nadine's home.
The big surprise of the book was the lack of a courtroom scene! The only thing remotely like it is a brief meeting in the D.A.'s office.
If you like tough-guy Mason, this is him before he got more desk-bound and mellow.
May 1, 2023
Perry Mason evindeyken bir gün telefonu çalar. Bu numarayı Della ve Paul'dan başka kimse bilmediği için açar ama farklı biri çıkar telefona. Eğer bu gece ofisinde onu kabul ederse 2000 dolar vereceğini, iş teklifini kabul ederse de 10000 dolar vereceğini söyler. Ofise gitmeden önce Drake bürosundaki dedektiflere talimat veren Mason ofise geldiğinde onu arayan kişinin Robert Peltham olduğunu bilir. Ama adamın yanında maskeli bir kadın vardır. Bu kadını koruması karşılığında 10000 dolarlık bir çekin yarısını verir Mason'a. Ertesi gün Abigail Tubb adında bir kadın Mason'a gelir. Bryl Gailord'un kendi kızı gibi olduğunu, bir tekne yolculuğunda 2 Rus vatandaşın ölüp bu kızın sağ kaldığını, onu Rusya'dan kurtarıp burada bir bakımevine verdiğini ama çocuğu başka bir aileye evlatlık verdiklerini söyler. Bu aile çok zengindir ve her şeylerini ölmeden önce Bryl'e bırakır. Ama anne Arthur Tidings adlı biri ile evlenir ve ölür. Artık vasi Arthur'dur. Bunu engellemesini ister. Byrl ise Arthur'un iyi bir insan olduğunu söyler. Mason, Tidings'i aradığında telefona sekreteri Carr Mattman çıkar. Arthur telefona gelir ve konuşur. O gece Arthur'un arabası bulunur. Paul ve Mason beraber Arthur'un ayrı yaşadığı karısı Nadine'nin evine gider. Burada Arthur'un cesedi bulunur. Arthur bazı yolsuzluklar yapmıştır. Ölmeden önce de son bir hisse senedi alımı yapmıştır. Burada 50000 dolarlık bir satış olmuştur. Alım ve satım kısmındaki insanlar da tedirgin olmuştur. Olayla ilgili neredeyse herkesin salı gününe dair bir beyanı vardır. Ama doktorun dediğinin aksine Mason cinayetin pazartesi akşam işlendiğini düşünür. O gece Peltham ve gizemli kadın gelmiştir. O kadının Nadine olduğunu tespit etmesi zor olmaz. Arthur'un montunda bir ruj çıkmıştır. En başta katili Nadine olarak düşünür Mason ama bundan vazgeçer. Peltham kayıptır ama zor da olsa onu bulur. Onu ölü gibi gösterir. Bu arada Frell ve Mattman da rüşvet ve şantaj işine girmiştir. Bir gün Holcomb gelir ve Mason'a ifadesi alınacağını söyler. Hamilton Burger Carl'a bilgilerini anlatmasını söyler. Carl, hisse senedi işini Mason'a yıkmaya çalışır. Mason tutuklanmayınca Della ile Freel'in yanına gider ve ondan bir itiraf alır. Artık katilin kim olduğunu bilmektedir. Arthur ile ilişkili olacak ve onda ruj bırakacak bu kişi kimdir? Katil aynı kişi midir yoksa farklı biri midir? Bryl gerçekten Rus kızı mıdır yoksa annesi başka biri midir? Mason bu işten sıyrılabilecek midir? Holcomb'a yardım edecek midir? Keyifle okunan bir roman.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 14, 2022
La historia empieza muy bien con una intriga de esas que invitan a seguir leyendo un capítulo más: el famoso abogado Perry Mason recibe una llamada intempestiva en mitad de una noche de tormenta para ir a atender a alguien que quiere contratarlo, es decir, no es que acuda a la llamada de un cliente, sino de alguien que no lo es pero le muestra el cebo de mucho dinero.
La entrevista con el presunto cliente es de las que no suceden en la vida real y, de suceder, ningún abogado aceptaría: el que paga trata de engañar al abogado sobre su identidad -aunque este es tan listo que lo desenmascara- y la cliente se presenta camuflada bajo un imperdible enorme y un antifaz, no habla para no descubrir su voz y, por descontado, al abogado no se le dice quién es ni para qué necesita sus servicios.
Aquí arranca la novela, luego hay un asesinato, una huérfana, un desfalco, una compra de acciones... varias tramas que se entrecruzan y complican desentrañar la madeja y además ni uno de los personajes le dice la verdad a la primera al listísimo abogado que tiene que ir a tientas en la oscuridad para descubrir de qué va todo.
Los métodos del abogado, que no duda en recurrir al engaño si conviene a sus intereses -aunque diga que lo hace por el interés de su cliente-, resultan convincentes, no así las reacciones de aquellos a quienes Perry fuerza la mano, que una y otra vez, en lugar de mandarlo a paseo se muestran de lo más colaboradores y le dan toda la información que demanda.
El hilo de sus deducciones es fino, pero existe, no hay inspiraciones divinas que le lleven a descubrimientos fundamentales, aunque el que su amigo el detective Drake le proporcione oportunamente la única información que necesita para resolver el asesinato se le parece mucho. ¿Cómo sabía Drake que eso era lo que tenía que hacerle llegar? ¿Por qué tenía que ser a escondidas de la policía y del fiscal?
Pero el final me decepciona. Al haber varias tramas la mitad quedan a medias y la única que se concluye es la del asesinato. En cambio, el follón de la venta de acciones se deja irresoluto a pesar de que en ese follón hay un testigo cuya declaración no se ha desmontado, que acusa a Perry de estafa y de ocultar un asesinato. Y tampoco se resuelve la situación de la enmascarada y de su amigo, aunque ahí había poco que rascar.
La entrevista con el presunto cliente es de las que no suceden en la vida real y, de suceder, ningún abogado aceptaría: el que paga trata de engañar al abogado sobre su identidad -aunque este es tan listo que lo desenmascara- y la cliente se presenta camuflada bajo un imperdible enorme y un antifaz, no habla para no descubrir su voz y, por descontado, al abogado no se le dice quién es ni para qué necesita sus servicios.
Aquí arranca la novela, luego hay un asesinato, una huérfana, un desfalco, una compra de acciones... varias tramas que se entrecruzan y complican desentrañar la madeja y además ni uno de los personajes le dice la verdad a la primera al listísimo abogado que tiene que ir a tientas en la oscuridad para descubrir de qué va todo.
Los métodos del abogado, que no duda en recurrir al engaño si conviene a sus intereses -aunque diga que lo hace por el interés de su cliente-, resultan convincentes, no así las reacciones de aquellos a quienes Perry fuerza la mano, que una y otra vez, en lugar de mandarlo a paseo se muestran de lo más colaboradores y le dan toda la información que demanda.
El hilo de sus deducciones es fino, pero existe, no hay inspiraciones divinas que le lleven a descubrimientos fundamentales, aunque el que su amigo el detective Drake le proporcione oportunamente la única información que necesita para resolver el asesinato se le parece mucho. ¿Cómo sabía Drake que eso era lo que tenía que hacerle llegar? ¿Por qué tenía que ser a escondidas de la policía y del fiscal?
Pero el final me decepciona. Al haber varias tramas la mitad quedan a medias y la única que se concluye es la del asesinato. En cambio, el follón de la venta de acciones se deja irresoluto a pesar de que en ese follón hay un testigo cuya declaración no se ha desmontado, que acusa a Perry de estafa y de ocultar un asesinato. Y tampoco se resuelve la situación de la enmascarada y de su amigo, aunque ahí había poco que rascar.
September 23, 2021
Although it took me a whopping four days to read this, longer than any other Gardner novel so far for me (to be fair, it's been a long, long four days,) I was completely engrossed in this story both while I was reading it and while I was busy with other things, and as you can see this is my second Gardner (and first Perry!) to achieve five stars. Everything just feels so tight in this book: Perfectly paced plotting, complex but uncomplicated characters (who of course have very complicated connections with one another,) several smaller storylines and events which somehow all tie together, and even though this is one of the Masons which curtails the usual trial sequence for something a bit different, it still ends with a bang. Of course, Perry, Della, Paul and the gang are all in top form here, and the solution was unexpected but sensible (although I could have used a little more cluing, but hey, with ESG that's not what I'm ultimately concerned with.) Of course I can't mention the main gimmick here which make it all so brilliant, the fact that even though we meet Mason's main client in the first chapter, she's in disguise and we don't know who she is for nearly 80% of the book! Of course there are a few choices, but Gardner keeps you guessing while Perry tracks down the mysterious woman with half a Salmon Chase. About halfway through I thought we had the big reveal of who the client is (a whodunnit - or whoisit - all to itself,) and it fell on a character I'd never considered; I thought it was brilliant! But of course it was one big bluff and sixty pages later the true reveal came and although it wasn't as earth-shatteringly surprising, it still fit in so we'll. Overall a great read and definitely my favorite Perry Mason so far, although whether or not I like this more than The D.A. Holds a Candle is yet to be decided. Wholeheartedly recommended! (I might say this is a good starter Mason, but the whole unknown client gimmick might give one the wrong idea - better to start with something conventional like The Case of the Perjured Parrot and then discover this one.)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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