The Case of the Haunted Husband

Perry Mason #18

by Erle Stanley Gardner

Aspiring actress Stephanie Claire just wants to be in pictures. But she may end up in mug shots when she gets herself caught up in a crime. It's up to Perry Mason to find the truth behind a suspicious scenario starring a menacing movie mogul, a hoodwinked housewife, and a man no one ever seen--alive! Reissue.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Crime, Detective, Classics, Legal, Audiobook

248 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1941

About the author

Erle 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...

Reviews

[James Thane · Rating 3 out of 5]

When hatcheck girl Stephanie Claire is fired after refusing her boss's advances, she impulsively decides to hitchhike to Los Angles to see if she can break into the movies. She gets a ride to Bakersfield and there is picked up by a man in a powerful sedan. The man's been drinking and when he tries to get friendly, Stephanie she has a drink of whiskey to be a good sport, but otherwise resists his advances. In attempting to paw Stephanie, the man loses control of the car, which crashes. Stephanie is pulled from the wreck with liquor on her breath, only to find that the driver has disappeared, leaving her to take the rap for manslaughter.

The car belongs to a Hollywood mogul who claims that it was stolen, and if anybody ever needed a good lawyer, it's Stephanie. Fortunately, one of her girlfriends persuades Perry Mason to take the case, and it's a very good thing, because like so many of Mason's cases, this one will ultimately become so convoluted that only Perry could figure it out.

Inevitably, of course, a body or two will drop along the way and Perry will be locked in an intricate chess match with his new adversary, Lieutenant Tragg, who replaces the bumbling Sergeant Holcomb as Mason's principal antagonist. Interestingly, Tragg looks nothing like Ray Collins, the actor who played the character in the long-running TV series. In this novel, Tragg is described for one of the very few times: "Tragg was about Mason's age, an inch or two shorter, a pound or two lighter, but there was a certain similarity about the men which would impress a close observer. Tragg's high forehead, wavy black hair, clean-cut features and thoughtful eyes were at sharp variance with the bull-necked beef of Sergeant Holcomb, whose place on the homicide squad he had taken."

This is a fairly typical entry in the series, and a fun read.

[Nandakishore Mridula · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am on tour on a workshop, and read this as a light read. Sadly, I found out that I have outgrown Perry Mason. The court scenes simply do not engender the excitement they used to - and if you discount them, the mystery is pretty pedestrian.

Don't be put off, folks, by this "review" - it's a personal thing.

[Alonzo Church · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is atypical Mason, with Perry acting more like a golden age sleuth than typical, and Hamilton Burger is nowhere in sight. This time, to the extent there is an antagonist, it’s Lt. Tragg, and unlike with Burger, finding the actual killer is more important than destroying Mason. So, alas, the courtroom is not prominent in this one, and there are long passages of dull. By the time the plot perks up, it’s going to be too late for most readers, even though the contest between Tragg and Mason is far more equal than the usual Burger vs Mason courtroom fun.

For Mason fans only. This isn’t a good introduction to the series.

[Lemar · Rating 5 out of 5]

This may be the quintessential Perry Mason novel. Gardner deftly weaves profound ideas about justice (particularly the ethos of being a defense attorney), sly humor, and meaningful and articulate ideas about life into his page-turner whodunnits. The best murder mystery writers do not shy away from discussing death itself and Erle Stanley Gardner takes his place with Edgar Allan Poe and other masters as being among the best.

[Brandy B. Stark · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is Perry Mason. What can I say? Pulpy yummy fun.

Lots of pulp. A little sexists, though. Still, love that lawyer. Paul Drake did not shine in this one. Della did.

[Dave · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hitchhikers, Movie Producers, & Secrets

When you open up one of Gardner's Perry Mason novels, you find something which is very much like a classic pulp detective novel with a strange situation, a possible frame-up, corpses, vague clues, and keeping evidence close to the vest until Mason can figure out what it all means. You also get courtroom scenes including the kind of courtroom examinations and gotcha moments that seldom occur in real trials. Unlike the classic pulp detective, Mason is an attorney and doesn't get involved in gunfights and brawls and the like.

This mystery opens up on a pitch-black night on a deserted highway with a young blonde hitchhiker naively thumbing her way to Hollywood, a creepy driver who picks her up, a flask of booze, and a terrible accident. This isn't really Mason's usual kind of case, but somehow the earthy goodness of the blonde's friend convinces him that he needs to clear her name, particularly when it means going up against the power of the Hollywood elite. It is a thrilling ride as the story develops and gets ever more complex.

Perry Mason mysteries are not necessarily meant to be solved before he's ready to unveil the secret to the riddle. And the solution here is rather hopelessly complex, perhaps too complex to really be satisfying.

[Anagha S Setlur · Rating 5 out of 5]

Erle Stanley Gardner has done the things that I could not do in my life. Writing a fictional mystery is a real challenge, and to write one that is gripping is another matter by itself. This piece is one of his best whodunits written and is a definite page turner. It kept me guessing till the very end and eventually, I didn't get it right. That's the whole point of a mystery, isn't it? A brilliant work of fiction with great conversations that you can go head over heels with. :)

[Kiri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting twists and resolution. Perry, Della, and their detective friend are on top of the game again! =)

[Mahoghani 23 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truly Enjoyable Read

I've seen the show and now reading the book, I know that Gardner was a very talented writer. I have yet to read one of his books and lose interest.

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

A girl hitchhikes to Hollywood with a drunk driver and meets an accident. She wakes up to find the driver missing and herself the prime suspect in a manslaughter case. The driver finds himself murdered.

TCOTHH is one of the earliest Mason cases, and one of the latest ones I've read. Expect the usual PM whodunit AND by this I mean having all the clues and yet not guessing who the murderer is. I find this case utterly enjoyable and refreshingly different in a lot of ways:

- Mason's client is not accused of murder
- He needs to get his client off by solving a murder
- Lieutenant Tragg (so far my favorite character) appears in a lot of the chapters and helps uncover the clues
- A scene where Mason and Della Street kid around like children (I find this so cute)
- A scene with Mason, Della, Tragg and Drake in a non-tense environment and
- Mason actually "cooperated" with the police.

:)

[Stephen Osborne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did figure out whodunit in this one, only because I caught the one clue that lead to the murderer, but one doesn't read Gardner to figure out the killer. You don't read them for character development (there is none). You read them for the courtroom acrobatics that Mason comes up with, and the witty dialog between Mason and Della (or Tragg, or Paul Drake). The cases themselves are usually so convoluted that you'd need flow charts, timetables, and endless amounts of caffeine to solve them. But they're fun, like this one where Mason's client isn't, for once, accused of murder. Rather, she's accused of reckless driving, car theft, etc. when she was actually just hitchhiking.

[Girish · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of those Perry Mason books that has all the action happening - multiple murders, glitz and glamour of hollywood and whole lot of deductive reasoning. Mason and his team become super sleuths by guessing things not at all evident from the evidence.

The action is high and Tragg hanging out with the team was fun. Thought Gardner was experimenting in this one by narrating events in the perspective of other character and also with philosophy (flat). Courtroom action limited to cross examination brilliance.

Too many characters and slight unwarranted complexity apart, a decent book.

[WT Sharpe · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the more memorable ones

I enjoyed this as a TV show and now I can say I enjoyed the novel on which the teleplay was based.I do think this is one case where the TV writers actually improved upon the original "gotcha" ending, though. I can still hear Mason, in that final scene, saying to Lt. Tragg, "Do you think I'm stupid, lieutenant?" and Tragg responding about him being underhanded, unscrupulous, conniving...but not stupid. It was the perfect lead-in to the gotcha moment. Not that I didn't enjoy the way the book handled it, though.

[Richa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This mystery reminded me a lot of my favourite sleuth, M. Hercule Poirot. The style, the narrative was too inspired by a Poirot mystery, according to me. Mason was more of a detective than a lawyer here, also a philosopher giving veiled messages to the murderer -- a la Poirot! I guess if I hadn't read all the Poirot mysteries already, I might have been a little more generous to this one...

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Complicated plot line about a car accident, a Hollywood producer and a mysterious bigamist.

[Anastasia · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Case of the Haunted Husband by Erle Stanley Gardner is the 18th book in the Perry Mason series. Perry Mason is hired to help a girl who has been framed for a fatal motor vehicle accident involving a car owned by a Hollywood producer. A typical Perry Mason and rather convoluted with plenty of twists and misdirection. I enjoyed seeing Perry Mason and Lieutenant Tragg attempt to work together but at the same being distrustful of each other and attempting to outwit each other. An enjoyable and intriguing mystery.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had to really slow down toward the end of this. Mason is usually ahead of me but this time I could not at all figure out where he came up with his suppositions. Apparently, Tragg couldn't figure it out either so that made me feel better. As with the other books in the series, the ending was a bit abrupt. In this one, that abruptness left me with more questions than answers. As I think about it, my head is filling in some of those answers and I guess there's nothing wrong with a book that leaves you thinking about it after it's end.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Always enjoy the characters in these books. This was quite a twisted mystery, but overall, not one of the better ones of the series. But still a quick and interesting read.

[Bill Gross · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some dated expressions that we wouldn't use today. A good example of a writer following a "formula" or a pattern for a novel. Still, enjoyable with engaging characters.

[Lucía ⭐️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

es algo atípico, distinto a lo acostumbrado. disfrutable igualmente, aunque no lo recomendaría para empezar a leer la colección

[Bob · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been reading Gardner's Perry Mason books off and on for many years. Many years ago, I was an intense fan of the series, and read them all, at least once. Now, after a lot of water over the dam, I'm looking at them again.

Those who are used to really fine mystery writers, such as Ross Macdonald, may find the writing style here off-putting. It can be stiff and mechanical. Nonetheless, I still love the general setting: the characters of Perry, Della, Paul, Lt. Tragg, and Hamilton Berger. That, and the ingenious plots, are why I read Perry Mason.

On the whole, the ones written by 1945 are the best. This one was written in 1941, and is an exception to the rule: it's one of the few that I did not especially like. It begins with a young woman, Stephane Clair, hitchhiking. She is picked up by a man who "makes unwanted advances". There is a struggle, the car crashes, killing another driver. The driver
of Stephane's car mysteriously vanishes after the crash, no one sees him, and so Stephane is charged with manslaughter. Perry takes the case, and by a complicated chain of evidence, Perry is led to a mysterious man in San Francisco, one L. C. Spinney, and then to a woman from New Orleans who arrives in LA looking for her husband. Perry and Drake take her to a hotel, where various other people shuttle in and out. I won't attempt to summarize all the evidence and reasoning. Eventually the case involves a Hollywood producer, his chauffeur and brother, various uncles, friends, and wives. Two murders occur in that same hotel.

There are some good courtroom scenes, unfortunately not with Hamilton Burger. Lt. Tragg has a strong role, more than usual. Unusually, Perry waxes philosophical at one point. Obviously, this is Erle Stanley Gardner trying to come to grips with life and death.

There are too many scenes tangential to the plot, such as Perry, Drake, Tragg, and Della at dinner together. There are several loopholes and unresolved threads. Too many characters are introduced only to be dropped and never heard from again. In the better stories, there are fewer characters, but the ones who are introduced have some significance, if only to be red herrings. Maybe I missed it, but why was the man driving the car in the opening scenes wearing a tuxedo? This is played up as a big clue for a while but never resolved that I saw. How did he (that driver) leave the scene of the accident so easily?

One symptom of the problems with this book: who is the "haunted husband"? Haunted by what or who?

The very last scene plays out in a hotel room, in that same hotel. The events of the last couple chapters are confusing and poorly presented. Upon reflection and re-reading, they do make sense, however. There is a good plot and a good idea in there stuggling to come out.

I have to wonder if this book doesn't represent a transition or "mid life crisis" of some sort for Gardner. At this point he had written about 18 of these Perry Mason stories. I can imagine that he was stuggling to find a change, a new direction. Did he have any conception of the enormous success that lay ahead? Certainly he could not have imagined the TV series.

Of all the Mason books, I would put it in the bottom half. Recommended for those wishing to complete their collection of Perry Mason reads.

[False · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every once in a while, Gardner writes a Mason mystery that knocks it out of the ballpark, and this is one of them. Tragg becomes part of the team in this one. Mason treats Paul, Della and Tragg to a steak dinner while they share "clews" to solve the case. Tragg twirls Della out on the dance floor of this dinner club. Two interesting points, and I'm not going to ruin the plot, but Paul and Perry have a discussion they've had in many other books--which is that Perry likes to be on thin ice. He's a risk taker and likes the thrill of the case. He's said many times he doesn't even want to take cases that are standard and, therefore, boring. They both speculate in Haunted Husband, wondering when will come the day that the ice breaks. The other portion is a section where Perry Mason turns philosopher and incorporates many of the belief systems of the author in terms of life and death and "what it all means." It's well worth seeking out this book, and I had to special order it through an interlibrary loan to get a first edition, just for that section alone.

[Ailurophile · Rating 3 out of 5]

After reading The Case of the Dangerous Dowager which I enjoyed immensely, this was something of a let down. The enjoyable part of the book were the character interactions (especially Perry Mason's interactions with others.) It was also fun to read a mystery from the point of view of someone who does not have the police's support and is willing to break a few rules while trying to find the answers. However, the book dragged in the middle and I found myself wishing it would end soon. The end, too, was confusing and I'm still not sure what Perry Mason's intentions were when he discovered the culprit. In short, a good read to satisfy a craving for mystery but nothing memorable.

[Elderberrywine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A somewhat convoluted tale of Hollywood scheming but actually not. I sort of lost track of the nefarious women skulking about.

I did appreciate the pine-scented romantic mountain cabin getaway that was located in Fresno. O.o

And Mason did give forth with a long soliloquy on the circle of life to a recently widowed woman. Both Paul Drake and I were equally amazed. But then it turned out she was a murderess, so there's that.

[Huma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read a Perry Mason after a long time, great fun indeed!

But I was a bit shocked at the ending, Mason hinting that someone should take one's life to evade justice?

On the topic of Mason, I wish they make a modern day TV adaptation. Or, maybe I'll just try to get my hands on some episodes of the original series.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars.

These are fun mysteries. They aren't anything outstanding, but Mason is a decent character and Della is great. It's also nice that there is a mix of detective work and legal work. I thought the mystery in this book was a good one, and his client was sympathetic enough that you wanted her off the hook for the crime.

[Noah · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting mix of legal work, and detective work Gardner keeps you on your toes withe quick twists and lots of liars. This is maybe the third Perry Mason I've read & really enjoyed, would have rated 3.5 and rounded up, but the other reviews swayed me.

Not a perfectly wound Celtic knot, but like a messy braid or some street foiod, this one was probably better off a little loose.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one is quite chock-full of twists and clues. I can't imagine all were included in the television episode of the same name. The double-twist, triple-flip ending was a bit unbelieveable...for anyone but Perry.

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great development of the Tragg character. I wish that the actor who played Tragg on TV would have played the part to match the character in the books. The Tragg character on TV was more like Sgt Holcomb

[NebulousGloom (FK) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was kind of slow in a few sections, but it picked up near the end with more twists and turns than usual. Certainly worth reading. The description of the "upholstered" woman are very interesting in a series that almost always has nothing but skinny women.