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Perry Mason #49
The Case of the Terrified Typist
Perry hires a temporary typist who flees in a panic, leaving behind a pair of diamonds hidden in a wad of chewing gum. Down the hall from Perry's office, a co-owner of a gem importing company has been charged in a smuggling scheme, and with murdering his accomplice. Mason agrees to defend the accused man, who would rather die than cooperate. And he just might--unless Mason can track down the terrified typist.
192 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1956
238 people are currently reading
618 people want to read
About the author
Erle Stanley Gardner
1,367 books819 followersErle Stanley Gardner was an American lawyer and author of detective stories who also published under the pseudonyms A.A. Fair, Kyle Corning, Charles M. Green, Carleton Kendrake, Charles J. Kenny, Les Tillray, and Robert Parr.
Innovative and restless in his nature, he was bored by the routine of legal practice, the only part of which he enjoyed was trial work and the development of trial strategy. In his spare time, he began to write for pulp magazines, which also fostered the early careers of Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler. He created many different series characters for the pulps, including the ingenious Lester Leith, a "gentleman thief" in the tradition of Raffles, and Ken Corning, a crusading lawyer who was the archetype of his most successful creation, the fictional lawyer and crime-solver Perry Mason, about whom he wrote more than eighty novels. With the success of Perry Mason, he gradually reduced his contributions to the pulp magazines, eventually withdrawing from the medium entirely, except for non-fiction articles on travel, Western history, and forensic science.
See more at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erle_Sta...
Innovative and restless in his nature, he was bored by the routine of legal practice, the only part of which he enjoyed was trial work and the development of trial strategy. In his spare time, he began to write for pulp magazines, which also fostered the early careers of Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler. He created many different series characters for the pulps, including the ingenious Lester Leith, a "gentleman thief" in the tradition of Raffles, and Ken Corning, a crusading lawyer who was the archetype of his most successful creation, the fictional lawyer and crime-solver Perry Mason, about whom he wrote more than eighty novels. With the success of Perry Mason, he gradually reduced his contributions to the pulp magazines, eventually withdrawing from the medium entirely, except for non-fiction articles on travel, Western history, and forensic science.
See more at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erle_Sta...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 117 reviews
July 29, 2024
The Case of the Terrified Typist is unique among the Erle Stanley Gardner Perry Mason series in that in this novel, the jury convicts Mason’s client of first-degree murder!
Two of Mason’s employees were absent, so Della Street contacted an agency for a temporary typist. During excitement about a possible break-in of a nearby office, a young lady entered Mason’s office. The office receptionist asked if she was the temp, to which the young lady replied affirmatively. Her work was excellent, so Della contacted the agency to request the young lady for additional work. The agency advised Della that they had not sent anyone over that day and did not know who the lady was who had worked all day.
The office that had sustained the break-in was a diamond-importing business, manned by two people, one a South African and the other an American who had been in the firm’s Paris office for several years.
When Della Street examined the temporary secretary's desk, she discovered a large wad of gum stuck to the underside and two diamonds encased in the wad. A right thumbprint was embossed in the wad of gum, and Mason and Paul Drake devised a most ingenious means of identifying the print without notifying the police.
The South African employee apparently was involved in a diamond smuggling scheme and was accused of murdering one of his co-conspirators. The South African diamond company retained Mason to defend the accused. Hamilton Burger introduced overwhelming evidence of the guilt of the accused, and the jury brought in a verdict of guilty of first-degree murder.
Mason was not through, however.
Two of Mason’s employees were absent, so Della Street contacted an agency for a temporary typist. During excitement about a possible break-in of a nearby office, a young lady entered Mason’s office. The office receptionist asked if she was the temp, to which the young lady replied affirmatively. Her work was excellent, so Della contacted the agency to request the young lady for additional work. The agency advised Della that they had not sent anyone over that day and did not know who the lady was who had worked all day.
The office that had sustained the break-in was a diamond-importing business, manned by two people, one a South African and the other an American who had been in the firm’s Paris office for several years.
When Della Street examined the temporary secretary's desk, she discovered a large wad of gum stuck to the underside and two diamonds encased in the wad. A right thumbprint was embossed in the wad of gum, and Mason and Paul Drake devised a most ingenious means of identifying the print without notifying the police.
The South African employee apparently was involved in a diamond smuggling scheme and was accused of murdering one of his co-conspirators. The South African diamond company retained Mason to defend the accused. Hamilton Burger introduced overwhelming evidence of the guilt of the accused, and the jury brought in a verdict of guilty of first-degree murder.
Mason was not through, however.
October 15, 2022
رواية لطيفة، و أحداثها سلسلة و سريعة، و اللغز مختلف، أعتقد أنها أول قراءاتي لإيرل ستانلي جاردنر، و لن تكون الأخيرة.
November 9, 2025
“The Case of the Terrified Typist” is known for being the only trial Mason ever lost. That result though seems evident throughout the novel as Mason never seems to know quite what is going on in this case – until he finally figures it out after the jury verdict has been returned.
It all begins with a call to an agency for a top notch typist to print up a 36 pages brief and a woman (shy and demure ) shows up, is assumed by Gertie (the receptionist) to be the typist from the agency, and is perfection in typing music until she suddenly disappears without finishing.
It seems she was on the run from the police and ducked into the office for safety and luckily was assumed to be there to work. There had been a break-in at a diamond firm in the building. $300,000 of diamonds had also been smuggled on a cruise ship with the smuggler leaping overboard and never surfacing. An associate of the diamond firm is charged with that murder and Mason hired as counsel, thinking he could beat the case as there was no corpus or “body of the crime” and thinking he could have Paul Drake turn up the mysterious typist first. Wrong on both scores, though.
The bulk of the second half of the novel -as is often the case- is taken up with the trial where Mason keeps wondering what he’s missing as the District Attorney is too confident. And, Mason keeps thinking he has the corpus missing defense in his back pocket.
It’s an unusual entry in the series as the normally infallible Mason seems to slip up, but eventually even late in the game he figures out the truth.
It all begins with a call to an agency for a top notch typist to print up a 36 pages brief and a woman (shy and demure ) shows up, is assumed by Gertie (the receptionist) to be the typist from the agency, and is perfection in typing music until she suddenly disappears without finishing.
It seems she was on the run from the police and ducked into the office for safety and luckily was assumed to be there to work. There had been a break-in at a diamond firm in the building. $300,000 of diamonds had also been smuggled on a cruise ship with the smuggler leaping overboard and never surfacing. An associate of the diamond firm is charged with that murder and Mason hired as counsel, thinking he could beat the case as there was no corpus or “body of the crime” and thinking he could have Paul Drake turn up the mysterious typist first. Wrong on both scores, though.
The bulk of the second half of the novel -as is often the case- is taken up with the trial where Mason keeps wondering what he’s missing as the District Attorney is too confident. And, Mason keeps thinking he has the corpus missing defense in his back pocket.
It’s an unusual entry in the series as the normally infallible Mason seems to slip up, but eventually even late in the game he figures out the truth.
May 25, 2020
This was fun as it had more anticipation than the tv adaption.
Recommended 14+ for language, theft, and mentions of an affair.
Recommended 14+ for language, theft, and mentions of an affair.
May 15, 2021
Written in 1955, this was one of the better Perry Mason novels in the series. Pretty clever, and very fast paced.
September 27, 2021
More and more I find myself reading vintage murder mysteries. I'm tired of magical cats, dogs who can outsmart their owners, women who've been divorced or lost a spouse or were jilted and having to move back to their hometown, baking or crafty sleuths, witches that are sleuths or houses that are haunted and have helpful ghosts or nasty murdering ghosts. I've been reading a lot of Charlotte McLeod(Peter Shandy Mysteries, etc), Rex Stout (Nero Wolfe), and Perry Mason or I mean Erle Stanley Gardner. None of their stories are like any other story. This the case of the Terrified Typist is fast-paced, unpredictable, novel, and thoroughly enjoyable. As an author, I understand that certain what they call tropes are popular in different genres. In romance, it's mail order brides, marriage of convenience, Regency romances, etc. But I just think that we need some new voices in mystery who defy the tropes and create new ones. Diane Mott Davidson and Joanne Fluke pioneered new tropes. It can be done!!!
June 5, 2017
This is a decent pageturner, but the plot really makes no sense. Gardner definitely wrote better books.
June 30, 2025
Yeah. Definitely a new comfort-read series.
The plot of this one really kept me guessing. It had several twists that I greatly enjoyed :-)
Once again, this mystery was everything I wanted and needed when I read it, and I'm relishing having 78 more Perry Mason books to explore.
The plot of this one really kept me guessing. It had several twists that I greatly enjoyed :-)
Once again, this mystery was everything I wanted and needed when I read it, and I'm relishing having 78 more Perry Mason books to explore.
December 18, 2014
#49 in the Perry Mason series. The terrified typist of the title was a young woman mistaken by Mason's staff for a typist from a temp agency. Her additions to the story are not fully developed and her major contribution may be in the alliterative title. This is no better than average for the series but there is a unique way in which Perry escapes a guilty murder verdict for his client.
Perry Mason series - Mason is in a quandary: one of his office typists is out sick and the other is too overwhelmed to take on more work, but an important legal brief must be prepared for delivery the next day. An office temporary is the solution, but she behaves very strangely: she arrives in a nervous state, types most of the manuscript, and then quite suddenly disappears! It soon transpires that a nearby office has been burgled, and it seems likely that the woman was involved, but as the matter progresses the circumstances become increasingly peculiar--and when murder rears its ugly head Mason is once more court.
Perry Mason series - Mason is in a quandary: one of his office typists is out sick and the other is too overwhelmed to take on more work, but an important legal brief must be prepared for delivery the next day. An office temporary is the solution, but she behaves very strangely: she arrives in a nervous state, types most of the manuscript, and then quite suddenly disappears! It soon transpires that a nearby office has been burgled, and it seems likely that the woman was involved, but as the matter progresses the circumstances become increasingly peculiar--and when murder rears its ugly head Mason is once more court.
October 20, 2020
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 one was written in 1956, and is very good in some ways, less so in others. It is well written, a real page turner for most of its length. But the ending is too far-fetched.
It starts one unusually busy day at Mason's office. They need someone to type a long document. Della calls an agency. Soon a nervous young woman comes in to the office. Gertie assumes she is the agency typist and puts her to work. She notes that the woman, named Mae Wallis, seems anxious but is an extremely good typist. But after a few hours work the woman disappears, and the agency calls to say they haven't found any suitable typist!
It turns out that about the time Perry and Della were thinking of getting a special typist, the office of a South African diamond importer in the same building was being illegally entered by a young woman. She was seen and the police came quickly. It was Mae. She ducked into Perry's office to avoid the police. Hence the "terrified typist."
Soon Perry is heavily involved with the affairs of that South African diamond company. Two men run the LA office, Duane Jefferson and Walter Irving. An American named Munroe Baxter obtained diamonds from their European office and attempted to smuggle them into the LA area via an elaborate ruse. The scheme fell through and his accomplice, Yvonne Manco, informed the police. The police think he was murdered and arrest Duane Jefferson. Perry agrees to defend him.
The plot is quite complex and I won't attempt to summarize much more. The other partner, Walter Irving, is a classic arrogant Gardner character. His paramour Marline Chaumont seems to have an invalid brother she is very concerned about.
Very good Hamilton Burger. No Sgt. Holcomb, and only one brief mention of Lt. Tragg. The client is not especially sympathetic. In fact, he may be the least sympathetic defendant in any Perry Mason mystery. Average use of Della Street. Good use of Paul Drake. Mason is not in danger of being disbarred.
Recurring themes: not many. Shifting identities also occur in the Rolling Bones.
Unusual: the trial is the jury trial, not the preliminary hearing. The cross-examination scenes are good, even above average.
Very unusual: Perry loses the case! (Sort of)
The story is very good and held my interest very well until near the end. But the basic plot element is far-fetched. This is another Perry Mason story that couldn't happen today. Actually, I don't think it could have happened in 1956 either, but maybe. 1936, yes, that would be more believable.
Even assuming that the key plot element could happen, the story leaves too many questions unanswered at the end. For example, who gave Mae the keys to get into the office? Who was the second man in the boat, the one who rented it?
The cast:
Mae (Wallis) Jordan, terrified typist who finds a brief home in Perry Mason's office.
Duane Jefferson, one of the managers of the LA office of a South Africa diamond importing business.
Walter Irving, the other manager of the LA office of a South Africa diamond importing business.
Munroe Baxter, diamond smuggler who takes a dive.
Yvonne Manco, beautiful wife of Munroe Baxter and accomplice in a smuggling scheme.
Jack Gilly, witness to a strange scene in a small boat. Was it murder?
Marline Chaumont, friend of Walter Irving's in Paris and now LA.
Marline Chaumont's brother, a mental case and invalid, lives with Marline.
Ann Riddle, owner of the cigar store in Perry's office building.
Nan Ormsby, apparently the paramour of Duane Jefferson. She has no speaking part.
James Kincaid, alias of Duane Jefferson. Or is it the other way around.
Recommended for the unique ending. Very unique.
On the whole, the ones written by 1950 are the best. This one was written in 1956, and is very good in some ways, less so in others. It is well written, a real page turner for most of its length. But the ending is too far-fetched.
It starts one unusually busy day at Mason's office. They need someone to type a long document. Della calls an agency. Soon a nervous young woman comes in to the office. Gertie assumes she is the agency typist and puts her to work. She notes that the woman, named Mae Wallis, seems anxious but is an extremely good typist. But after a few hours work the woman disappears, and the agency calls to say they haven't found any suitable typist!
It turns out that about the time Perry and Della were thinking of getting a special typist, the office of a South African diamond importer in the same building was being illegally entered by a young woman. She was seen and the police came quickly. It was Mae. She ducked into Perry's office to avoid the police. Hence the "terrified typist."
Soon Perry is heavily involved with the affairs of that South African diamond company. Two men run the LA office, Duane Jefferson and Walter Irving. An American named Munroe Baxter obtained diamonds from their European office and attempted to smuggle them into the LA area via an elaborate ruse. The scheme fell through and his accomplice, Yvonne Manco, informed the police. The police think he was murdered and arrest Duane Jefferson. Perry agrees to defend him.
The plot is quite complex and I won't attempt to summarize much more. The other partner, Walter Irving, is a classic arrogant Gardner character. His paramour Marline Chaumont seems to have an invalid brother she is very concerned about.
Very good Hamilton Burger. No Sgt. Holcomb, and only one brief mention of Lt. Tragg. The client is not especially sympathetic. In fact, he may be the least sympathetic defendant in any Perry Mason mystery. Average use of Della Street. Good use of Paul Drake. Mason is not in danger of being disbarred.
Recurring themes: not many. Shifting identities also occur in the Rolling Bones.
Unusual: the trial is the jury trial, not the preliminary hearing. The cross-examination scenes are good, even above average.
Very unusual: Perry loses the case! (Sort of)
The story is very good and held my interest very well until near the end. But the basic plot element is far-fetched. This is another Perry Mason story that couldn't happen today. Actually, I don't think it could have happened in 1956 either, but maybe. 1936, yes, that would be more believable.
Even assuming that the key plot element could happen, the story leaves too many questions unanswered at the end. For example, who gave Mae the keys to get into the office? Who was the second man in the boat, the one who rented it?
The cast:
Mae (Wallis) Jordan, terrified typist who finds a brief home in Perry Mason's office.
Duane Jefferson, one of the managers of the LA office of a South Africa diamond importing business.
Walter Irving, the other manager of the LA office of a South Africa diamond importing business.
Munroe Baxter, diamond smuggler who takes a dive.
Yvonne Manco, beautiful wife of Munroe Baxter and accomplice in a smuggling scheme.
Jack Gilly, witness to a strange scene in a small boat. Was it murder?
Marline Chaumont, friend of Walter Irving's in Paris and now LA.
Marline Chaumont's brother, a mental case and invalid, lives with Marline.
Ann Riddle, owner of the cigar store in Perry's office building.
Nan Ormsby, apparently the paramour of Duane Jefferson. She has no speaking part.
James Kincaid, alias of Duane Jefferson. Or is it the other way around.
Recommended for the unique ending. Very unique.
November 6, 2025
Standard with the Perry Mason books—and the TV show—this novel gets off to a slow start. There is a little this and that with the recurring characters reinforcing their personal traits to mild amusement. Then the mystery and the client are presented. Here the drama unfolds on their own doorstep—infusing a little more immediacy. However, once we settle into the detective work it becomes slow and at times confusing. Part of that confusion is intentional—misdirecting us from a very curious client who we and Perry should be paying more attention. Part of it is just putting the chairs in place for the court room scenes. And in the courtroom is when Perry Mason shakes his moneymaker. You can feel Erle Stanley Gardner has been waiting for this too. TERRIFIED TYPIST is the rare book in the series where the case actually goes to trial—usually Perry gets his cases thrown out during the preliminary hearings. This adds some extra juice. The match between Perry and the perpetually frustrated prosecuting attorney is always fun—especially here as the prosecutor appears to have the upper hand. There are some convenient occurrences in the second half but that doesn’t detract from the twists and revelations satisfying the reader. The best of the three Perry Mason books I’ve read.
April 1, 2020
I was on page 26 when I realized that I remembered the ending of this one!.... and that it hadn't been one of the better books in the series. I decided to keep reading and found it entertaining anyhow. Gardner sets up his gimmick nicely by starting his story with a little situation where Perry has Della call "the agency" to send over a typist and they make some unwarranted assumptions about the woman who shows up -- who turns out to be, among other things, a terrific typist.
December 2, 2020
I have seen all the Perry Mason television episodes many times, and this is a favorite so I decided to read the original novel for comparison. Frankly, I prefer the television version. They are somewhat alike in plot, and some of the characters are the same, but Gardner's writing acts almost like a law lesson discussing technicalities and terms. Maybe it was thought necessary when it came out in 1956. It's a confusing story just as the TV version is, but the television mystery moves along at a brisker pace. After all, they only had an hour to work with.
December 8, 2020
An enjoyable tale with old friends. It's interesting to note the evolution of characters from the novels to the tv series through the years. Hamilton Burger in particular appears simple and one dimensional in this tale, while in the later years of the series his character has significant depth and is a worthy colleague to Perry in addition to being the opposition. Nice twist at the end, and as always, the courtroom scenes are delicious.
December 10, 2021
well, shit, was NOT expecting that ending
January 7, 2025
Mason's first L but like Barry Bonds 756th HR ball it has an asterisk.
February 4, 2024
Not as complex and twisted maze as some Mason's, and courtroom slightly less exciting for various reasons, but a whopper of an ending and the author did some new things with the verdict we dont generally see for Mason.
May 29, 2021
Early on in this book, I thought it didn't seem very interesting...maybe it was too dated. But then I got into it and bam! Erle Stanley Gardner really knew how to write a good legal mystery. It still will seem dated...well it was written several decades ago. But it's a good quick read and does hold your interest well. It's not a Grisham thriller. But both writers have done great work making legal mysteries or legal thrillers fun to read.
This one has made me interested in starting up the whole Perry Mason series, esp as I watched these as a kid and have gone back through the entire TV series again as an adult. The original series, that is. I haven't see the new HBO series. But the original series seems to have stayed quite true to the novels, at least this one.
This one has made me interested in starting up the whole Perry Mason series, esp as I watched these as a kid and have gone back through the entire TV series again as an adult. The original series, that is. I haven't see the new HBO series. But the original series seems to have stayed quite true to the novels, at least this one.
September 2, 2020
On Twitter a very distinguished writer asked me HOW I could read these books and I think I understand why. But ultimately that answer is "easy." As basic as the writing it, the milieu, which is absolutely tied up with a notion of American exceptionalism, is fascinating, the plots are knotty, the legalese is something new for me and it's all pretty engaging in a superficial way, which is sometimes what you want.
July 27, 2011
There were two reasons why I badly wanted to read this book. Back in 2001, I was on this mission to complete the entire collection of Perry Mason series. This happened to be the only book that I couldn't get my hands on. Another reason being the result of a quiz I had taken on Perry Mason which said this case was... er... the most difficult of Perry's caes.
Finally, in 2003 I got my hands on this book. To be honest, I wasn't the least bit disappointed by it. The contents were gripping. The mystery interesting. The characters albeit cliched, had their own individual idiosyncrasies to be appreciated and depreciated.
It being a mystery story, I wouldn't get into the contents of the book in this review. However, I will say: Watch out for Perry! :D
Period.
Finally, in 2003 I got my hands on this book. To be honest, I wasn't the least bit disappointed by it. The contents were gripping. The mystery interesting. The characters albeit cliched, had their own individual idiosyncrasies to be appreciated and depreciated.
It being a mystery story, I wouldn't get into the contents of the book in this review. However, I will say: Watch out for Perry! :D
Period.
September 18, 2017
I didn't think this was a particularly strong Perry novel. The twist at the end was out of this world, sure, but the novel as a whole lacked oomph. Burger's case was weak all along. Perry did very little legal maneuvering, and hardly any extracurricular detective work outside the courtroom. The victim and defendant were both uninteresting. Just an odd novel all around. I guess ESG had a good idea for a great twist but didn't bother with thinking over the rest of the novel too intently!
July 24, 2020
I really loved the Perry Mason TV show when I was younger, so I was eager to read this novel. I've not read any Erle Stanley Gardner before. I'm afraid this novel was quite a disappointment. The characters were completely flat; the mystery was not engaging; the legal exposition was uninteresting.
September 26, 2020
terrified typist indeed
I read Perry Mason mysteries as a teen back in the 60's and loved them. After HBO's modern interpretation, I decided to revisit. It gives a different reading to the story. Fun!
I read Perry Mason mysteries as a teen back in the 60's and loved them. After HBO's modern interpretation, I decided to revisit. It gives a different reading to the story. Fun!
September 29, 2023
Perry Mason ve Della Street, yardımcı avukat Jackson'un bir metnini kısaltmak ve yazıya dökmek için bir steno aramaktadır. O sırada Gertie'nin söylemesi ile içeri bir kız girer. Çok iyi bir steno olduğu anlaşılan bu kız çok kısa süre içinde yazıyı halleder. Ama bu sırada binayı polisler basmıştır. Irwing ve Jefferson ofisine girilmiştir. Kız da ortada kaybolmuştur. Durumdan şüphelenen Mason, kızın çalıştığı masayı inceleyince masanın altına sakızla yapıştırılmış mücevher görür. Irwing ve Jefferson Güney Afrika mücevher şirketinin Chicago ofisidir. Ayrıca bazı mektuplar da bulur. İş derinleştikçe daha detaylı bilgiler çıkar ortaya. Paul Drake ve Mason araştırmalar yapar. Zamanında Baxter adında bir adam bir kadın ile gemide evlenme numarası yapmış, böylece 300 bin dolarlık mücevheri ülkeye sokma imkanı bulmuştur. Ama adam kayıptır. Hamilton Burger ise Duane Jefferson'un Baxter'ı öldürdüğü ile ilgili bir dava açmaya hazırlanmaktadır. Ceset olmadığı halde davayı kazanma ihtimali vardır. Şahitler dinlenmeye başlanır. Bir sandal kiralayan adamı darmadağın eder Mason. Ama steno kız Mae Willis Çetin ceviz çıkar. Ofise giren odur ve Irwing ona 2 tane mücevher vermiştir mektuplarla beraber çenesini kapalı tutması için. Ama bu ifade de binanın önünde sigara satan kız Ann Candle'ın ifadesine uymaz. Bu arada Irwing, bir Fransız kızla ilgilenmektedir. Bu kızın hasta bir kardeşi vardır ama bu görünmeyen kişinin Baxter olduğu düşünülür. Duane ise Mason'a hangi kadını koruduğunu inatla söylemez. En sonunda onu şahit sandalyesine çıkarmak zorunda kalır. Duane, eskiden James Kincaid adında hapis yattığını söyler. Davayı Hamilton Burger kazanır. Ama Ann'i zorlayan Mason, Fransız kızı bulur ve kayıp kardeşi yanına alır. Aslında kardeş hiç beklenmedik biridir. Mason davayı kaybetmemiştir. Hamilton Burger bu adamın kimliğini öğrenince ne yapacaktır? Duane olarak bilinen kişi kimdir? Irwing bulunacak mıdır? Baxter gerçekten o sandal çıkarken öldürülmüşse, o sandalda kim vardır? Keyifle okunan bir roman.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 23, 2020
I read all the Perry Mason novels when I was a kid, as well as others by Erle Stanley Gardner (he wrote at least one other series as A.A. Fair), but it’s been a few decades. When HBO’s weird prequel show apparently raised interest in old (or should I say young) Perry, I downloaded The Case of the Terrified Typist (more or less at random, when it was on sale). No doubt I read it when it was new (circa 1955, so perhaps a few years later), and I’ve seen the Raymond Burr TV show version fairly recently, so I knew where it was going.
Did I enjoy it? Sure. It’s a short novel, but it still added something to the TV version. The puzzle was entertaining. The characters, on the other hand, were pretty flat, and the writing was 1950s pulp. Will I be watching the ebook sales lists for more? No. I have far more books than I should in my Kindle cloud already, don’t to mention my bookshelves. A nice little visit to the past, but that’s all.
Did I enjoy it? Sure. It’s a short novel, but it still added something to the TV version. The puzzle was entertaining. The characters, on the other hand, were pretty flat, and the writing was 1950s pulp. Will I be watching the ebook sales lists for more? No. I have far more books than I should in my Kindle cloud already, don’t to mention my bookshelves. A nice little visit to the past, but that’s all.
January 22, 2023
Perry Mason asks his secretary Della Street, to hire a temporary typist. When a woman enters the office, she is asked if she is from the temp agency, and says she is. Although she seems nervous, she is an excellent typist, and is very fast with no errors. When she suddenly disappears, they wonder what happened. Leaving the office, they find that someone has broken into a jewelry office, and they realize it might have been the typist. When they find some diamonds stuck into a wad of gum on the underside of the desk she was using, they realize she was involved.
Then they find that the man who smuggled the diamonds has disappeared, and one of the jewel employees is charged with the murder of the man. Perry is asked to defend him. As the trial starts, Perry realizes the DA is out to make a fool of him, as several of the witnesses are lying. The plot is very complicated, but the story is a good yarn.
Then they find that the man who smuggled the diamonds has disappeared, and one of the jewel employees is charged with the murder of the man. Perry is asked to defend him. As the trial starts, Perry realizes the DA is out to make a fool of him, as several of the witnesses are lying. The plot is very complicated, but the story is a good yarn.
August 3, 2022
Perry Mason loses a case! Sort of.
This was a more complicated story than usual for Mason, but not as good one. The premise is sort of interesting: Perry hires a typist who turns out to be extraordinarily good, but then it turns out she didn't come from the agency they usually work with. The typist vanishes in the middle of a project, and leaves behind a wad of gum embedded with diamonds under the desk she was working at!
This book felt padded, as if Gardner knew he didn't have enough to fill out a book and jammed it with extraordinarily slow and trivial details on cameras and legal minutae. Paul Drake skips some extremely obvious and typical detective work for no reason except that way the information he was seeking won't be found until later in the book. Several characters act in very bizarre ways for no apparent reason. Its just not one of Gardner's best efforts.
This was a more complicated story than usual for Mason, but not as good one. The premise is sort of interesting: Perry hires a typist who turns out to be extraordinarily good, but then it turns out she didn't come from the agency they usually work with. The typist vanishes in the middle of a project, and leaves behind a wad of gum embedded with diamonds under the desk she was working at!
This book felt padded, as if Gardner knew he didn't have enough to fill out a book and jammed it with extraordinarily slow and trivial details on cameras and legal minutae. Paul Drake skips some extremely obvious and typical detective work for no reason except that way the information he was seeking won't be found until later in the book. Several characters act in very bizarre ways for no apparent reason. Its just not one of Gardner's best efforts.
May 11, 2024
A terrified woman comes into Perry Mason's office and claims to be a typist sent over from an agency. About the same time, someone breaks into a diamond importers office on the same floor.
This odd situation expands to include a probable murder (though no body has been found) and Mason hired to defend a man who worked in the importers office. Confusing clues, helpful witnesses who prove hostile and hostile witnesses who prove helpful abound.
And in the end, Mason's client is convicted. But--in an absolutely wonderful twist at the sentencing hearing--Mason pulls a metaphorical rabbit out of his hat that might just upend the entire situation.
It's a great entry in the series, with Mason at his most brilliant and D.A. Hamilton Burger (for most of the novel) at his most smug.
This odd situation expands to include a probable murder (though no body has been found) and Mason hired to defend a man who worked in the importers office. Confusing clues, helpful witnesses who prove hostile and hostile witnesses who prove helpful abound.
And in the end, Mason's client is convicted. But--in an absolutely wonderful twist at the sentencing hearing--Mason pulls a metaphorical rabbit out of his hat that might just upend the entire situation.
It's a great entry in the series, with Mason at his most brilliant and D.A. Hamilton Burger (for most of the novel) at his most smug.
February 5, 2025
OK Perry Mason mystery, but one of the lesser efforts. A terrified young woman enters the office and Gertie, the receptionist, thinks she's the temp typist she ordered from the agency. She puts the woman to work, and it turns out she's a whizz typist, until she disappears before finishing her work or collecting her pay. Oh, and she left two stunning diamonds concealed beneath her desk in a wad of chewing gum.
Paul makes some silly mistakes. Perry makes some silly mistakes. The solution, when it comes is pretty convoluted. The whole thing just felt rather labored. Still, a mediocre Perry Mason mystery is still pretty entertaining.
Paul makes some silly mistakes. Perry makes some silly mistakes. The solution, when it comes is pretty convoluted. The whole thing just felt rather labored. Still, a mediocre Perry Mason mystery is still pretty entertaining.
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