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Perry Mason #37,50,53,54,57,60,69,71
Perry Mason in 8 Famous Cases: The Case of the: 1 Gilded Lily, 2 Daring Decoy, 3 Fiery Fingers, 4 Lucky Loser, 5 Calendar Girl, 6 Deadly Toy, 7 Mischievous Doll, 8 Amorous Aunt
Clever California lawyer Perry Mason, secretary Della Street, and investigator Paul Drake match wits with overbearing District Attorney Burger, bright truthful Lt Tragg, long-legged dolls and tricky killers in The Case of the: 1 Gilded Lily, 2 Daring Decoy, 3 Fiery Fingers, 4 Lucky Loser, 5 Calendar Girl, 6 Deadly Toy, 7 Mischievous Doll, and 8 Amorous Aunt.
- GenresMystery
976 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1956
2 people are currently reading
62 people want to read
About the author
Erle Stanley Gardner
1,353 books820 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 - 3 of 3 reviews
August 17, 2013
California lawyer Perry Mason is tall, long-legged, handsome, silvered hair, distinguished, clever, polite, up for a fight and a good cause, especially from a gal with gorgeous gams. "I'm not accustomed to asking any permission from any police officer before I do anything" p332. Secretary Della Street is always ready for shorthand, steak, and stepping out. PI Paul Drake gets indigestion manning "four telephones", gulps lukewarm coffee and "soggy hamburger" p 661. Curvaceous clients preferred.
"Don't swear to it .. just tell us what you know and what you saw" p 94 is my style. When Mason shuffles evidence "we still have the original prints", I lose track. When the courtroom gabble starts, I skip. "The peremptory challenge is with the defence" p 82. "Objected to as incompetent, irrelevant, and immaterial, not proper cross-examination and hearsay" p 99. "It is part of the res gestae" p 211 means refusal of hearsay.
Every story is dedicated to a true-life 20th-century crime-fighter. Forensics now high-tech magic laboratory computer memory bank storage were then experienced professional experts. The first stories have multiple clues. I'd rather skip those depending on another's actions or observations, such as jealous secretary faking wife's fingerprints, or photography expert on focal lengths, hidden recorders. I prefer those we can guess ourselves, such as the witness who ignores seeing an eye-patch on his normally two-eyed room-mate. Why does Mason accept (as in not believe?) all the lies of clients Ambler and lookalike Minden, yet not Aunt Lorraine, obviously deceived by apparent bludgeoning of fiancé?
1 Gilded Lily
To protect wife of two years Ann, Stewart G. Bedford, despite warnings of loving secretary Elsa Griffin, follows instructions of blackmailer. But he wakes from a drugged drink in motel room, delectable blonde babe "Gerry, for short" p 23 Geraldine Corning is gone, cringing Binney Denham shot dead.
Staylonger Motel manager Brems describes visitor we recognize as Ann. She denies, but Bedford orders Mason to find "that woman". Denham obviously fakes partner, but somebody beats up Gerry.
2 Daring Decoy
Jerry Conway follows phone directions of "call me Rosalind" p 130 for list of proxy shares obtained by greedy ex-employee Gifford Farrell. Clad in undies and face mud pack, doll hands him gun, then Mason and Drake find similar blonde shot dead on hotel bed, one arm stiff, other lax. Mason follows envelope address to corpse's ex-husband Norton Calvert. Giff's ex-wife wants biggest alimony, thinks Conway better in control. I suspected the elevator girl Myrtle Lamar, when her part got too big (wrong!). Conway, grateful, tells Mason "buy the gal a fur coat" - happy ever after ending.
3 Fiery Fingers
Mason charges $1 to night carer Nellie Conway. She claims Nathan Bain wants to poison his second wife of two years, Elizabeth, paralyzed after accident he engineered failed to kill her. He fires her for fluorescent powder on fingers from outside of jewellry box, then pays her to go to New Orleans with letters for his lover Charlotte.
Mason has one of pills analyzed, aspirin, but Elizabeth dies from arsenic next day, in other pills given by Elizabeth's sister Victoria Braxton, Mason's client, who also adds full stop period to handwritten start of will.
4 Lucky Loser
Gambler Ted Balfour is accused of shooting debt collector, drunk driving over corpse, head crushed beyond identification. Marylin Keith, (Della "she's in love" p 416) secretary to dying rich old Addison Balfour hires Mason to see false testimony of Myrtle, who could not possibly write perfect license number while driving in dark. Uncle Guthrie in Mexico sends his wife Dorla "a dish .. expensive plaything" p 417 to hire Mason.
Banner Boles, Balfour Industries fixer, gives body ID to Mason, for Jackson Eagan, dead years ago in Mexico, so I guessed Eagan pretended to be Guthrie (wrong!). Florence Ingles, who family thought Guthrie would marry, says Ted wanted loan, Ted never confirms.
5 Calendar Girl
Leaving estate of extortionist Meredith Borden, contracter George Ansley's car skids off road from car turning in. He drops Beatrice Cornell at Concordia Apartments, but she kisses and distracts him with long legs. Mason finds real Beatrice books models, including bruised Dawn Manning, ex-wife to Frank Ferney, assistant to Meredith, shot dead that night in his photography studio. Frank's girlfriend, another model Loretta Harper, claims Dawn kidnapped her at gunpoint, shot Meredith. Like a husband knows his wife's voice behind a door, she knows his.
6 Deadly Toy
Norda Allison, harassed by anonymous letters, finds address printing press in basement of ex-boyfriend Mervin Selkirk's first wife Lorraine, now married to Barton Jennings. Toddler Robert, heir to Selkirk fortune, plays with Barton's real gun in tent, taken to camp trip with dog by Barton early in morning, before washing blood from grass in front. Barton's stiff arthritic knee is suspicious, but not shot. Mervin found shot dead outside country club.
7 Mischievous Doll
Dorrie Ambler suspects madcap heiress Minerva Minden wants a "Patsy", and Mason unearths a broken hip hit-and-run on the day in question. The lookalikes, both clients, both lie to Mason. Car used was stolen for getaway. For immunity from prosecution, thief Dunleavey Jasper claims Minden shot Ambler. Six points out of 11 identification points for fingerprints obfuscates. Nowadays people blame computers they program.
8 Amorous Aunt
From Massachusetts, rich Lorraine Elmore elopes with eye-patch Montrose Dewitt to Arizona, where she sees him bludgeoned to death in the desert, but he dies in motel bed from her sleeping medicine in his whisky bottle and icepick wounds. I believed her, so should Mason. Suspicious niece Linda Calhoun, urged by law student fiancé George Latty "two-inch sideburns .. down to here" p 851, hires Mason. His usual first move is get the suspect out of sight, Della takes her home, here too far. Dewitt, practised swindler, had alternate identity, full-time employee Weston Hale with glass eye, who borrowed his investment share from room-mate Ronley Andover.
Favorite for realistic solution, silly banter where judge permits prosecution to allow "cross-examine to your heart's content with no objection" p 955 unlimited, and happy ending where Linda gets the young local defense attorney Duncan Crowder, who cleverly reads Mason's instructions between the lines.
Typo:
p 330 "time afer time", afer is "after"
p 380 "the question of whether the motion is granted will effect my entire strategy", effect (noun) is "affect" (verb)
"Don't swear to it .. just tell us what you know and what you saw" p 94 is my style. When Mason shuffles evidence "we still have the original prints", I lose track. When the courtroom gabble starts, I skip. "The peremptory challenge is with the defence" p 82. "Objected to as incompetent, irrelevant, and immaterial, not proper cross-examination and hearsay" p 99. "It is part of the res gestae" p 211 means refusal of hearsay.
Every story is dedicated to a true-life 20th-century crime-fighter. Forensics now high-tech magic laboratory computer memory bank storage were then experienced professional experts. The first stories have multiple clues. I'd rather skip those depending on another's actions or observations, such as jealous secretary faking wife's fingerprints, or photography expert on focal lengths, hidden recorders. I prefer those we can guess ourselves, such as the witness who ignores seeing an eye-patch on his normally two-eyed room-mate. Why does Mason accept (as in not believe?) all the lies of clients Ambler and lookalike Minden, yet not Aunt Lorraine, obviously deceived by apparent bludgeoning of fiancé?
1 Gilded Lily
To protect wife of two years Ann, Stewart G. Bedford, despite warnings of loving secretary Elsa Griffin, follows instructions of blackmailer. But he wakes from a drugged drink in motel room, delectable blonde babe "Gerry, for short" p 23 Geraldine Corning is gone, cringing Binney Denham shot dead.
Staylonger Motel manager Brems describes visitor we recognize as Ann. She denies, but Bedford orders Mason to find "that woman". Denham obviously fakes partner, but somebody beats up Gerry.
2 Daring Decoy
Jerry Conway follows phone directions of "call me Rosalind" p 130 for list of proxy shares obtained by greedy ex-employee Gifford Farrell. Clad in undies and face mud pack, doll hands him gun, then Mason and Drake find similar blonde shot dead on hotel bed, one arm stiff, other lax. Mason follows envelope address to corpse's ex-husband Norton Calvert. Giff's ex-wife wants biggest alimony, thinks Conway better in control. I suspected the elevator girl Myrtle Lamar, when her part got too big (wrong!). Conway, grateful, tells Mason "buy the gal a fur coat" - happy ever after ending.
3 Fiery Fingers
Mason charges $1 to night carer Nellie Conway. She claims Nathan Bain wants to poison his second wife of two years, Elizabeth, paralyzed after accident he engineered failed to kill her. He fires her for fluorescent powder on fingers from outside of jewellry box, then pays her to go to New Orleans with letters for his lover Charlotte.
Mason has one of pills analyzed, aspirin, but Elizabeth dies from arsenic next day, in other pills given by Elizabeth's sister Victoria Braxton, Mason's client, who also adds full stop period to handwritten start of will.
4 Lucky Loser
Gambler Ted Balfour is accused of shooting debt collector, drunk driving over corpse, head crushed beyond identification. Marylin Keith, (Della "she's in love" p 416) secretary to dying rich old Addison Balfour hires Mason to see false testimony of Myrtle, who could not possibly write perfect license number while driving in dark. Uncle Guthrie in Mexico sends his wife Dorla "a dish .. expensive plaything" p 417 to hire Mason.
Banner Boles, Balfour Industries fixer, gives body ID to Mason, for Jackson Eagan, dead years ago in Mexico, so I guessed Eagan pretended to be Guthrie (wrong!). Florence Ingles, who family thought Guthrie would marry, says Ted wanted loan, Ted never confirms.
5 Calendar Girl
Leaving estate of extortionist Meredith Borden, contracter George Ansley's car skids off road from car turning in. He drops Beatrice Cornell at Concordia Apartments, but she kisses and distracts him with long legs. Mason finds real Beatrice books models, including bruised Dawn Manning, ex-wife to Frank Ferney, assistant to Meredith, shot dead that night in his photography studio. Frank's girlfriend, another model Loretta Harper, claims Dawn kidnapped her at gunpoint, shot Meredith. Like a husband knows his wife's voice behind a door, she knows his.
6 Deadly Toy
Norda Allison, harassed by anonymous letters, finds address printing press in basement of ex-boyfriend Mervin Selkirk's first wife Lorraine, now married to Barton Jennings. Toddler Robert, heir to Selkirk fortune, plays with Barton's real gun in tent, taken to camp trip with dog by Barton early in morning, before washing blood from grass in front. Barton's stiff arthritic knee is suspicious, but not shot. Mervin found shot dead outside country club.
7 Mischievous Doll
Dorrie Ambler suspects madcap heiress Minerva Minden wants a "Patsy", and Mason unearths a broken hip hit-and-run on the day in question. The lookalikes, both clients, both lie to Mason. Car used was stolen for getaway. For immunity from prosecution, thief Dunleavey Jasper claims Minden shot Ambler. Six points out of 11 identification points for fingerprints obfuscates. Nowadays people blame computers they program.
8 Amorous Aunt
From Massachusetts, rich Lorraine Elmore elopes with eye-patch Montrose Dewitt to Arizona, where she sees him bludgeoned to death in the desert, but he dies in motel bed from her sleeping medicine in his whisky bottle and icepick wounds. I believed her, so should Mason. Suspicious niece Linda Calhoun, urged by law student fiancé George Latty "two-inch sideburns .. down to here" p 851, hires Mason. His usual first move is get the suspect out of sight, Della takes her home, here too far. Dewitt, practised swindler, had alternate identity, full-time employee Weston Hale with glass eye, who borrowed his investment share from room-mate Ronley Andover.
Favorite for realistic solution, silly banter where judge permits prosecution to allow "cross-examine to your heart's content with no objection" p 955 unlimited, and happy ending where Linda gets the young local defense attorney Duncan Crowder, who cleverly reads Mason's instructions between the lines.
Typo:
p 330 "time afer time", afer is "after"
p 380 "the question of whether the motion is granted will effect my entire strategy", effect (noun) is "affect" (verb)
April 26, 2024
Took awhile, but I am finished.
Each story is brilliant.
Each story is brilliant.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews