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Perry Mason #12

by Erle Stanley Gardner, Urmas Alas (Translator)

While enjoying a leisurely ocean cruise in the company of secretary Della Street, Perry Mason is approached by passenger who is worried about the wellbeing of her husband. Not long afterward, her husband is seen jumping off the ship, an apparent suicide--but when the body is recovered, it turns out that he was shot. Accused of murder, the wife puts her fate in the hands of Perry, who in the course of piecing things together unearths the fact that the husband had once accepted a huge bribe while serving on a jury. The case takes many shocking twists and turns before revealing its surprising conclusion.

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

282 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1938

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

[Mai · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unpolished

This book took me on a rollercoaster , but not the fun kind. I started off absolutely hating it. The writing was dull, the pacing sluggish, and I genuinely considered tossing it across the room. It felt like a chore to get through the first half.

Then came the courtroom scenes and suddenly, I understood the potential. The way the main character handled the case, defended his client, and pieced things together was actually pretty engaging. That section alone gave the book a pulse.

But unfortunately, that pulse was too faint to resuscitate the rest.

The main character is supposedly “smart,” but the author kept telling us that instead of showing it through meaningful action. His behavior outside of court was over-the-top and sometimes just plain ridiculous. The repeated mentions of how “beautiful” his secretary was felt unnecessary and off-putting.

The characters lacked depth, the dialogue often felt unnatural, and the overall structure needed serious tightening. It’s not the worst book I’ve ever read — the courtroom drama saved it from being a complete flop — but it's far from great. With a lot more polish, this could've been something memorable. Right now, it’s just... unpolished and uneven.

[James Thane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Immediately after Perry Mason's triumph in The Case of the Lame Canary, his secretary, Della Street, persuades him that the two of them should take a long ocean voyage together--an enforced vacation where no client could possibly reach Perry. (Naturally, they're in separate cabins. Perry and Della would never, ever... Don't even go there!)

The last stop on the voyage is Hawaii and by now, Perry is itching to get back into harness and deal with an exciting case. Fortunately, he doesn't have to wait long because as soon as the ship leaves port, a woman named Mrs. Newberry approaches him with a problem. She's traveling back to the mainland with her husband, Carl, and her daughter by her first marriage, Belle, who is in her early twenties.

Mrs. Newberry is worried about her husband's behavior. Two months ago, her husband quit his job as a bookkeeper at a large company and changed the family name. He's also suddenly come into a good deal of money, which is financing the family's vacation. Mr. Newberry, whose real name is Carl Moar, insists that he won the money in a lottery, but Mrs. Newberry isn't sure she believes him. She confesses to Mason the fear that her husband might have embezzled the $25,000, he's been carrying around in a money belt. And, of course, in 1938, $25,000 was no small amount.

Mrs. Newberry is most concerned about her daughter who is, naturally, young, beautiful, intelligent, outgoing and delightful. Belle has taken an interest in the son of a very wealthy family and the son, in turn, is quite interested in Belle. She's also a plucky girl, but naturally is way below the young man's station in life, which will become readily apparent when the ship docks in San Francisco. Mrs. Newberry doesn't want Belle to be embarrassed when it becomes apparent that the two families don't really move in the same social circle, and she really doesn't want Belle to suffer if it turns out that her stepfather is a crook.

Mason agrees to look into the matter and is soon burning up the airwaves with ship-to-shore telegrams. Sure enough, the company that Carl Newberry worked for seems to be short $25,000 and the company is looking for him. In a twist of fate, the president of the company is also on board the ship with Perry, Della and the Newberrys. Even more ironically, the young man that Belle is enamored of is the son of the company president!

Well, before very long a huge storm blows up; someone goes overboard and all of a sudden, someone else is accused of murder and appeals to Perry for help. It's a huge complex mess, of course, and things look awfully dark for virtually everyone involved. One can only hope that Perry can somehow work out a solution. (Does anyone really doubt that he will???)

This is another fun entry from the earliest days of this series and certainly an enjoyable way to lose an evening.

[Melindam · Rating 5 out of 5]

As far as I can tell, this is the only Perry Mason book that is directly connected to its predecessor, The Case of the Lame Canary where Perry took Della on a cruise at the end.

This book opens towards the end of that cruise, but there are no further connections otherwise, like all PM books, this can also be read as a standalone and an excellent one at that.

Crime catches up with Perry in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and he welcomes the challenge with open arms as he has been getting restless.

It is the usual, action-packed, legal-criminal whodunnit with our notorious defense lawyer bang in the middle.

[Anastasia · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Case of the Substitute Face by Erle Stanley Gardner is the 12th book in the Perry Mason Mystery series. Della Street and Perry Mason are enjoying an ocean voyage when a passenger is allegedly shot and pushed overboard, and he is again in the middle of a murder mystery. A fast pacedd, complex case with multiple twists pulling us in different directions and culminating in another brilliant court performance by Perry Mason. Puzzling and entertaining.

[Dr. Kaaren Douglas · Rating 5 out of 5]

This kept me interested throughout, and surprised me at the end. When reading it however, you have to ignore the arcane language that seems trite now, but may not have when it was written. One of the characters used an offensive racial slur multiple times, but I know it was in common parlance at the time the book was first published. Oh, by the way, if you have seen Perry Mason on TV, Gardner's Perry is nothing like that. He's the kind of guy you wouldn't want to get cross ways of, and not adverse to doing almost anything to help his client.

[Nira Ramachandran]

Mason and secretary Della Street are enjoying an ocean voyage back to the mainland, after a working trip to Hawaii, but can Mason ever stay out of a tense, mysterious case? One of the most complex and convoluted of Mason’s cases, what begins as a simple favour to help safeguard the happiness of a young girl just setting out on life, turns into an almost insolvable mystery, even stumping the famous lawyer, and forcing him to adopt the most unorthodox means to ultimately find a solution. Well worth reading.

[Sue Wargo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perry Mason is my comfort reading. Did not disappoint

[Mahoghani 23 · Rating 3 out of 5]

This storyline was more plausible an an enjoyment to read than watch the episode. Old fashion crime at its best.

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

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

Those who are used to really fine mystery writers (with the emphasis on "writer"), such as Ross Macdonald, may find the writing style here off-putting. It can be stiff and repetitious. 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 1938, and it is archetypical of the early books in the series. Mason is a fighter, and he loves it. Some of the police and prosecutors are hard-boiled. There is a film-noir feel. Mason skirts around the edge of law, and so do some of the police. The following quote is absolutely classic. Mason is out on the deck of a ship in the middle of a storm:

"Water soaked up through the thin soles of his dress shoes. Spray from the beating rain moistened his face and beaded his hair. He squared his shoulders, inhaled the driving freshness of the ocean gale, listened to the roar of the waves, the shrieking of the wind — and was content."

That's the Perry Mason of the first twenty or so novels, up to the World War II era.

Most of the key action here occurs on the ship mentioned above. Perry and Della have just finished a much deserved vacation to the orient. They are leaving Hawaii on a ship bound for home, actually San Francisco. The description of the ship leaving the dock and the early part of the cruise is well-written; obviously Gardner himself took this cruise. Della, by the way, is in a separate cabin. She has a roommate who is young woman of 23 or so, Belle Newberry, who is traveling with her mother and step-father. They are not wealthy and Belle grew up in modest means. Yet she has become infatuated with a wealthy young man on board, Roy Hungerford. To complete the triangle is a wealthy young woman, Celinda Dail, who is also interested in Roy. Celinda is traveling with her father, wealthy businessman Charles Dail.

So if Belle's family is not wealthy, how can they afford a round-trip to Hawaii? Ah, now the plot thickens. Newberry is the name of Belle's mother and deceased father; the step-father's name is actually Carl Moar. Oddly, two months earlier Carl Moar came into a lot of money, quit his job, and decided to change his name to Newberry! That would be strange today; it was even stranger in 1938. Then the family went to Hawaii for a month. And who did Carl Moar work for? Whose company did he quit? You get one guess -- Charles Dail, who happens to be also on this ship. Coincidence? As if that weren't enough, about the same time, someone embezzled $25,000 from Charles Dail's company. Belle's mother thinks it must have been Carl.

With that background, during the storm mentioned above, a man goes overboard. I won't go through all the details of who saw what and who said what, but the man overboard is identified as Carl Moar and Mrs. Newberry, Belle's mother, is arrested for murder.

Oh yes, what is the "substitute face"? Early on, before the storm on shipboard, a framed photograph of Belle was mysteriously removed from its frame, and a photograph of a well known actress was substituted. The actress and Belle resemble each other, but who would do that?

All of this is well written and intriguing. I liked the setup on ship. Once back on land, in San Francisco, Paul Drake gets to work and Mason starts following clues. Several other people relevant to the story were on the ship. There was a man who had been in an auto accident and is confined to a wheel chair, and the nurse taking care of him. A tangled web of relationships in slowly uncovered.

As in the best stories, Mason goes out on a limb skirting around the edge of the law at his own peril. Here it is to prompt the San Francisco DA to take certain actions. There are some excellent courtroom scenes.

Twenty-first century readers who have been on cruises recently would do well to note that 70 years ago things like security on ships were much looser than today.

As I got to the last few chapters, I began to form an idea of the main plot twist. I was not wrong, though as usual I didn't guess all of it. All of that is great. Yet the story is somewhat spoiled for me by the coincidences. Besides the one mentioned above, there are at least two other big ones. Also, the explanation of why the photo of Belle was substituted didn't ring true. Still, definitely recommended.

[Dipanjan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The 12th novel down my "journey into time" (started in 2015) to discover old treasures like the Perry Mason Series, is, once again, a complete page-turner.

Usually, most Perry Mason books have his secretary, Della Street, looking over black-eyed blondes, dangerous dowagers, and haunted husbands looking pacing the reception area, selecting one and then escorting them into Mason’s inner sanctum with a jaunty, “Got a client for you, Chief!” But in this 12th adventure, The Case Of The Substitute Face, things begin a little differently.

Here we find Mason and Della returning from a trip through China and Japan where Perry was studying the police methods of the Far East, after which the pair decided to make a jaunt to the island paradise of Hawaii on their way home. One of his fellow passengers, Mrs. Newberry, approaches Mason and asks him to look into some trouble involving her husband Carl. Until recently, the man was the bookkeeper for the Products Refining Company and spent his days grumbling about not having the money to give his beloved stepdaughter Belle all the advantages she deserved. But then, he “won the lottery,” quit his job, changed his name and his wife’s name from Moar to Newberry (the surname of Belle’s late father) and started moving the family around the country, ending up in Hawaii for six weeks. Nothing suspicious there, right? It looks like Carl Newberry’s plan has worked because Belle has recently attracted the attention of wealthy socialite Roy Hungerford, who is starting to ignore his girlfriend, the “rich and ruthless” Celinda Dail, who is also on the ship with her father, Charles Whitmore Dail. And Dail happens to be the the president of the Products Refining Company! Is it any wonder that, for some reason, Carl Newberry doesn’t want to leave his cabin? Or why Mrs. Newberry is so worried? And her fears are compounded because somebody has stolen a framed picture of Belle and substituted it with that of a famous Hollywood starlet whom Belle closely resembles.

Mason is asked to serve as an intermediary between the Newberrys and the Products Refining Company. If Carl has embezzled funds, as his wife fears, she hopes that a deal can be struck where Carl will return most of the money in exchange for avoiding prosecution. The lawyer agrees to take the case, provided he never meets Carl Newberry and makes it clear that he is not representing the man but aiding his daughter, to whom Della Street, who happens to be Belle’s roommate aboard ship, has taken a shine. But before negotiations can be satisfactorily completed, a storm breaks out at sea, and a man goes overboard. By the time the ship docks in San Francisco, Mrs. Newberry has been charged with her husband’s murder.

This is a cracking good read, and Mason is in high form in terms of the tricky games he plays in his practice of the law. Mason pulls some amazing stuff in this novel in his efforts to prove that certain witnesses have been corrupted, by their own guilt or by vanity, and to figure out what happened aboard ship on that stormy night. Paul Drake provides as much comic relief as support as he rails against being dragged into situations that threaten his continued employment. But the main play here is Miss Della Street, whose closeness to Mason has never been more apparent and whose loyalty to her “chief” threatens to turn her from the ace attorney’s greatest asset to a liability. This book delighted me with its combination of legal legerdemain, classic clueing, and noirish suspense. There’s a terrific gangster in this one!

One of the most enjoyable elements of these books is just how well they work as puzzles, too, with Gardner stringing together a variety of approaches — frank hunches, cavilling over medical evidence, and modern wonders like ultra-violet and infra-red photography to allow the acquisition of evidence — that all combine to wind the plot noose tighter. There is always that one piece of misdirection there that’s breath-takingly simple, and yet there are so many other irons in the fire that I’m willing to bet a lot of readers will only realise its significance when Mason points it out in the final summary. And the scheme itself is freaking ingenious, easily one of the most superbly-handled reversals from this era, able to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the very best of the genre. There is just something so awesome about a man who is willing to bend the rules a little (sometimes a lot) to serve the interests of his clients and prove them innocent of all wrongdoings. He is at his best in this one.

The Case Of The Substitute Face is light, fast, very clever, delightfully complex, full of great writing and authorly ingenuity. Perry, as usual skates dangerously inside and outside the boundaries of proper judicial behaviour, and just barely. It’s a complicated case, with all these ingredients in it. The moral of the tale is to keep an eye on Perry every single instant. He has rabbits in a hat he can pull out at any time, and he brings his own hat.

Perry Mason is a man who enjoys his work. He likes his cases but the real pleasure for him lies in pitting his wits against criminals, against the police and against the DA. The joy he takes in this is communicated to the reader and helps make each Perry Mason novel just so much fun. Perry Mason is referred as a "Wizard Of The Court Room", more a sleuth than a lawyer, who uses the fold of the legal system to hunt for the truth, takes calculated risks AND utilizes his devious mind to uncover pure evidence that would solve the case. Mr. Gardner continues to follow the KISS rule. 256 pages are all you get to race through this riveting story. Till the very end you will keep gasping "What is Perry Mason up to?" You will, once again, let go of your sleep to get to the bottom of things.

Perry Mason, a character created in 1930s, can easily be a part of 2023 and the author would need to change NOTHING (not even a word) to adjust to the advanced world since 1930s. Now, THAT, for sure is what is evergreen. The story telling has the same intensity now as it did then. This episode continues to be a fine example of American Literature from the yesteryears. No wonder Gardner was one of the best-selling writers of all times, and certainly one of the best-selling mystery authors ever. There are a total of 82 novels (which I now fortunately own in my shelves). It's a treasure cove indeed!!

[John Bunyan · Rating 4 out of 5]

When we last left our heroes, Perry had proposed to Della as they embarked on a round-the-world cruise together. She turned him down so as to remain his “secretary who can take chances with you”.
We rejoin them in this book at the end of that cruise where a murder case starts up. The boat docks in San Francisco where the preliminary trial takes place as opposed to Mason’s familiar L.A. turf.
It’s a fast read and a fun story despite the following:
There are some very obvious clues in the beginning of the story, but Perry misses their significance. But this is necessary to plot, so that he will pursue the case as he does, as he and Della take all sorts of chances, engage In passionate embraces, and declare their need for each other.

Like others of this series from the 1930s, the characters in the book use expressions, common at the time, with racial and ethnic reference that are offensive. It’s not pervasive and I haven’t taken it into account in rating the books - just as I haven’t downgraded them for attitudes toward women or other elements of 1930s norms that we now see are unacceptable.


SPOILER OF A SORT
In the end Perry again begins to propose but Della prefers to remain his secretary with benefits (and I don’t mean medical insurance or a pension).

[Amit Bikram · Rating 3 out of 5]

A different setting, a long buildup before the murder and some interesting characters all add to the intrigue and sinisterness of the plot. This all leads up to a fast paced, intense and exciting end where Mason again pulls off a daredevil act that isn't exactly legal. And like always, it is a ploy to smoke the criminal or star witness out into the open.
While the story building is quite remarkable, the ending does leave a couple of loose strings.
Spoilers ahead :
Della, in her statement, mentions that that she saw two bracelets on the right hand of the woman on the boat deck, and that Mrs Moar wears two bracelets on her right hand, but that wasn't mentioned at all when the truth was revealed. Another plothole was about the presence or absence of Mrs Moar on the boat deck, and if she had left by some other stairs, why wasn't that mentioned at all in the book?

Overall, I believe, the details were not as well thought out by the author and as if often the case in murder mysteries, the devil is in the details.

[George Sr. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just a little while ago I read my first Perry Mason novel and got hooked. I resolved to read all the Perry Mason novels. So far I have read approximately two dozen of the 80+ novels. “The Case of the Substitute Face” is the most entertaining Perry Mason story I have read so far. Erlanger Stanley Gardner knew his way around a courtroom, and despite the outlandish plot twists his courtroom scenes have a verisimilitude I seldom find in other mysteries. Perry Mason is as crooked as a corkscrew, but his towering intellect enables him to extricate himself from the most goshawful fixes you can imagine. He reminds me of a slimmed-down, active Nero Wolfe who has a license to practice law. In this case Perry engineers several arrest-defying capers and emerges unscathed from all of them. And he does it all in the service of a bright, beautiful young girl who is madly in love with a young man far above her in social status. Warrants get issued for Perry’s arrest. Della gets arrested. And Paul Drake almost loses his detective license. But all’s well that ends well.

[Alonzo Church · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like many another golden age sleuth, Perry Mason gets tangled up with murder on a boat trip from Hawaii. (Yes, he’s traveling with Della. No, there is no hanky panky. Zip. Zero. Nada.) Anyway, this one is well stocked with red herrings, and Perry is more the man of action you see in the HBO series, than the more sedate Raymond Burr edition. Frankly, there is an awful lot of downright illegality in Mason’s approach here.

This is fun but not the best. The plot moves at full tilt but characterization is minimal. And there is no Hamilton Burger to kick around. The courtroom shenanigans are always welcome but the DA here is a featureless patsy.

[False · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the earlier Mason books, Perry is always ready to get engaged in a fight, verbal or physical and he proposes to Della Street on and off when the mood strikes. Lots of cliches and dated jingo lingo. Mason is returning from a trip to the Orient with Della (vacation) and in passing through Hawaii takes on a case aboard ship. The substitute face is a client's picture in a frame, substituted for a famous actress, whom she resembles. Take it away, Perry....

[Nags · Rating 4 out of 5]

i am beginning to really like this author's work. this is the second perry mason book i have read and i love the pace, charm, wit and the sheer amount of clues that surround the mystery. definitely give it a go if you can get your hands on this book.

[Pete Roman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book left me stunned. I never thought that the solution would be that simple. Next time I read a Perry Mason novel, I'll try to jot down notes. Though I doubt I'd be able to uncover the mystery. Five stars!

[Rebecca I · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the better cases, in my estimation. Lots of characters and a few good twists to the story. I do like the fact that toward the end of the book we see that Perry and Della clearly understand each others' needs.

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

Fun and a little bit unexpected. Yay!

[Richa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good mystery. Though, it did get a little confusing in between, finally all's well.

[William · Rating 4 out of 5]

This Perry Mason outing is a big leap forward in sophistication from the earlier books in the series.
It has a structure I always like. The clues to unravel the mysteries (more than one, in this case) are all there, and they do register in your memory. In the end when all is explained, you realize you could have worked all of this out. I got much of it, anyway.

It does not look as if Gardner ever became much of a writer. Characterization is certainly not his forte. The characters are pretty stock, aside for Mason. Belle talks like a pre-teen, and nothing in the story really justifies the special regard Mason has for her. Roy Hungerford is a cardboard suitor.

Reading this today, one is constantly aware of how US society has changed in a century. These people are not like the rest of us. Take Celinda Dial, for instance: "A good polo player, holds an aviator's license, has a yacht of her own, shoots par golf." Lots of ugly cliches which demean minorities are bandied about (especially n... in the woodpile, which is said more than once). And the cast of characters is narrowly WASP, with names like Custer Denton Rooney. You would never know from this series that there are hyphenated Americans, people of color, Jews, Catholics, etc in the US in the 1930's.

Dialogue is almost a parody of the hard-boiled style, though I suppose this is where that style originated. Some of the spelling is odd -- "clew," and "kidnaped," for instance, each of which appears more than once. At least Gardner seems to have moved beyond the idea that people's eyes have almost a speaking role in describing character.

You see a more emotional Mason here, especially concerning Della Street. He talks "kindly" to Bella Newberry, and treats her mother with courtesy. Still, he is his usual reckless self. The trial scene is the usual high point of the story.

Lots of quibbles, sure. But in mysteries, the plot is the thing, and this is a good one. It reads fast and the journey is fun.

[Serdar Poirot · Rating 3 out of 5]

Della Street ve Perry Mason, yıllardır yapamadığı gemi tatilini şu anda yapmaktadır. Honolulu kısmını gezerken gemideki yolcularla detaylı ilişkiye geçmek zorunda kalır. Bayan Newberry, kocasının işi bıraktıktan sonra eline ciddi manada para geçtiğini, bu parayı harcamaya başladığını, şirkette de bir miktar para kaybolduğunu, acaba kocasının bu parayı zimmetine mi geçirdiğini, eğer böyle bir şey olursa üvey babasını çok seven kızı Belle'nin yıkılacağını, bu olayı çözmesini ister. Bu arada odalarında Belle'nin fotoğrafı çalınıp yerine onun çok benzediği bir sanatçının fotoğrafı konulmuştur. Bu olayla ilgilenirken Carl Newberry'nin aslında Carl Moar olduğunu öğrenir. Ancak o gece bir fırtına çıkar ve Carl kaybolur. Olayların gelişimi şüpheliyi Carl'ın karısı olarak gösterir. Belle de durumdan rahatsız olur ve bu olayı çözmesini ister. Olaya şahit olan görgü tanığının ifadesini paramparça eden Mason, geçici bir çözüm bulur. Ama bu arada Evelyn adında bir hemşireye ulaşmaya çalışır. Morgan adında biri ile evlendiğini öğrenir. Ancak kadına zor bela ulaştıktan sonra işlerin iyice karıştığını görür. Bu arada şirkette zimmet para geçirenin de Rooney adlı adam olduğunu öğrenir ve ispatlar. Dial ailesine bunu bildirir ve avukatlık ücretini de buradan tahsil eder. Ancak sonradan olaylar aleyhine gelişir. Della Street aleyhine ifade vermek zorunda kalır ama yine de savunur. Bu arada Carl'ın cesedi bulunur. Polisler ifadesini ve parmak izlerini alırlar. Savcı üzerine baya bir yüklenir. Peki gerçekten karısı mı katildir? Yoksa işin içinde başka bir iş mi vardır? Mason bu olayı çözebilecek midir? Sıkılmadan okunan bir roman.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cai neste livro de paraquedas, encontrei num banco de livros e decidi experimentar este género de mistérios.
O livro retrata um caso criminal resolvido pelo advogado Perry Manson e as pessoas que trabakham para ele (se não me engano: a secretária e um detetive).
Notei que naturalmente não é um livro primogénito da saga, pois as personagens não foram explicadas. o que para mim foi muito confuso perceber quem era quem e o que faziam, mas a culpa foi minha.
O mistério em si, no inicio, era muito previsível, no caso de Mr. Moar morrer. Desse acontecimento para a frente eu não tinha ideia do que se ia passar. Achei a personagem do Perry engraçada, deu umas boas gargalhadas com o seu sarcasmo e ironias. Perry também é bastante arrogante, mas no final ele tem sempre razão... sem falar no detetive que estava sempre com medo dos planos malucos do Manson. A coitada da secretária Della Street foi só para não dizerem que não tinha personagens feminina.
A escrita foi o que menos gostei, porque não havia praticamente narração nenhuma das ações, onde eles estavam, etc, tudo era descrito e dito nas falas das personagens.
Outro ponto que achei estranho, foi o facto de na tradução para português (pt), sempre que se referiam a uma mulher jovem chamavam/ mencionavam na por "pequena".
Este livro é um sólido 3☆, não foi perfeito, mas foi interessante de ler.

[Stephen Terrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Last year I read my first Perry Mason novels, and I was surprised by how much the 1930s hard-boiled novels stood up. This is not the Perry Mason of Raymond Burr and the 1950s-60s television show. Perry is a hard-nosed lawyer and investigator who doesn't hesitate to bend the rules when need be -- and there always is a need.

The Case of the Substitute Face finds Perry and Della returning from Hawaii on board a passenger liner when a man who has suspiciously come into a significant amount of money is reported overboard. The man's wife is accused of murder -- and one of the key witnesses is Della Street.

The story goes through twists and turns with an array of potential murderers before Perry (ta-dah!) solves the crime. The story also reveals some significant details of the relationship between Perry and Della that the TV show never dared touch on.

For the hard-boiled detective/mystery fan, it's an entertaining romp that makes a enjoyable bedside read that won't keep you up nights.

[Dr. Sabarish · Rating 5 out of 5]

Erle stanley gardener's Perry Mason novels are a series of detective stories. The leading character, Perry Mason is a trial lawyer specialized in murder cases who uses unconventional method and tricks to get his clients out. These novels are often characterized by great Court room scenes, but behind that there is a lot of work to uncover the truth behind the crime by doing true investigation with the help of private detectives. As most detective novels, the author keeps us guessing by switching the vendi suspicion from one person but to another, but Perry Mason novels does this is in very high pace and never bore the reader. The fact that this was written some 80 years before makes it even great.

Yet another brilliant Perry Mason story by Gardner. Compared to other cases, in this case there was a lot of visible clues towards solving the mystery by the reader. But the pace of story prevents us from thinking and finally at the end when the mystery is uncovered, it seemed strangely simple but great. Rate it 5/5

[Jc · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great 1930s Perry Mason mystery. Like some earlier ones, this has moments where the language regarding race and gender are definitely from another age, to a point that might potentially bother modern readers. That being said, this is up there with the top 10 (so far) Gardner stories I have read. The mystery has multiple levels that the reader has to work through, and the denouement is near perfect. Like the previous one, Dangerous Dowager, Stella’s role is quite key to the plot. Central to the story is a cruise to Asia and Hawaii with Perry and Stella – but they have *a-hem* separate cabins. 1930s pulp fiction at its best (um, if you can get past some of the 1930s attitudes).

[Tim Field · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Case of the Substitute Face is another early Perry Mason book (1938 #12) and still shows vestiges of the series’ pulp beginnings. The story begins with Perry and Della Street returning on an ocean liner from their Far East trip, a nice change of locale with the book taking place mainly in San Francisco.
The story is overly complicated, overly described and rather slow moving (usually I speed through Erle Stanley Gardner’s books - not so this one). The ending is clever (although I saw parts of the solution coming long before) and the courtroom scenes fun, but there is way too much chasing about for little purpose by Perry and Paul Drake.
An okay Perry Mason book.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm reading these in order so I was pleased when this one picked up where the last book left off, with Mason and Della on a ship. This time they were leaving Honolulu and there was a mystery aboard.

For once I was ahead of Mason... I knew why Della took off pretty much right away. In fact, I thought it was pretty obvious after certain facts became clear. I like how the author captured the effect that men don't think clearly where their women are involved.

There were other aspects of the case I had a clue about too but I didn't quite get the whole picture until the very end. This was an excellent story in the series.

[Zaynah Khalil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this! Classic murder mystery vibe that I couldn’t predict as the story went on.

The mystery solver crew of Perry, Della and Paul were so loveable and had a funny light hearted relationship that was always present throughout the book.

The actual case was very intricate and involved characters that were from many different parts of the story. I particularly enjoyed the last section which was in the courtroom as it was written so well and perfectly concluded the story.

My first ‘Perry Mason’ read and I will definitely be looking for more! Great book if you love a crime/murder mystery.

[Andres "Ande" Jakovlev · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kui ma "Purunenud pildiraami juhtumit" lugema hakkasin, tundus see mulle kummaliselt tuttav. Raamaturiiulis seda aga polnud, nii et ilmselt olen selle kunagi raamatukogust laenutanud.

Esimene lugemine võib jääda nii 10-15 aasta taha. Ja arvestades, et mul olid peamised asjad meeles (sh ka üllatav lõpplahendus), võib järeldada, et tegu on piisavalt hea raamatuga, et jälg maha jätta.

Seekordsel lugemisel ta nii hea ei tundnud (pigem 4/5), ent eks müsteeriumite puhul ongi ootamatused ja värskus väga olulised.

Ja noh, Perry Masoni lood on alati väga mõnusad ajaviitekrimkad.