Ettevaatliku edvistaja juhtum

Perry Mason #34

by Erle Stanley Gardner, Liina Tordik (Translator)

Paul Drake pakub sada dollarit vaevatasu isikule, kes teatab avariipaigalt põgenenud autor numbri. Kiirelt saabub ka kiri ja sellega on kaasas ka selle korteri võti, kus asub märkmik auto numbriga. Perry Mason külastab korterit, vestleb veetleva elanikuga ja… tundub, et tegu on õige vihjega.
Siis saabub üks tütarlaps, kes teatab, et tema nägi avariid ning esitab kah ühe auto numbri!
On kaks seadusrikkujat ning on vaid üks seadusrikkumine…
Juhus on toonud veel midagi päevavalgele ning see Juhus toob üsna sõgedas järjekorras üha uusi asju päevavalgele. Perry Mason rabeleb ning asjad näivad laabuvat, kuid Juhus tegutseb kiiremini kui Mason ning kõik faktid asetsevad omale kohale ikkagi vaid alles romaani lõpuks.
Antud romaani lisab erilise pikantsuse tõik, et politsei käes on revolver Perry Masoni sõrmejälgedega. Ega nüüd keegi ei keela ju advokaat Masonil revolvrit käes hoida, aga just see leiti omaenda hüübinud veres vedeleva laiba kõrvalt!

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Crime, Novels, Detective, Mystery Thriller, Thriller

288 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1949

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

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found that Erle Stanley Gardner’s “Perry Mason” mysteries are just the salve for these uncertain times. For those familiar with the iconic television series with Raymond Burr, these books follow the same formula—with dependable lawyer Perry Mason solving crimes with the help of his sharp secretary, Della Street, and observant private investigator, Paul Drake. This particular volume contains three vintage Perry adventures: The Case of the Cautious Coquette (1949) is included with two shorter stories, The Case of the Crimson Kiss (1948) and The Case of the Crying Swallow (1947). Two of the three are quite zippy and enjoyable, following the characters as they interact with a wide variety of sketchy people and intriguing settings suffused with 1940s atmosphere. Thankfully the action never gets too bogged down in courtroom dialogue (the way the TV series sometimes did). Although Crying Swallow seemed a bit rushed and anemic on the story side, it had enough eccentric touches (a jewel hidden inside a bird’s nest!) to make it worthwhile.

[Holger Haase · Rating 3 out of 5]

I used to read quite a few Perry Masons in my teens but these days I couldn't even say which ones though I clearly remember the feel of those novels and hand on heart as a young impressionable teen I wanted to become a lawyer because of him. (Unless it was one of those days when I wanted to be a secret agent, journalist, private eye, stuntman or trucker.)

I became none of those but when I finally revisited the series the magic was back again.

I did wonder though whether he had always been so nonchalant with breaking and entering or seemingly having all the time in the world to focus on just one case (that wasn't even a proper case for him). I also became afraid that my mental capabilities may have shrunk in the years as I genuinely could not make any sense of the denouement which is not anything I ever remembered about my past reading of the series. But yes, it was quite a mind baffler of a case.

But fun. It sure was fun.

[Evelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

As always it is great fun reading a Perry Mason mystery with the many twists and turns in the plot, and red herrings. Much of this mystery centers around developing the central plot device of a hit and run accident where Perry Mason is representing the victims that provides the backdrop to the murder in which Perry Mason is a suspect. Therefore, unlike in most of the mysteries in the series, courtroom drama, for which the stories are noted, plays a de minimus role in the tale and its resolution.

[Amit Bikram · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an unusual case where part of the actual crime has been committed at some time before the start of the book. As with such cases, it is always more difficult to separate the wheat from the chaff, as the actual criminal gets ample opportunity to draw a red herring all across the case. Usually, Mason is the one accused of carrying out this stuff, but in this case, he himself falls victim to the ploy of a smart antagonist.

The book starts with Mason caught up in a car accident case, where his client has been badly injured and deserves ample reparation. But the hit and run vehicle and its owner are in the wind, and Drake puts up ads in various newspapers, asking for information regarding the accident and the runaway vehicle, with a cash reward of 100 dollars (Wow!). Weird occurences start happening right after, with two letters from two different sources claiming to be the ones having witnessed the accident arrive on Mason's desk within a day of each other.

The first letter has a key accompanying it as well as a set of instructions, enticing Mason to go to an apartment unannounced to get the car's registration number. Mason, obviously, thinks that it is a trap, as do the readers, and from there on this mystery starts unravelling at a rapid pace. For most of the book, I was unable to make head or tail of the plot and was quite confused until Mason was finally able to solve the mystery.

I did have a few peeves with the plot, a few minor loose ends that might not have been adequately answered, but overall it was an enjoyable read and quite a complicated plot compared to other Perry Mason books. I would rate it a 4 out of 5 for being a page turner.

[Girish · Rating 4 out of 5]

The joy of a proper whodunnit is in it's unpredictability. After a long time read a book that had me confused till the very end. This is one of those books with lots of theatricals by Perry Mason and he is right behind the eight ball, to the extent of being an accessory to murder.

Perry Mason is forced to defend a defendant he did not want anything to do with. He doesn't trust her and has a lot stacked against her. So, when he finds out he has no option but to defend her if he doesn't want to be implicated in the murder, the trio of Della, Drake and Perry play a pretty cautious game themselves.

I think I must soon finish the rest of the Perry Mason series (left with 10 odd)

[Paul Jellinek · Rating 4 out of 5]

What can I say? I love those old Perry Mason books, despite (or because of?) the shameless cliches, the utterly interchangable plots, the stilted dialogue, and the fact that I don't really care who done it. Every time Perry takes Della out for another "thick, juicy steak," I know that at least something is still right with the world.

[Alonzo Church · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yet again, Hamilton Burger figures he’s got Perry Mason dead to rights. You see, Mason’s fingerprint is on the murder weapon. And Perry’s client is many married femme fatale that is going to look like a tramp in front of a jury. If Berger can restrain his simmering fury that Mason exists to upend all his prosecutions, just maybe…

Not my favorite Mason for reasons I can’t quite put a finger on. The plot is certainly tricky enough and the action moves. Maybe I just don’t figure anyone could tie a frame job on Perry like this. Perry is literally forced into taking this case —and he doesn’t have the same righteous fury that motivates him in his better appearances.

[Tim Blackburn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice Perry Mason mystery. As usual, I missed the murderer but that's part of what makes the series so much fun to read. Fast paced courtroom proceedings and perhaps the best beat-down of Hamilton Burger in the entire series. The dialog between the two was sharp and you just got to love DA Burger getting his lunch ate!! Yes, I recommend you read this for some much deserved brain candy!

[Bailey Marissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one is a bit different (in a good way) from the TV episode, as there is more respect between Perry and Tragg, there's a high speed chase, and a hinted moment between Perry and Della.

Recommended 12+ for violence, death, language, hinted romance, and anything else I may have missed.

[Reet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Earl Stanley Gardner once again uses his stunning talent to bring us "the case of the cautious coquette." Perry Mason is representing an injured young man who was hit by a car that hit and ran. Paul Drake places an ad in the paper offering a $100 to any witnesses who may have information on the crime, when to his astonishment he gets Letters about 2 different cars that committed the same crime. this leads him to discover The cautious coquette, Lucille Barton.
Lucille rents the apartmenthat the key that was mailed to Mason opens. She tries to get Mason to represent her to get a lump sum of money out of her ex husband for alimony. This is so that she can marry her new husband, who's offered her slightly less amount of money per week for her own uses.
I love the character Perry Mason's approach; The book character is not at all like the stodgy TV show character:
"abruptly Mason threw back his head and laughed, said, 'you're a very ingenious young lady, Lucille. I have to give you a medal for ingenuity, but I'm not interested in your case, although I will admit that the unconventional approach intrigues me.'
'what do you mean, the unconventional approach?'
Mason said, 'you saw the ad in the paper. You evidently had some way of knowing that i was representing the Finchleys. You thought that if you could get me here and get me in a rather disadvantageous position, you…'
She pushed back the chair, her eyes blazing. 'Mr. Mason, that's absolutely uncalled for! That's entirely untrue. I don't even know what ad you're talking about! And there's certainly been no attempt to get you into what you are pleased to refer to as a "disadvantageous position"! what do you think I am, anyway!'
'well, what are you?' Mason asked.
'I'm a woman. I'm human and I've been disappointed in love. And I don't want to have my alimony reduced. I know you can scare my ex husband to death. If he only thought I knew you, and that you were interested in me - in my case, I mean…'
Mason pushed back his chair, got to his feet, bowed and said, 'I'm sorry, but I just don't Believe you, and I can't waste any more time. it was a good attempt. I'm sorry that I can't fall for it. Perhaps if I had been caught in your apartment between 2 and 5 I might have been forced to take your case. Thanks for the coffee.' "

Mason gets the license plate of the car that hit young Finchley's car, and has Paul Drake track it down to an address. It's in the upper class part of town, and Mason sees a car parked out in front with signs of repair to it. He's inspecting the car, when
"A man with broad shoulders, heavy square jaw and belligerent manners said, 'what's the idea?'
Mason looked up and said without smiling, 'Mr. Argyle?'
'no.'
'is he in?'
'what's that got to do with the way you're prowling around that car?'
'I'm not prowling. I'm examining it. Are you related to Mr. Argyle?'
'not me. I work here.'
'indeed? What capacity?'
'chauffeur and Butler.'
'in that event,' Mason said, taking a card case from his pocket, 'you may assume a more respectful attitude, take my card to Mr. Argyle, and tell him that I want to see him About a manner of the gravest importance - to him.' "
Mason thinks he's got his man, and puts Drake to work on finding out everything he can about Argyle and his car on the day of the accident. But then he finds out more info,
"when he had Drake on the phone he said, 'Paul, that Argyle thing was a false alarm. Call off your men.'
'the hell it's a false alarm,' Drake said indignantly. 'one of my men has a signed statement from the doorman at the Broadway Athletic Club. He says Argyle showed up in a taxi cab about 7 o'clock. He seemed all upset and nervous. He told the doorman he was going to report his car as having been stolen, and gave the guy a 100 bucks to swear Argyle had been there ever since noon. The doorman would have stayed put if my man hadn't pulled everything in the quiver and told the guy he was going to the pen for compounding a felony.'
Masonremained Silent.
'you there?' Drake asked.
'I'm here.'
'Argyle's wife left him about 6 months ago. Hes a speculator in oil Leases. He has 2 associates, dudly gates and Ross P Hollister. Hollister lives in santa del Barra and has the dough. Since Argyle's wife left him argyle has been living alone in his big house, only the chauffeur with him and the maid who comes in by the day. Argyle is well-thought-of at the club. He's considered to have made a nice nest egg in that new oil field up North. He'd been drinking and was still a little woozy when he slipped the doorman at the club the 100 bucks. Now what more do you want than that, Perry? Hes your man.' "

The chauffeur turns out to have been Lucille's 1st ex husband, and he is found dead in her garage by lucille and Perry Mason. This is a setup by somebody telling Lucille what to do. Lucille's car has a timing problem and is backfiring and sputtering, when they're driving it down the driveway, before the chauffeur is discovered dead. A next door neighbor hears all the noise and looks out his window, and identifies lucille and Perry by their clothes. Thus, lieutenant tragg comes to perry's office, and wants him to stand up and be identified by the neighbor. But Perry won't stand up, to be identified by his height, So tragg sets up a trap outside of his office building, with the witness. Mason hides out in Paul Drake's office, and thinks of a way to fool lieutenant tragg.
"Mason said, 'we'll make them think I managed to get out through the basement.'
'how?'
'there again is where you come in,' Mason said, grinning. 'you are going to ship a big packing case by truck. You're going to be very particular about it, and the packing case which is supposed to contain evidence is to go to the garage in my apartment house. It will be plenty heavy when you ship it. There will be a few holes bored in the lid. You'll have an operative you can trust go out to the garage, receive the package And promise to unpack it. By the time the newspaper reporters find it it will be empty.'
'what makes you think they'll find it?'
'as soon as they get the idea that I may have left the office they'll start asking questions of the janitor to find out whether I could possibly have gone out the back way. They'll also start questioning you and your office girl to find out if I'm in your office. You'll let the cat out of the bag by telling them about the packing case.'
'don't be silly,' Drake said. 'they've got a reporter, a photographer and a plain clothes man covering the back way.'
'That's fine,' Mason said. 'they I'll remember seeing the big Box go out.' "

I loved the preliminary hearing. Argyle is being questioned about why he's going out to the hospital and making a settlement, if he's not even the one that hit the Finchley's car. I can see in my mind's eye the actor that plays Hamilton Burger and the one that plays lieutenant tragg.
" ' And the insurance carrier suggested to you that you could make a lot cheaper settlement by going out and making a settlement behind my back.'
'my insurance Carrier told me to wait there in the lobby and not to talk with you, under any circumstances, until I had seen him. After he arrived, I placed the matter in his hands.'
'but you did go to the hospital and try to make a settlement with my client behind my back, didn't you?'
'well I don't know what you mean by behind your back. You weren't in your office. I certainly tried to communicate with you. I'm not going to wait all day for a lawyer, who's out gallavanting around with a divorcee, to get back to his office. My time is valuable!' "

Perry Mason gets to the bottom of the twisting and turning case, like he always does. Earl Stanley gardner certainly has a mind that works this way, something I couldn't do for the life of me.
In the books, the chemistry between Perry and Della street is much more palpable than in the TV show. I was curious, if they had ever had an affair in one of Gardner's book's, so I looked up online. Someone wrote an article about different books that had glimpses of their romance in them. I marked all of those books as to-read. Turns out, Perry even asked Della to marry him one time.

[Black Heart Magazine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Picked this one up for 25 cents at the Atwater Library's book sale. Worth every penny! Especially for this exchange printed on the book's back cover:

"'Could this letter,' Mason asked Della Street, 'have been written by the woman herself? I want to get the feminine angle.'

Della laughed. 'There aren't any feminine angles--they're curves.'

Fast curves!"

Definitely has retro appeal, with its terminology like "frame-up" and "slick flimflams" and I think, at some point, someone must have referred to women in this book as "broads" (though it probably wasn't Perry Mason, since he's such a stand-up guy). Also, for future reference: I love the saying "What the deuce?"

A quick read, great for mystery lovers and Perry Mason fans (I must admit, I've never read any Perry Mason books before this one, nor even seen the TV show). Not the best mystery I've ever read, but definitely not the worst. Besides, it reminded me of all the silly "Cat Who..." books I used to read when I was a kid, and makes me want to try writing a mystery/detective novel of my own.

There's just one more thing... why the deuce is Perry Mason, a lawyer, always getting mixed up in the crime-solving element of the case? It don't add up. Thoughts?

[Ed · Rating 4 out of 5]

#34 in the Perry Mason series. This 1949 entry is a suitably complex representative of the series. An unusual aspect of this novel has Perry representing himself as the lawyer of a client he has previously declined to represent. After turning Lucile Barton down in her request for him to represent her in a settlement with her ex-husband, he is with her when a body is found in her garage. He tells her to report the body to the police and leaves. She doesn't and a neighbor provides a shaky identification of the two of them. To avoid having to provide answers to embarrassing questions from the police, Perry cites attorney-client privilege. Since he now has a client he doesn't want, he must prove her innocent when she is arrested for murder. Satisfyingly complex and entertaining - a good read.

Perry Mason series - At the behest of Mason, who is representing a young man hit by a car, Paul Drake places an ad in the paper asking for witnesses to the hit and run. To Mason's astonishment, two different drivers are identified, one by a mysterious letter enclosing a key. When Mason tracks down the witness identified by the key, the young woman tries to hire him for a completely different case involving her ex-husband.

[Kevin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A car accident with too many people claiming responsibility and amurder that appears to frame Perry Mason himself. I love the fact that Perry is still his reckless self--illegally breaking into apartments, stealing clues before the police can discover them.... But this mystery wasn't as intriguing as most of the mysteries.

My edition also contained two Perry Mason novelettes: THE CASE OF THE CRIMSON KISS (1948) and HE CASE OF THE CRYING SWALLOW (1947). Neither were tp drawer Perry Mason. It's interesting that in CRIMSON KISS, we actually see the guilty party plotting and carrying out the crime at the beginning (very COLUMBO in design), although there's still another killer to unmask before the end. This initial crime didn't seem very well-thought-out and relied on the victim being pretty dumb for teh person to get away with the crime. THE CRYING SWALLOW was pretty dull--a break-in and some jewels are stolen (just a day after the lay of the house cancelled her insurance policy). CRYING had the weakest characters I'd ever read in a Perry Mason mystery--there was absolutely no one of interest in the cast fo characters.

[Simon · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the rare ones where Gardner seems to have lost control of the plot, which is a shame because the premise is outstanding. He represents the interests of a hit-and-run victim. Paul Drake publishes an ad asking for a witness seen at the crime to come forward, and gets two separate confessions as a result. Mason is dragged into a complicated murder, and uses a variety of stunts to keep the police off-balance until he can sort out what happened.

The problem is coincidence, which is used over and over as a plot device. No one actually noticed that all of the principals were somehow involved with each other? Including the principals themselves? The explanation at the end is unbelievably complicated, and the most interesting character in the book --- the eponymous coquette --- isn't even present for the denouement.

That being said, it clips right along and there is a lot of pleasure to be had watching Mason, Della and Paul bamboozle Burger and Sgt. Holcomb. Good summer reading.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first Perry Mason novel, and far better than expected. Sure, it's dated and pulp-alicious, but it's also extremely clever and the underlying mystery is a lot more intricate than its mere 220 pages would suggest. Watching Mason obliterate his oppenents during the court sequences was profoundly satisfying and, again, surprisingly well done for a book that's, like, number 23,456 in a series. Some people might not enjoy the 1940's atmosphere--where hardened detectives still say things like "Oh my gosh!" and "Well, I'll be hanged," and women always seem to answer the door wearing a towel--but I couldn't help but get a kick out of it.

[FM · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is probably my favorite of all the ones I've read so far. (We are to 1949, I believe, as we are working through the books chronologically.)
Silly title, aside, I really enjoyed the twists and turns of this one, starting with a hit & run accident that two different people confessed to committing. In the meantime, Mason gets implicated in a murder case that becomes more and more complicated and, as usual, he is able to get to the bottom of the true reasons for the case.
What I particularly liked, however, was how Mason outsmarts Holcomb by playing on his ego and his assumptions. A long-running theme in all these books is that the police simply want to charge someone, convict them, and close the case--even if their case doesn't take into consideration all the evidence. A secondary theme is that Holcombe and Burger really hate Perry Mason because he makes them look bad (for good reason). Mason comes up with a clever scheme to avoid being implicated in a murder and while he never outright breaks the law, he certainly bends it into a pretzel. As usual, the scheme relies on making assumptions and playing on expectations rather than looking objectively at the evidence. This makes the DA and police look particularly stupid.
I also like the fact that Mason and Tragg have more of an understanding than is shown in the TV show. In fact, Mason helps out Tragg quite a bit and vice versa. It's clear that Tragg doesn't like Mason's methods but he appreciates that Mason gets to the bottom of case—and helps Tragg out when Holcomb throws him under the bus. The actual client in this book is someone that Mason doesn't even want as a client and is a pain in the ass to him. The fact that she wasn't very sympathetic also made this book different and entertaining.
The ending is impossibly convoluted as usual, but I don't really care because I don't read these trying to figure out the puzzle. I like reading about LA in the 1940s when people actually knew the name and reputation of a lawyer -- think about it: how many lawyers do you know by name in your own city because they always solve murders?

[Serdar Poirot · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perry Mason, Bob Finchley adındaki müvekkilinin geçirdiği kazayı yapan aracı aramaktadır ve bunun için Paul Drake gazeteye bir ilan vermiştir. Bir gün ofisine bir mektup gelir. Bu mektupta bir adres ve bir anahtar vardır. Adrese gittiğinde Lucille Barton adında güzel bir kadınla karşılaşır. Bu kadın daha önce iki kere evlenip boşanmış ve şimdi de Hollister adında biriyle evlenmek üzeredir. Ama nafakadan olmak da istemez ve Mason'a avukatı olmasını teklif eder. Mason bunu reddeder. Plakayı araştırınca bir kaç isme ulaşır. Stephen Argyle kazadan haberi olmadığını şöförü Pitkin'in aracın çalındığını söylediğini söyler. Sonrasında ise Caffee adında bir adam suçunu itiraf eder ve yüklüce bir çek yazar. Ancak bilmediği Argyle'ın da Bob ile görüşüp ona para verdiğidir. Bu arada Lucille de Mason ile görüşür ve apartman garajında bir ceset bulurlar. Bu Pitkin'dir ve aslında bu adam Lucille'in ilk kocasıdır. Tragg, Mason'a onu gören bir tanık olduğunu ayağa kalkıp yürümesi gerektiğini söyler ama kabul etmez. Paul ile bir plan yaparlar ve Holcomb gazetelere çıkar. Şüpheli Lucille'dir ve mahkeme öncesinde Hollister da öldürülmüş bir şekilde bulunur. Hamilton Burger bu davayı kendisi alır ve amacı Mason'ı da yakmaktır. Ama Mason Holcomb'u sorguda rezil eder. Diğer tüm tanıkları sıkıştırır. Williard Barton da dahil olmak üzere herkesin sakladığı bir şeyler vardır. Argyle, Gates ve Hollister ortaktır. Mason bir liste sunar ve Argyle bu isimleri kontrol etmesi gerektiğini söyler. Mahkemeye ara verilir. Mason da Tragg ile bir araba gezintisine çıkar. Acaba bundan sonra neler olacaktır? Tragg arabasının sirenini çalıştırınca katil ne tepki verecektir? Mason müvekkilini kurtarabilecek midir? Keyifle soluksuz okunan bir roman.

[E · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perry Mason represents a family who got involved in a hit-and-run accident. Multiple parties surface who claim to be the hit-and-run driver! Clearly something is afoot. Then Mason gets a clue from a shady woman (the title character) with multiple ex-husbands, a suspicious typewriter, and a hot gun. Mason has no interest in representing her, yet when he himself gets accused of being an accessory to the murder of which she is accused, he has no choice! Hijinks ensue, and the reader is quite baffled until the end of the novel (where the resolution does not occur in a courtroom). Have I done enough to whet your appetite?

[Barney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Argyle along with Gates kills their partner Hollister when Hollister finds their fraud scheme done behind his back. In order to set an alibi for himself, Argyle uses the ad Drake publishes for information of a car involved in a road accident. Argyle writes his license number in a diary and keeps it in the desk of Lucille Barton, who is engaged to Hollister. He then sends an anonymous letter to Drake with a spare key to Lucille's apartment. When Argyle's chauffeur Pitkins blackmails him for the alibi, Argyle kills him using Lucille's gun at her garage.
When the real woman who witnesses the car accident appears before Mason, Argyle's cover is blown.

[Sherry · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was always a huge fan of Perry Mason stories and mostly that was from the television program. This was my first Erle Stanley Gardner book in decades and I had forgotten that the written version of Perry Mason, Della Street, Paul Drake and cohorts were a bit more shady than the TV version. This was a good story but puts Perry Mason in a bit more off-color version who definitely skirts the rule of law repeatedly but...gets away with it. My criticism is that Mason's solving of case ending was a real stretch given what had been relayed in the story. More Sherlock Holmes without the explanation of how he figured it all out.

[Michael Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really three stories in one. Coquette is a novella where Mason almost get framed for murder. Crimson Kiss and Crying Swallow are short stories. All are good reads as Mason probes for clues and answers to why and what really happened.

More and more Mason is a detective as well as a lawyer since he sends Drake to answers his queries rather than have Drake and his people explore on their own. And lots he time it is Mason who does the investigation with Drake only confirming what the lawyer has uncovered or surmised.

[Jc · Rating 5 out of 5]

Coquette is up there among the best of Gardner’s 1950’s Perry Mason novels. Good mystery, wonderful rivalry moments between Hamilton Burger and Mason, and some of his best closing chapters. Central to this one is the added mystery of which car did what, and how many should pay for it. Stella and Drake also get special scenes. Where would Perry be without them. Even Gertie gets her moment in this one. And there is some special positive moments between Tragg and Mason, centering around the not-so-bright cop, Sgt. Holcomb.

[Erin *Proud Book Hoarder* · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read the physical version, the audio last year. It is one of the more humorous Perry Masons with the games with the police and the judge who obviously in bias in Perry's favor and amused by him getting the best of Burger and the insurance agents. This mystery isn't quite as complex or fair to solve since we're not given the details needed until the end, but like most of Perry Mason novels, the story grips you with its confusion and is fun to follow along.

[Kieran McAndrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

An appeal for witnesses to a hit and run soon lands Perry Mason in the middle of a murder enquiry and he must rely on his sharp wits to eliminate himself as an accessory.

Gardner's writing is witty and, with minor adjustments, Perry Mason could easily be striding confidently into a 21st century courtroom.

[Richa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was almost like two cases in one, albiet, one a profitable out of court settlement and other a tricky murder case. Gardner tries very hard to confuse the reader here, but somehow, one suspects the real culprit (at least one of them) much early in the book. An interesting read. I will call it one of the better books in the series.

[John Bunyan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Complicated plot without too much gimmickry. Good courtroom scene.
Main flaw was that Mason tells someone to report finding a dead body to the police, doesn’t sure that it was done and then, never suspects that it wasn’t done.

The Perry/Della romance finally shows up again at the end of this one.

[Nikki · Rating 3 out of 5]

The only reason that I gave this book 3 stars instead of 4 is that it started off a little bit slow. I also found it a little bit frustrating that he knew from the start that he was walking into a trap but did it anyway. That being said, he is ingenious at piecing a case together and I do love his trickery. Overall, it was a great book and I will read it again.

[Ashwin Dongre · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of the awesom PM novel. The best part is Holcomb's cross examination. Perry makes fool out of him, that he deserves! Its great mystery. I just feel that some of the clues are way too well hidden, and I think few of the clues are not given at all and Perry just declares them at the end. But that's not ESG style, so I am willing to assume that I missed those clues.
This is a very good PM mystery that I'd definitely re read.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three Novellas (or short novels, I'm not sure) from the forties. Back then Perry Mason was very slick and frequently pushed the limits of the rules to save his innocent clients. These old ones are always a wonderful read.

[Wajeeha Iftikhar · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a Mason fan, just so you know the five stars are consistent lol.

It was a good book. I didn't detect any red herrings in here but the plot was twisted and turning and wriggling all over the place. 😁 A much needed break from a long tiring day, a must read for Mason fans.