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The Case Of The Musical Cow
Rob Trenton, an American dog trainer by profession, makes a tour of Paris and Switzerland with fellow passengers from his ship. Artist Linda Carroll arouses his curiosity. Strange Merton Ostrander joins them for the return. When New York Customs search Rob for contraband after a fake tip-off, Rob’s life turns upside down.
- GenresMystery
Paperback
First published January 1, 1960
6 people are currently reading
137 people want to read
About the author
Erle Stanley Gardner
1,351 books802 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 - 17 of 17 reviews
May 22, 2017
I wasn't going to write a review for this book because I didn't like it. Then I thought that I should write one and present this book as an example of how not to write a novel.
First of all, I was disappointed that even though Erle Stanley Gardner wrote the story, it was not a Perry Mason story. I would not have gotten the book otherwise.
Gardner has mastered the court room scene climax and this book is no exception. I don't think I am spoiling by saying the ending arrives at a satisfying conclusion with a suspenseful courtroom scene where classic Gardner lawyers play a game of the wits matching any chess game Kasparov could arrange for the board.
It was everything else that dismally fails.
What makes any story succeed? The believability factor.
I understand, through my own writing, that in order to make a plot work you have to provide the characters with plausible reasons for acting the way they do. This holds true inside any genre, be it science fiction, dystopian. apocalyptical, classic, or fantasy. Whether the story deals with space aliens, zombies, women in petticoats, hobbits, they have to act according to the rules inside that paradigm.
That would make a fascinating dissertation: what makes a plot inside any story reality believable? I think it is universal truths about human nature. Regardless of what planet they are living on or what shape they exist in, there are rules the characters must follow to allow the reader to believe in the storyline.
What makes the story of the Musical Cow unbelievable? The protagonist does things that are unbelievably stupid.
The skinny: Rob Trenton takes a cruise to Europe where he intends to tour for several weeks. On the ship he meets Linda Carroll, a beautiful (naturally!) but distant lady with whom he beomces immediately smitten.
The story actually starts at a Paris cafe where Rob has planted himself in hopes of meeting Linda. He has met every tiresome person he hoped to avoid from the ship, but no Linda. Happily, Linda does pass by his table and joins him.
With her are another couple. The three of them plan on traveling across Europe in Linda's car which she has brought with her on the ship. Linda is rich (naturally!) Linda and the couple ask Rob to join them.
OK, this is not entirely unbelievable but it certainly is not wise to travel with people you don't know. What is their character? Are they drug smugglers? Sociopathic serial killers? Nevertheless, people-really, really stupid people usually on college spring break, have been known to do this.
By the time they get to Switzerland, the couple who have barely entered the stage are called off on a emergency and fly home. We never see them again. They were apparently written in to provide Rob a reason to travel with Linda. Rob is no Mr. Ripley.
They arrive in the Alps where they stay in a lodge and meet another American. Tragedy has struck the lodge; the inn keeper's wife has died due to eating poisonous mushrooms. Strangely enough everyone else ate the same mushrooms but did not die. Hmmm....
The other American Merton Ostrander (where did Erle get that name?) immediately attaches himself to Rob and Linda, much to Rob's consternation. When Linda and Rob prepare to leave, Merton insists on joining them, without even saying goodbye to the Innkeeper, even though he's stayed at the lodge for a few months and was like a "member of the family" according to Merton.
It's time to return to the ship but Rob becomes seriously ill, apparently due to food poisoning. Merton says, "so sorry, but we're rushing to the ship, too bad you can't make it, bye!" and hussles Linda off, leaving Rob in a hospital.
Rob is not ready to admit defeat yet, and still ill, staggers to the boat before it leaves port.
Strange things happen on the boat. Another American asks Rob a lot of questions. It becomes obvious that he is a detective and he is looking for any signs of smuggling. Rob finds his room has been searched.
Another strange event: Merton dumps boxes of Cow Bells overboard. He had collected these for a lecture he was going to give back at the University in the States. No explanation is given other than that he has changed his mind. Okey dokey. Strange and barely plausible. Now comes the unbelievable part on which Gardner builds his case, so to speak.
At the port in America, Linda informs Rob that she is going home with friends and if he likes, he can take her car and she'll come back the next day to pick it up. Rob agrees to this.
On the way home, a tire blows out. As Rob changes it, he notices that something is attached to the bottom of the car. He removes it and finds a container containing....da da da DUM!...drugs!!!
And now for the disgustingly unbelievable part that caused me to lose all respect for Rob:
Rob concludes that it is impossible that his lovely Linda could in any way be involved in drug smuggling and he must protect her. What does he do? He drives farther down the highway, stops on the side and buries the drugs. (Linda's car happens to have a shovel.)
While burying the drugs, a police officer pulls up beside him. Rob tells him he had a blow out and just finished changing the tire. He opens his trunk to show the blown out tire. The policeman touches the tire checks Rob's driver's license and leaves. He has to touch the tire because this propels the plot.
Because later at the station the officer has a flash: the tire was cold! That means that he hadn't recently changed the tire. That means he was at the side of the road for a different reason. He and another officer return to the spot and, unsurprisingly, discover the buried drugs. They arrange for policemen to lie in wait for when Rob returns.
Rob doesn't return. He has no plans to return, but the next morning he finds that Linda's car is gone. He drives to her residence in another town (she gave him her address) to find that Linda Carroll does indeed live there but she is an older woman who lives alone.
What does Rob conclude? Why, that there are two Linda Carrolls, of course.
Shortly after leaving Linda's house Rob is kidnapped by a gang of drug traffickers who want their dope. I'll stop there in case anyone out that actually wants to read the story.
Gardner does make everything work out in the end and Rob's time with the drug gang is quite suspenseful. It's just that the premise is so weak. It reminds me of the end of Stephen King's Pet Sematary, the movie version. All of us in the theater groaned together (yes, it was an audible groan). Stupid has a price and he paid it.
Rob does not pay for his dumb acts, other than being arrested and having to go to court to clear himself on drug and murder charges (the ship detective gets murdered).
Gardner wanted to create a story where the skills of a forensic doctor are needed to prove how Rob could not have killed the detective. That takes place in the courtroom and it is interesting as is the verbal dueling between the lawyers. But Rob did not get what he deserved.
He deserved to go to jail, not because he was guilty of murder, but for being such a dunderhead. Maybe a year or so would have ironed some sense into his sweet, pathetic head.
As for Linda Carroll, Merton Ostrander and the detective, they needed to play larger parts in order for us to fully appreciate who and what they actually are. A fuller character development would have made the story more interesting, but the three of them are merely skeletal figures.
In conclusion, this book serves for me as a cautionary tale and I hope to hone my own writing skills so as to draw the reader in, hold them captive and never make them sneer in disgust at an implausible story development.
First of all, I was disappointed that even though Erle Stanley Gardner wrote the story, it was not a Perry Mason story. I would not have gotten the book otherwise.
Gardner has mastered the court room scene climax and this book is no exception. I don't think I am spoiling by saying the ending arrives at a satisfying conclusion with a suspenseful courtroom scene where classic Gardner lawyers play a game of the wits matching any chess game Kasparov could arrange for the board.
It was everything else that dismally fails.
What makes any story succeed? The believability factor.
I understand, through my own writing, that in order to make a plot work you have to provide the characters with plausible reasons for acting the way they do. This holds true inside any genre, be it science fiction, dystopian. apocalyptical, classic, or fantasy. Whether the story deals with space aliens, zombies, women in petticoats, hobbits, they have to act according to the rules inside that paradigm.
That would make a fascinating dissertation: what makes a plot inside any story reality believable? I think it is universal truths about human nature. Regardless of what planet they are living on or what shape they exist in, there are rules the characters must follow to allow the reader to believe in the storyline.
What makes the story of the Musical Cow unbelievable? The protagonist does things that are unbelievably stupid.
The skinny: Rob Trenton takes a cruise to Europe where he intends to tour for several weeks. On the ship he meets Linda Carroll, a beautiful (naturally!) but distant lady with whom he beomces immediately smitten.
The story actually starts at a Paris cafe where Rob has planted himself in hopes of meeting Linda. He has met every tiresome person he hoped to avoid from the ship, but no Linda. Happily, Linda does pass by his table and joins him.
With her are another couple. The three of them plan on traveling across Europe in Linda's car which she has brought with her on the ship. Linda is rich (naturally!) Linda and the couple ask Rob to join them.
OK, this is not entirely unbelievable but it certainly is not wise to travel with people you don't know. What is their character? Are they drug smugglers? Sociopathic serial killers? Nevertheless, people-really, really stupid people usually on college spring break, have been known to do this.
By the time they get to Switzerland, the couple who have barely entered the stage are called off on a emergency and fly home. We never see them again. They were apparently written in to provide Rob a reason to travel with Linda. Rob is no Mr. Ripley.
They arrive in the Alps where they stay in a lodge and meet another American. Tragedy has struck the lodge; the inn keeper's wife has died due to eating poisonous mushrooms. Strangely enough everyone else ate the same mushrooms but did not die. Hmmm....
The other American Merton Ostrander (where did Erle get that name?) immediately attaches himself to Rob and Linda, much to Rob's consternation. When Linda and Rob prepare to leave, Merton insists on joining them, without even saying goodbye to the Innkeeper, even though he's stayed at the lodge for a few months and was like a "member of the family" according to Merton.
It's time to return to the ship but Rob becomes seriously ill, apparently due to food poisoning. Merton says, "so sorry, but we're rushing to the ship, too bad you can't make it, bye!" and hussles Linda off, leaving Rob in a hospital.
Rob is not ready to admit defeat yet, and still ill, staggers to the boat before it leaves port.
Strange things happen on the boat. Another American asks Rob a lot of questions. It becomes obvious that he is a detective and he is looking for any signs of smuggling. Rob finds his room has been searched.
Another strange event: Merton dumps boxes of Cow Bells overboard. He had collected these for a lecture he was going to give back at the University in the States. No explanation is given other than that he has changed his mind. Okey dokey. Strange and barely plausible. Now comes the unbelievable part on which Gardner builds his case, so to speak.
At the port in America, Linda informs Rob that she is going home with friends and if he likes, he can take her car and she'll come back the next day to pick it up. Rob agrees to this.
On the way home, a tire blows out. As Rob changes it, he notices that something is attached to the bottom of the car. He removes it and finds a container containing....da da da DUM!...drugs!!!
And now for the disgustingly unbelievable part that caused me to lose all respect for Rob:
Rob concludes that it is impossible that his lovely Linda could in any way be involved in drug smuggling and he must protect her. What does he do? He drives farther down the highway, stops on the side and buries the drugs. (Linda's car happens to have a shovel.)
While burying the drugs, a police officer pulls up beside him. Rob tells him he had a blow out and just finished changing the tire. He opens his trunk to show the blown out tire. The policeman touches the tire checks Rob's driver's license and leaves. He has to touch the tire because this propels the plot.
Because later at the station the officer has a flash: the tire was cold! That means that he hadn't recently changed the tire. That means he was at the side of the road for a different reason. He and another officer return to the spot and, unsurprisingly, discover the buried drugs. They arrange for policemen to lie in wait for when Rob returns.
Rob doesn't return. He has no plans to return, but the next morning he finds that Linda's car is gone. He drives to her residence in another town (she gave him her address) to find that Linda Carroll does indeed live there but she is an older woman who lives alone.
What does Rob conclude? Why, that there are two Linda Carrolls, of course.
Shortly after leaving Linda's house Rob is kidnapped by a gang of drug traffickers who want their dope. I'll stop there in case anyone out that actually wants to read the story.
Gardner does make everything work out in the end and Rob's time with the drug gang is quite suspenseful. It's just that the premise is so weak. It reminds me of the end of Stephen King's Pet Sematary, the movie version. All of us in the theater groaned together (yes, it was an audible groan). Stupid has a price and he paid it.
Rob does not pay for his dumb acts, other than being arrested and having to go to court to clear himself on drug and murder charges (the ship detective gets murdered).
Gardner wanted to create a story where the skills of a forensic doctor are needed to prove how Rob could not have killed the detective. That takes place in the courtroom and it is interesting as is the verbal dueling between the lawyers. But Rob did not get what he deserved.
He deserved to go to jail, not because he was guilty of murder, but for being such a dunderhead. Maybe a year or so would have ironed some sense into his sweet, pathetic head.
As for Linda Carroll, Merton Ostrander and the detective, they needed to play larger parts in order for us to fully appreciate who and what they actually are. A fuller character development would have made the story more interesting, but the three of them are merely skeletal figures.
In conclusion, this book serves for me as a cautionary tale and I hope to hone my own writing skills so as to draw the reader in, hold them captive and never make them sneer in disgust at an implausible story development.
December 13, 2022
A good and easy read! It was very fun and had lots of twists and turns. Some details were left a bit unanswered but doesn't ruin the overall story!
May 19, 2013
The book is good! I was disappointed with what I found on the cover and what I got to read. The book I have is published by Master Mind Books, India (www.mastermindbooks.com). The cover stated in large graphic "A Perry Mason Mystery". The book does not have Perry Mason at all!
I am a bit miffed by this subterfuge to get folks to buy the book. The book is really good, but I am just smarting from the trick played on me by the publisher in India.
The publishers are doing a great thing by making all the titles of Erle Stanley Gardner in India. I bought a whole lot of these titles since I love them. It also helped that these were priced at Rs. 75 per title ($1.25 perhaps). But do they have to mislead buyers?
I am a bit miffed by this subterfuge to get folks to buy the book. The book is really good, but I am just smarting from the trick played on me by the publisher in India.
The publishers are doing a great thing by making all the titles of Erle Stanley Gardner in India. I bought a whole lot of these titles since I love them. It also helped that these were priced at Rs. 75 per title ($1.25 perhaps). But do they have to mislead buyers?
July 27, 2011
The book was probably better than a 2, but when you expect one thing and get another, it is kind of a let-down. I was under the apparently false impression that Erle Stanley Gardner's mysteries were all Perry Mason. When you're expecting Perry, and he isn't there, it's a little sad.
September 27, 2020
Major characters:
Rob Trenton, a dog trainer vacationing in Europe
Linda Carroll
Linda Mae Carroll, Linda's aunt
Frank & Marion Essex
Dr. Dixon, dog owner
Merton Ostrander, collector of cowbells
Harvey Richmond, undercover narcotics investigator
Locale: Paris > Switzerland > New York
Synopsis: Vacationing Rob Trenton, Linda Carroll, and Frank and Marion Essex all sailed to Paris on the same ship. Rob has his eye on attractive Linda. Linda organizes a car tour (she had her car shipped with them) of Switzerland with Frank and Marion, and asks Rob to join them as a fourth to share expenses. Shortly into their tour, the Essex's are called home unexpectedly. Merton Ostrander, a fellow guest at an inn, fills in one of their spots. Ostrander is an avid collector of musical cow bells, and collects a number of them during the tour.
After the tour, things begin to go wrong. Rob falls ill with an intestinal complaint. He barely manages to make the ship and the four set sail back to the US. Rob's roommate is Harvey Richmond, who is very inquisitive about their movements. Merton Ostrander is seen dumping his precious cowbell collection over the side of the ship. Rob adopts a dog, Lobo, from fellow passenger Dr. Dixon.
After clearing customs in New York, Rob is driving Linda's car back for her. He discovers a cache of heroin hidden in the vehicle frame, and stashes it until he consults with Linda.
He goes to Linda's address to find a different woman who claims - and proves - that she is Linda Carroll, specifically Linda Mae Carroll; aunt to other Linda. A gang of drug smugglers steal the car in order to retrieve the drugs, find them gone, and then abduct Rob and demand to know what happened to the drugs. A shootout results in Rob being arrested and brought to trial.
Review:
This is one of the few non-series titles by Erle Stanley Gardner, and a nice treat from the usual California settings. I was surprised by the number of story elements tossed in at the beginning, although a few of them are the requisite red herrings. For example, Frank and Marion Essex are prime characters right away, but then they are called home and never return to the story. Likewise, the two white capsule pills are a big deal at first, then they drop from the story but come back at the end with a brief innocent explanation.
It ends up with the usual courtroom scene, with a twist - our protagonist Rob Trenton discharges his public-defender attorney (in front of the jury - how embarassing) and conducts his own defense. If you enjoy Erle Stanley Gardner and are looking for something different in his works, this is a good choice. By the way, there is no cow in the story.
Rob Trenton, a dog trainer vacationing in Europe
Linda Carroll
Linda Mae Carroll, Linda's aunt
Frank & Marion Essex
Dr. Dixon, dog owner
Merton Ostrander, collector of cowbells
Harvey Richmond, undercover narcotics investigator
Locale: Paris > Switzerland > New York
Synopsis: Vacationing Rob Trenton, Linda Carroll, and Frank and Marion Essex all sailed to Paris on the same ship. Rob has his eye on attractive Linda. Linda organizes a car tour (she had her car shipped with them) of Switzerland with Frank and Marion, and asks Rob to join them as a fourth to share expenses. Shortly into their tour, the Essex's are called home unexpectedly. Merton Ostrander, a fellow guest at an inn, fills in one of their spots. Ostrander is an avid collector of musical cow bells, and collects a number of them during the tour.
After the tour, things begin to go wrong. Rob falls ill with an intestinal complaint. He barely manages to make the ship and the four set sail back to the US. Rob's roommate is Harvey Richmond, who is very inquisitive about their movements. Merton Ostrander is seen dumping his precious cowbell collection over the side of the ship. Rob adopts a dog, Lobo, from fellow passenger Dr. Dixon.
After clearing customs in New York, Rob is driving Linda's car back for her. He discovers a cache of heroin hidden in the vehicle frame, and stashes it until he consults with Linda.
He goes to Linda's address to find a different woman who claims - and proves - that she is Linda Carroll, specifically Linda Mae Carroll; aunt to other Linda. A gang of drug smugglers steal the car in order to retrieve the drugs, find them gone, and then abduct Rob and demand to know what happened to the drugs. A shootout results in Rob being arrested and brought to trial.
Review:
This is one of the few non-series titles by Erle Stanley Gardner, and a nice treat from the usual California settings. I was surprised by the number of story elements tossed in at the beginning, although a few of them are the requisite red herrings. For example, Frank and Marion Essex are prime characters right away, but then they are called home and never return to the story. Likewise, the two white capsule pills are a big deal at first, then they drop from the story but come back at the end with a brief innocent explanation.
It ends up with the usual courtroom scene, with a twist - our protagonist Rob Trenton discharges his public-defender attorney (in front of the jury - how embarassing) and conducts his own defense. If you enjoy Erle Stanley Gardner and are looking for something different in his works, this is a good choice. By the way, there is no cow in the story.
June 30, 2017
Well this is typical Gardner whodunit, with a bit of thriller action thrown around.
The pace is a bit slow though. Almost nothing significant happens during the first 40%of the book and then it picks up slowly. Although once Rob is arrested, things gets pretty fast. And when Dr Dixon explains the mystery of the bullets, one should be able to figure out the sequence of events. On the down side, the sequence of events is almost as you'd suspected all along. Nevertheless it's a fun and nJoyable read.
Most recommended!
The pace is a bit slow though. Almost nothing significant happens during the first 40%of the book and then it picks up slowly. Although once Rob is arrested, things gets pretty fast. And when Dr Dixon explains the mystery of the bullets, one should be able to figure out the sequence of events. On the down side, the sequence of events is almost as you'd suspected all along. Nevertheless it's a fun and nJoyable read.
Most recommended!
March 31, 2020
This wasn't bad, but different than what I'm used to while reading Gardner; it was more of the defendant's POV and story than legal stuff. But it was a nice change of pace to not have to read pages of dialog coming from a courtroom with a hundred more pages to go in the story.
Recommended 14+ for mild language, murder, smuggling, and maybe smoking (can't remember but almost all of Gardner's characters smoke at one point or another).
Recommended 14+ for mild language, murder, smuggling, and maybe smoking (can't remember but almost all of Gardner's characters smoke at one point or another).
April 16, 2022
It's so hard for me to recommend this book. The characters all feel vey uninspired and aren't particularly memorable. Some parts of the story gets resolved off screen, making it very uneventful.
The thing which was really, really good was the court scene. It was masterfully handled and was quite exciting.
Ending on the other hand was a limp dick. The book honestly feels like it's missing at least 100 pages. That's the only reason I'm giving this such a low score
The thing which was really, really good was the court scene. It was masterfully handled and was quite exciting.
Ending on the other hand was a limp dick. The book honestly feels like it's missing at least 100 pages. That's the only reason I'm giving this such a low score
July 21, 2025
A pretty good story, maybe some details could have been fleshed out a bit. It seems like Gardner wrote it to illustrate the importance of the abilities of the dedicatee mentioned in the book's foreword.
I knew going in that it was not a Perry Mason book; reviewers should not count off because the publisher either assumed it was and didn't care to find out for sure, or were dishonest.
My copy (first edition(?) hardback) says it was published in 1950, not 1960 as goodreads states above.
I knew going in that it was not a Perry Mason book; reviewers should not count off because the publisher either assumed it was and didn't care to find out for sure, or were dishonest.
My copy (first edition(?) hardback) says it was published in 1950, not 1960 as goodreads states above.
July 11, 2018
So, I began reading this book with the fact that it did not have Perry Mason and I was disappointed. But I read on and felt the genius of Erle Stanley Gardner especially in the second half of the book. But I'd've still wanted it to be a Perry Mason mystery.
April 23, 2020
One star for the title, one for the story... Zzzz...
July 16, 2020
Not a Perry Mason book, but enjoyable.
July 17, 2021
Ütlemata mõnus on lugeda Gardnerit, kus ei tegutse Perry Mason ning tegevus kulgeb palju enam väljaspool kohtusüsteemi.
Want to read
December 18, 20222 copies
August 10, 2018
Several reviewers were disappointed that this wasn't a Perry Mason mystery. I knew that from the blurbs I the edition I own. However, the cover picture and the "going on and on"about drugs in the blurbs put me off.
But I needed a book published in the year I was born for my library's summer reading program Bingo card. It just happened to be that date (never mind what that date is!)
And I loved the book. Yes, it was far-fetched - Earl Stanley Gardner seems to specialize in that! It was well-written and just what I needed to get away from everyday worries. Of course, having to finish it before I could sleep wasn't good!
But I needed a book published in the year I was born for my library's summer reading program Bingo card. It just happened to be that date (never mind what that date is!)
And I loved the book. Yes, it was far-fetched - Earl Stanley Gardner seems to specialize in that! It was well-written and just what I needed to get away from everyday worries. Of course, having to finish it before I could sleep wasn't good!
June 28, 2013
ESG continues to keep me engrossed - no matter how old I grow!
September 4, 2017
Perfect book to discover in a rented beach cottage!
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews