I loved the Perry Mason TV show growing up but haven't read the books. The writing is okay but not as good as that of many mystery authors of this period. One example is the repetition of Mason's full name - it just wasn't necessary, we know who the character is!

That flaw was compensated for by the ingenuity of the plot, both of the legal strategy and the murder.

( )

There are all kinds of Perry Mason novels out there. The erstwhile ESG is after all famous for his prolific writing. But sans Tragg and Hamilton Burger, this book has that verve, the spirit of Mason distilled into one wonderful, twisting novel, with Mason doing his forethought and drama that blows the mind, while ESG spins a tale that just goes on and on.

I know, I can't stop waxing about this one. When I make recommendations to the Mason virgins out there, THIS is the work I will point to! ( )

I was not expecting the ambiguity of the ending! Loved it. The blatant racism is hard to read, but true to the time, and a good reminder of the norms we came from. ( )

"We're a dramatic people," Perry Mason said slowly. "We're not like the English. The English want dignity and order. We want the dramatic and the spectacular. It's a national craving. We're geared to a rapid rate of thought. We want to have things move in a spectacular manner." ( )

Perry Mason is starting to get a reputation for his courtroom behavior so when a new client called Arthur Cartright shows up complaining about a howling dog and asking advice about a will, he is a bit surprised. But he is also intrigued - so he decides to check the case. Complications show up almost immediately - noone else seems to have heard the howling, a will shows up that contradicts what the client had asked about and the client cannot be found by anyone. Add a new building, a Chinese cook who is shipped home, two marriages that seem to be more complicated than they should. And all that before bodies started to drop. And Mason ended with more than one customer.

Paul Drake and Della Street are getting more defined (although Drake seems to be a bit too cocky although Mason is even worse) and the easy camaraderie between them is adding a lot more enjoyment in the story.

I was surprised that Perry did not see where the bodies were earlier but then he did not grow up watching CSI and Law and Order. It was a bit predictable because it is a classic way to handle the story but considering when this one was written, it probably was a lot more surprising. And the end was perfect - it was a lot more a crime story than a courtroom drama and it is stronger for it.

And unlike the usual cases when Perry needs to scramble for a way out of a problem, in this case he has so many proofs and ways to prove his case that he does not even to disclose all of them. It was an interesting twist.

Another enjoyable entry in the series (although you need to ignore the racism and outdated views in places). And I seem to enjoy these old stories a lot more than I expected. ( )