The Case of the Velvet Claws
Erle Stanley Gardner
Erle Stanley Gardner
The Case of the Velvet Claws (1933) – This is the first Perry Mason mystery published in March, 1933. We meet Perry, Della Street and detective Paul Drake for the first time. District Attorney Hamilton Burger and Lieutenant Arthur Tragg do not appear in this story. There is no courtroom scene in the entire novel, which is prevalent in the later books. The plot revolves around a spoiled woman, who calls herself Eva Griffin. She comes to Mason claiming that she is being blackmailed by her powerful husband. She wants to keep the news of her affairs secret from him and seeks help from Mason. Meanwhile, she is accused of murder and, in turn, she puts the blame on Mason himself. But Perry avoids being double-crossed and fights to free her from the charges.Criminal lawyer and all-time #1 mystery author Erle Stanley Gardner wrote close to 150 novels that have sold 300 million copies worldwide. His most popular books starred the incomparable attorney-sleuth Perry Mason. And the first time the world heard the name Perry Mason was in 1933 with the publication of the novel that has become an enduring classic...The Case of the Velvet ClawsThanks to a bungled robbery at a fancy hotel, the already-married Eva Griffin has been caught in the company of a prominent congressman. To protect the politico, Eva's ready to pay the editor of a sleazy tabloid his hush money. But Perry Mason has other plans. He tracks down the phantom fat cat who secretly runs the blackmailing tabloid -- only to discover a shocking scoop.By the time Mason's comely client finally comes clean, her husband has taken a bullet in the heart. Now Perry Mason has two choices: represent the cunning widow in her wrangle for the dead man's money -- or take the rap for murder.
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The Case of the Lazy Lover
Erle Stanley Gardner
Erle Stanley Gardner
A runaway witness leads a lawyer into a whodunit: "The only dull pages in this book are the blank ones" (The New York Times). Defense lawyer Perry Mason is surprised to receive two checks from a stranger named Lola Allred. And when he speaks with Lola's husband, he discovers the woman has run off with her daughter's boyfriend—who happens to be an important witness in a lawsuit. Soon Mason's caught up in a complicated case involving not only a missing witness but forgery and murder as well . . . This mystery is part of Edgar Award–winning author Erle Stanley Gardner's classic, long-running Perry Mason series, which has sold three hundred million copies and serves as the inspiration for the HBO show starring Matthew Rhys and Tatiana Maslany.
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The Case of the Careless Cupid
Erle Stanley Gardner
Erle Stanley Gardner
The Case of the Careless Cupid (1968) – Mason defends a wealthy widow who is accused of murdering her husband.
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The Case of the Howling Dog
Erle Stanley Gardner
Erle Stanley Gardner
The Case of the Howling Dog (1934) – When a potential client wants to see Mason about a howling dog and a will, the attorney is disinterested. He does not enjoy drafting wills, and wonders if the man should not see a veterinarian. However, the man's next question, whether a will is legal if the person who made it had been executed for murder, immediately piques Mason's interest. He finds, in addition to the will and the dog, a man who had run away with the wife of another, and a sexy housekeeper.Arthur Cartright's official complaint about a neighbor's noisy dog leads Perry Mason and his associate into a case involving a poisoned police dog, a missing wife, and murder
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The Case of the Gilded Lily
Erle Stanley Gardner
Erle Stanley Gardner
A crime thriller starring the sleuthing lawyer portrayed in the HBO limited series—from the Edgar Award–winning "kingpin among the mystery writers" (The New York Times). Stewart Bedford is willing to cooperate with a blackmailer to protect his beloved wife. But when he wakes up in a daze to find the man shot dead with Bedford's gun and his blond escort missing, he'll need some help from defense lawyer Perry Mason . . . This mystery is part of Edgar Award–winning author Erle Stanley Gardner's classic, long-running Perry Mason series, which has sold three hundred million copies and serves as the inspiration for the HBO show starring Matthew Rhys and Tatiana Maslany.
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The Case of the Waylaid Wolf
Erle Stanley Gardner
Erle Stanley Gardner
The Case of the Waylaid Wolf (1960) – A woman defends herself from date rape by stealing his car. When her would-be rapist is found dead, Mason defends her on the murder charge and does some spectacular misdirection with the evidence.
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The Case of the Caretaker's Cat
Erle Stanley Gardner
Erle Stanley Gardner
The Case of the Caretaker's Cat (1935) – After his employer dies in a fire, a caretaker hires Mason to allow him to keep his cat against the wishes of the men who inherit. When the caretaker is killed, Mason defends the woman accused of his murder.A caretaker's missing cat becomes the clue to double dealings over the million-dollar estate of a deceased tycoon, bringing expert lawyer Perry Mason to the scene. Reissue.
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The Case of the Baited Hook
Erle Stanley Gardner
Erle Stanley Gardner
In one of Perry Mason's most memorable cases ever, the lawyer risks his freedom to prove the innocence of an unidentified client.The bait is half of a $10,000 bill, delivered to Perry Mason by a man who promises the second half of the note should his companion, a silent masked woman, ever require the lawyer's services. When a dead body is discovered soon after, Mason feels the hook—but how can one prove the innocence of a person whose identity is unknown? Suspecting that he's been set-up, but curious nonetheless, Perry sets out to solve the mystery from the ground up, beginning with the face behind the veil. The more he learns, the more complex his investigation becomes. Uncovering a convoluted case of stock fraud, divorce, and inheritance, Mason's nearly left reeling—that is until, with the help of Della Street and Paul Drake, he pulls off one of his most daring gambits ever to finally cast light on the killer.Filled with...
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