Original price: $0.35 ( )

Back before personal computers and search engines, there were gumshoe detectives and the lawyers who hired them. In this novel, written in 1957, Perry Mason must rely on his instincts, his private eye, and legwork. And his faithful personal assistant (although she probably wasn’t called that), Della Street. Stephanie Faulkner comes to Mason for some advice, knowing he is on retainer by someone who is a fellow stockholder in a shared company. Thus begins a somewhat convoluted case involving this young woman, a father and son, a couple of secretaries, the mob, and murder. Mason is not above muddying the waters, and neither is Della. While you are reading this tale, try to keep track of the guns, which are shuffled around slicker than the carny’s cup game at the fair. A quick read with engaging characters and intrigue, this mystery will keep you turning the pages to the very end. ( )

An entertaining story of three guns and one murder, with the guns being swapped about - or thought to be swapped about - and a bit of romance thrown in. ( )

I know these are formulaic and I have trouble remembering which ones I have read ( on one occasion I read the whole book and it was only when I came to write a short review and put a tick against the "read" list that I realised that I had already read it

The titles ( and the cover "art" on many of the editions ) bear no relation to the stories themselves ! There were no models in this book , save for one character who was depicted more as a wanna be actress rather than a model.

I will keep reading the Perry Mason canon nevertheless

BigShip

14/December/2013 ( )

The plot used ballistics, but was so convoluted that it was hard to follow the bouncing guns sometimes. ( )