This was Gardner's 27th Perry Mason novel and I don't think it was one of his best. I say this because Gardner, a judge, spends a lot of time doing cross-examination by Mason of a witness even before the trail. It's almost as if he was showing off. This cross-examination lasted for pages and just seem to go round and around, on and on, until I wanted to cry "For God's sake, please STOP!"
But of course, Mason pulls the real criminal out of his hat in the end, surprising everyone, including his own staff.
But of course, Mason pulls the real criminal out of his hat in the end, surprising everyone, including his own staff.
