Thomas F. (hardtack) - , reviewed on 11/25/2021 + 2569 more book reviews

Written in 1933 this was the first of Gardner's "Perry Mason" novels, and it shows it. The Perry Mason you meet in this book wasn't the one you saw on TV or read about in the later books of the series. This Perry Mason is a blowhard, seemingly without ethical standards, not very likeable.

Many mystery readers dislike how the protagonist tricks the murderer to confess to the crime. Well, that happens here too, and the confession literally goes on for pages as the character discusses every part of the deception from page one. But surprisingly that's not the end of the novel.

In this novel, Della Street is more of a weepy secretary with mood swings than she was in later books or on TV. In fact, none of the women in this book would be admired by Feminists today. And Drake, the investigator Mason always hires, finds out stuff too easily, even while he complains about what Mason asks him to do. And everyone else seems open to bribes, except Mason, Street and Drake. Is anyone in town honest?

Even worse, I'm surprised Mason lived long enough to appear in books in the 1970s. Gardner has him smoking so heavily in this first book, Mason would surely have died from lung cancer long before book #85.

Fortunately, you don't have to read this series in chronological order. I don't know if I could get through the first few books waiting for Gardner to get into his stride. I've enjoyed his later Perry Mason books, and have more on my TBR list. But now I can boast I've read the very first Perry Mason book. Just like I boast I've read Harlequin Romance #1 too.

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