Can I just say how much this animal lover has enjoyed our year-long excursion through the Perry Mason Menagerie! Heck, any chance to hang out with Perry, Della, Paul, Lieutenant Tragg, and even D.A. Hamilton Burger are just the cure for what ails you in these troubling times. Are the Mason books formulaic? You bet they are … Continue reading “WHO’S AFRAID OF THE BIG BAD . . . ?” The Case of the Waylaid Wolf

Our penultimate visit to the Mason Menagerie also completes our extended stay in the Monkey House. Except here we’ll find no gorillas, grinning or otherwise; this time, the monkeys are purely metaphorical. However, if you are craving some real-life apes, then have I got a true story for you! It’s even a Thanksgiving tale, as … Continue reading MASON IN THE MONKEY HOUSE, PART II: The Case of the Mythical Monkeys

Della to Perry: “Well, you certainly took a button and sewed a vest on it!” On my journey through the Perry Mason Menagerie, I approached the Hall of Monkeys with some trepidation. Part of this had to do with a personal experience that I’ll share with you next month, but mostly it was all about timing. … Continue reading MASON MONKEY BUSINESS, PT. 1: The Case of the Grinning Gorilla

Over the past eight months, I’ve led you by the snout through the Perry Mason Menagerie to witness the hijinks of assorted household pets and various fowl (plus one foul but sleepy mosquito.) This time, we’re changing up the sub-genus - and this time it’s personal. I know you may scoff at first because The Case … Continue reading THE NIGHT THEY DROVE OLD DIXIE DOWN: The Case of the Moth-Eaten Mink

This is a work in progress dedicated to the reading of one of my favorite authors. To say that Gardner was prolific is beyond understatement. There are hundreds of writings that have nothing to do with his three biggest achievements: the Perry Mason series, the Cool and Lam series, and the D.A. series. (There is … Continue reading THE ERLE STANLEY GARDNER INDEX

If experience is any measure, the majority of Perry Mason mysteries begin one morning, afternoon, or evening in Mason’s law office with the arrival of an intriguing new client. Doesn’t sound very exciting, perhaps, but I get a thrill every time it happens. What bizarre situation is the ingenue secretary, eccentric old woman, blonde bombshell, … Continue reading THE NEIGHS HAVE IT: The Case of the Fan-Dancer’s Horse

“‘Suppose,’ Mason said, ‘I should give you a dose of poison, and you should die. That would be murder, wouldn’t it?’“Della laughed. ‘Sometimes when I’ve made mistakes I think it would be a justifiable homicide. But go on. What’s the idea?’“‘But suppose that before the poison had quite resulted in death, someone came along, whipped … Continue reading WHAT’S THE BUZZ? The Case of the Drowsy Mosquito

Can you blame me if, at the halfway point in our yearlong exploration of the Perry Mason Menagerie, I have decided to return to the Hall of Cats? I happen to have a pair of feline monsters of my own, which might be why I enjoyed the earlier adventure where a family caretaker was found … Continue reading DELLA IN THE LION’S DEN: The Case of the Careless Kitten

Back in January, I promised you a year-long journey through a bountiful bestiary beset with blonde bombshells and redolent red-heads, all connected to the creatures of the air, land, and sea, all created by Erle Stanley Gardner, and all of them starring that peerless legal eagle for the ages, Perry Mason. I promised you twelve … Continue reading THIS MASON MENAGERIE BONUS IS FOR THE BIRDS

In our year-long visit through the Perry Mason Menagerie, we have been wandering through the Hall of Birds for an awfully long time. Canaries in 1937! Parrots in 1939! Time moves along, it is now 1942, and we find ourselves still stuck in the avian section - only now the birds go “quack” and float … Continue reading QUACK, QUACK, GLUG, GLUG: The Case of the Drowning Duck