“‘Well,’ Mason said, ‘now that the parrot’s dead, we might as well . . .’ “‘But the parrot isn’t dead,’ Drake interrupted. ‘You have the parrot. I suppose that the parrot is a witness to something or other – probably the murder – but damned if I see how he could have been. Tell me, … Continue reading I KNOW WHY THIS CAGED BIRD SINGS: The Case of the Perjured Parrot
Erle Stanley Gardner
WHO TAW THE PUTTY TAT?!? The Case of the Lame Canary
(This year, my Perry Mason reviews have been appearing on the 17th of each month, but as I’m leaving tomorrow for a week-long road trip and Christie reunion – more about that upon my return – I thought I’d slip in this month’s Mason a few days early. I hope that works for you. Our regular … Continue reading WHO TAW THE PUTTY TAT?!? The Case of the Lame Canary
A PERRY MASON MENAGERIE: Cinematic Addendum
One of the perks of being a fan of Erle Stanley Gardner’s defense attorney-hero Perry Mason is that nearly all of the books have been adapted for television. Among the 271 episodes of Perry Mason that aired between 1957 and 1966, one can find the titles of most of the eighty-two novels and four novellas that featured the world’s … Continue reading A PERRY MASON MENAGERIE: Cinematic Addendum
NEW CASE GIVES MASON PAWS: The Case of the Caretaker’s Cat
“’I’ve got a cat for a client,’ Mason said grimly. “’Can a cat contest a will?’ Mason’s face showed the determination of a born fighter. ‘Damned if I know,’ he said.” Our next stop in the Mason Menagerie is Perry’s seventh adventure and also perhaps the most consequential and emotionally satisfying of his career (okay, … Continue reading NEW CASE GIVES MASON PAWS: The Case of the Caretaker’s Cat
THE OL’ SCRATCH AND BITE: The Case of the Velvet Claws
“'Every time you come here, you lie to me. You’re one of those baby-faced little liars that always gets by by deceit. Just because you’re beautiful, you’ve managed to get by with it. You’ve deceived every man that ever loved you, every man you’ve ever loved. Now you’re in trouble, and you’re deceiving me.' "She … Continue reading THE OL’ SCRATCH AND BITE: The Case of the Velvet Claws
PERRY AND DELLA AND PAUL, OH MY! A Perry Mason Menagerie for 2025
If, like me, you’re a fan of Perry Mason, the brilliant defense attorney/sleuth created by Erle Stanley Gardner, you are in luck! Gardner was one of the most prolific mystery authors of all time, and I intend to celebrate that for as long as my mind and spirit can keep this ol’ blog a’runnin’! He … Continue reading PERRY AND DELLA AND PAUL, OH MY! A Perry Mason Menagerie for 2025
EVE OF POSSIBILITIES: Looking Back on ’24 and Forward to ’25
It’s New Year’s Eve, the final day of a most, er, dramatic year, and this is my 79th and final post of 2024. It's also the time when some of my fellow bloggers review their accomplishments, perhaps name a “Book of the Year,” and make prognostications about what’s coming up in 2025 that are hopefully vague … Continue reading EVE OF POSSIBILITIES: Looking Back on ’24 and Forward to ’25
“I’ve got a little list . . . ” Part II: Ten Favorite Mysteries of the 1930’s
Back in May, my buddies Sergio and Nick and I pooled our heads together and came up with our own three lists of the best mysteries from the Golden Age of Detection. Our method of selection was very structured: we came up with thirteen general categories (i.e., “Best wartime” “best locked room” and “best twist ending”) and … Continue reading “I’ve got a little list . . . ” Part II: Ten Favorite Mysteries of the 1930’s
BAD SPLIT: The Case of the Daring Divorcee
It’s always sad when a marriage ends in divorce. And it makes me feel no better when the series of marital titles I’ve been covering in the Perry Mason series ends as ignominiously as The Case of the Daring Divorcee. It’s 1964: Erle Stanley Gardner is 75 years old and has more than seventy Mason mysteries, … Continue reading BAD SPLIT: The Case of the Daring Divorcee
SHARING IS CARING: The Case of the Bigamous Spouse
For the past six months, we’ve been looking at Perry Mason mysteries, specifically those with a title that conjures up matrimony – both its pros and cons. One of the highlights for me has been how the seven titles in this mini-series are spread throughout author Erle Stanley Gardner’s career. And now we have hit … Continue reading SHARING IS CARING: The Case of the Bigamous Spouse
Ah Sweet Mystery! 