THE CASE OF THE VELVET CLAWS

I got my hands on some of perry mason novels in my former employers library and I picked this to start with, it’s the first one in the series and I read a series in order whenever I can. I tried a couple more and I’m hooked. I love these darn things! I’ve probably read about a third of the 80 books and plan to keep on going.

Criminal lawyer and all-time #1 mystery author Erle Stanley Gardner wrote close to 150 novels that have sold 300 million copies worldwide. His most popular books starred the incomparable attorney-sleuth Perry Mason. And the first time the world heard the name Perry Mason was in 1933 with the publication of the novel that has become an enduring classic...

The Case of the Velvet Claws

Thanks to a bungled robbery at a fancy hotel, the already-married Eva Griffin has been caught in the company of a prominent congressman. To protect the politico, Eva's ready to pay the editor of a sleazy tabloid his hush money. But Perry Mason has other plans. He tracks down the phantom fat cat who secretly runs the blackmailing tabloid - only to discover a shocking scoop.

By the time Mason's comely client finally comes clean, her husband has taken a bullet in the heart. Now Perry Mason has two choices: represent the cunning widow in her wrangle for the dead man's money - or take the rap for murder.

DOWNLOAD: THE CASE OF THE VELVET CLAWS

When Eva Griffin walks into Mason’s office and says she’s in a jam, she’s obviously not giving her real name nor telling the truth, but Mason takes the retainer.

He soon finds her real name is Eva Belter. She was at a night club with a politician when a shooting occurred, and she wants Mason to help her avoid a scandal. He tries to suppress the story in the scandal rag Spicy Bits but the client doesn’t have enough money for the payoff. Then a few nights later she calls Mason in the middle of the night, pleading with him to meet her in an all-night drugstore. When he gets there she tells him her husband has been killed and pleads for his help.

This is pure pulp, with a twist or two but nothing that special. Mason is a tough guy here, not polished as we see him in later books or the television program. At one point he decks a guy he’s been pushing for information. He’s insolent to the cops and demanding of Paul Drake.

Mason describes his view of his profession to Drake about ¾ through the book:

“The D.A represents the people, he makes the strongest case he can. It’s my duty to make the strongest kind of case I can on the other side. If the District Attorney would play fair, then I could be fair. But the District Attorney uses everything he can in order to get a conviction. I use everything I can in order to get an acquittal. It’s like two teams playing football. One of them tries to go in one direction just as hard as it can, and the other tries to go in the other direction just as hard as it can.”

One surprise to me was the lack of any courtroom scene in the book. As expected, this is a fun, fast read. Caution, reading this and other books in the series can be habit forming.