Master of Mystery: Here are five must-read books by author Erle Stanley Gardner

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Mystery, murder, crime, and thriller - these are some of the most intriguing genres of books and movies. Fans of this genre relate different books and characters to each of these categories. While the books of Arthur Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie are popular among mystery seekers, Erle Stanley Gardner and his wonderful creation, the Perry Mason series, also enjoy a massive following.

Gardner's series has been adapted into movies and television shows including a 2020 HBO television series starring Welsh actor Matthew Rhys in the titular role. He was both a lawyer and author, and published under numerous pseudonyms including A.A. Fair, Kyle Corning, Charles M. Green, Carleton Kendrake, Charles J. Kenny, Les Tillray and Robert Parr. He is known to have written over 80 novels in the Perry Mason series and was one of the best-selling American authors of his time.

In a tribute piece for The New York Times, Albin Krebs wrote that some critics dismissed his novels as "mere entertainments" or "pap." However, Gardner was not bothered. "I write to make money, and I write to give the reader sheer fun," he reasoned. "People derive moral satisfaction from reading a story in which the innocent victim of fate triumphs over evil. They enjoy the stimulation of an exciting detective story."

On the occasion of his 132nd birth anniversary, we picked five of his must-read novels from the Perry Mason series to be enjoyed on a lazy Sunday afternoon or any time you need a dose of intrigue and thrill.

The Case of the Velvet Claws

Perry Mason series fans are aware that this is where it all started. For the uninitiated, it is the book in which the confident and cunning fictional lawyer Mason's journey started. In this title, we are also introduced to other recurring characters such as Mason's secretary Della Street and the detective Paul Drake. The story revolves around a woman who claims her husband is blackmailing her about her affairs. However, the husband in question is later murdered and the rest of the plot revolves around the gripping tale of what actually happened. Fun fact: there is no courtroom scene in this novel, which is a common fixture in the later books.

The Case of the Sulky Girl

Readers are introduced to intriguing courtroom scenes in this novel. Gardner sets up the plot in a way that indicates the obvious but at the end Mason manages to pull off a jaw-dropping climax. In this book, Mason takes up the case of rich heiress Frances Celene. Initially, she comes to consult Mason about the unusual conditions stated in her late father's will. Her father had given Frances' uncle Edward, a stubborn but honest man, the responsibility of managing the trust fund he had created for his daughter and had given him a strange degree of discretion. Soon, Edward is found dead. To know how the plot unfolds, pick up the book.

The Case of the Howling Dog

A howling dog and instructions about a will - it sounds boring for a dynamic lawyer like Mason. To give you some background, Mason is approached by a man named Cartwright who consults him for writing his will and then engages him to take legal action to stop his neighbour's howling dog. However, the neighbour claims that his dog is calm and that Cartwright is spying on them. Mason is further intrigued when Cartwright in his will mentions that he is leaving his money in the name of his neighbour's wife. What is the connection between the two men? Why is the neighbour's wife missing? These are questions of which the lawyer must find answers.

The Case of the Lucky Loser

"For fans of classic hard-boiled whodunits, this is a time machine back to an exuberant era of snappy patter, stakeouts, and double-crosses," the LA Times had mentioned in its review of this title. Here, what seemed like a simple request to visit a courtroom turns to be one of the most engaging and complex cases for Mason. It involves a family blessed with a hefty financial fortune, peppered with scandal, a case of accidental manslaughter that blows up into a murder case and a corpse that died twice.

The Case of the Mythical Monkeys

Gladys Doyle's relaxing and luxurious ski weekend, courtesy of her employer, takes a tense turn when she is forced to seek shelter with a stranger in a lonely mountain cabin due to a storm. The next day when she wakes up, there's a dead man in the room, the host has disappeared, and Gladys's fingerprints are all over the murder weapon. Mason as usual has to rise up to the occasion and find out the real story behind this strange situation. This book is a perfect balance of mystery, drama and smart quips.

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