First sentence: Stewart G. Bedford entered his private office, hung up his hat, walked across to the huge walnut desk which had been a birthday present from his wife a year ago, and eased himself into the swivel chair.
Premise/plot: The first four chapters introduce us to the major players, and in addition gives us a glimpse of the crime scene. Perry Mason enters into the novel in chapter five--after the crime has been committed but before the police have been called.
The basics: Stewart G. Bedford is a happily married man. His wife, Ann Roann, is twenty years younger than him, and incredibly beautiful and a real charmer. His secretary, Elsa Griffin, considers herself an amateur detective. She reads true crime magazines a bit obsessively. So when a man, Binney Denham, comes to Bedford's business to blackmail him, his secretary is FULL of ideas on how to stop him. Her response frightens him a bit. But the problem of blackmail remains. How does a sane, reasonable man respond to the threat of blackmail when he loves his wife and would do anything to protect her from being hurt?
My thoughts: I love reading Perry Mason almost as much as I love watching Perry Mason. It is impossible for me to read Perry Mason and not hear Raymond Burr. That's not a bad thing. If anything it makes for a fun reading experience. I definitely recommend the series, and this one is a nice addition to it.
© 2017 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews
No comments:
Post a Comment