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Title: The Case of the Golddigger's Purse

Subtitle: Perry Mason Series, Book 26

Author: Erle Stanley Gardner

Narrator: Alexander Cendese

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 29 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-05-16

Publisher: Brilliance Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 7 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Classic Detective

Publisher's Summary:

In order to help her seriously ill boyfriend, gorgeous Sally Madison sets out to separate wealthy Harrington Faulkner from some of his money by offering him a cure for his ailing exotic fish, but her plan goes awry when the fish mysteriously vanish and Faulkner turns up dead.

"You want to consult me about a goldfish?"

Perry Mason couldn't believe his ears. Prospective clients had come to see him about many things but never a matter as seemingly silly as this. He didn't even have time to tell Harrington Faulkner that he wouldn't take the case before a process server slapped on a summons and complaint for $100,000.

During the evening, a golddigger got Faulkner to write a check for $5,000. Before two days had passed there was a murder. And both Perry Mason and Della Street were in danger of being convicted as accessories.

Members Reviews:

A Fish Tail (Tale)

Before I start the review, if you are preparing to read the book, be aware that there are a lot of mistakes made transcribing this from print to kindle. In some sentences Paul (Drake) appears as Paid. Double "l" and "il" are transcribed as "d" (ex: all is ad, mail is mad, call is cad, tail is tad, etc.). Now, in this story Perry is asked to represent a wealthy goldfish fancier, Harrington Faulkner, who has attempted to raise a rare form of the fish and is trying to purchase a cure for a fish disease that is threatening his specimens. On top of that he keeps the fish at his place of business and his business partner is attempting to make these valuable fish part of the assets of the business. Mason wants no part of this situation and turns him down flat. Then Faulkner is murdered and young Sally Madison, who was with Faulkner when Perry met him, is accused of the murder. Then Perry basically volunteers to represent her, but can he trust her? Her lies have backed her into a corner and even Perry can't be sure when she is honest and when she is not.

Nice surprise

I stated elsewhere that I had read nearly all of the Perry Mason stories. I started reading this recently, and realized that I had never read this story before, so it was very enjoyable to have a "new" (to me) story.

It's a pretty standard Perry Mason story; thoroughly enjoyable if you like the other stories.

What stands out about this is the character reversal in the story - at the beginning, Perry Mason makes some assumptions about the characters that are later found to be utterly wrong. Usually, Perry Mason is a pretty shrewd judge of character.

Disappointed.

I am a great fan of Perry Mason books and have read them all, but this is not one of ESG's best.

Must have been hard up for a story idea when he wrote it.

Love Perry Mason Golddigger' s purse.

I. Fully enjoyed reading this Perry Mason book. There were so many twists and turns, you thought that you knew who the killer was. Then as you neared the end of the book you find out that you were completely wrong. You had the wrong person or persons. If you love a great mystery, this an outstanding book.

Goldfish is as good as anything else of value

Not bad - three love triangles (four if to include Perry and Della) - but too many typos: mad (mail) cad (call) etc

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Title: McLevy: The Collected Editions: Series 11 & 12

Subtitle: BBC Radio 4 Full-Cast Dramas

Author: David Ashton

Narrator: Brian Cox, Siobhan Redmond

Format: Original Recording

Length: 6 hrs and 48 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-01-16

Publisher: BBC Worldwide Ltd.

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 28 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Classic Detective

Publisher's Summary:

Nine episodes of the BBC Radio 4 detective series set in Victorian Edinburgh, starring Brian Cox as Inspector McLevy.

In this collection all eight episodes of series 11 and 12 are joined by 'Meet James McLevy', a remake of the original pilot episode. Inspired by the real-life memoirs of one of Scotland's first policemen, the fictional James McLevy prowls the dark streets of 1860s Edinburgh bringing criminals to justice, with the assistance of Constable Mulholland.

Duration: 7 hours approx.

Members Reviews:

Im sorry this is the last of the series.

Great entertainment. I developed a great affinity for the characters and their relational growth over the course of the series- Ive enjoyed these dramatizations so much Ive purchased some of the audiobooks. Whether they are as good wont diminish my pleasure of theses radio dramas-

Noooo! There must be more!

I have listened to this entire series in about 3 days and a bereft to find myself at the end. Sterling performances, wonderful stories, completely engaging.

So Sad to React the End

I've listened to every story in every series several times, and came to this last set with immense sadness. I might have envisioned a different denouement, but in keeping with the darker nature of the stories, the conclusion satisfies. I hope others discover this treasury of incredible radio drama.

10 out of 10

I cannot rate this series enough its what audible is made for a fantastic vision of old Edinburgh with gritty characters you will fall in love with

WONDERFUL FANTASTIC I LOVE McLEVY

I love McLevy ! These are fantastic well produced wonderfully acted shows based on the true accounts of the real Scottish Victorian Inspector McLevy and I never get tired of listening to them. I own the full 12 Series and NEED MORE PLEASE! But having spoken with the writer (McLevys boss) also played by the writer David Ashton; he tells me the BBC have no intentions of producing any more. This is very sad WE LOVE McLEVY !

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Title: The Case of the Haunted Husband

Subtitle: Perry Mason Series, Book 18

Author: Erle Stanley Gardner

Narrator: Alexander Cendese

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 19 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-15-16

Publisher: Brilliance Audio

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 7 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Classic Detective

Publisher's Summary:

Aspiring actress Stephane Olger just wants to be in pictures. But she may end up in mug shots instead when she gets herself caught up in a crime. Shortly after quitting her job and moving to Hollywood, she is picked up by a well-dressed man while hitchhiking. The man loses control of the car and they end up in a horrible accident. Both Stephane and the driver escape unscathed but the strange man flees the scene leaving Stephane to face a charge of manslaughter.

Stephane's rich uncle hires Perry Mason to defend her and he and the private detective Paul Drake immediately start gathering evidence. It turns out that the car, of course, was stolen, and belongs to a Hollywood producer who has been in contact with the mystery man who is from San Francisco. A woman has been promised a job by him, but is given one by Perry Mason instead. She, too, disappears, and in another room of the hotel her luggage is found with a man who has been shot. In the courtroom Perry Mason discovers many other facts, but in the meantime the film producer's chauffeur is murdered, making his task much harder.

It's up to Perry Mason to find the truth behind a suspicious scenario starring a menacing movie mogul, a hoodwinked housewife, and a man no one has ever seen - alive!

Members Reviews:

One of the more memorable ones

I enjoyed this as a TV show and now I can say I enjoyed the novel on which the teleplay was based.I do think this is one case where the TV writers actually improved upon the original "gotcha" ending, though. I can still hear Mason, in that final scene, saying to Lt. Tragg, "Do you think I'm stupid, lieutenant?" and Tragg responding about him being underhanded, unscrupulous, conniving...but not stupid. It was the perfect lead-in to the gotcha moment. Not that I didn't enjoy the way the book handled it, though.

Shall we? Let us not!

I've been picking up the Perry Mason Kindle editions as I find them on sale and have enjoyed most of them. This one almost drove me insane. As a mystery, it's fine. A bit convoluted and not always very believable, but basically sound. Perry is sharp, daring, and all the other things we've come to expect. Della is charming. Paul Drake is dogged and loyal. Lt. Tragg is a great addition to the cast of characters. Gardner showed real style in creating a foil for Mason who's neither corrupt nor a buffoon.

So what's my beef? Everyone keeps saying "I shall" and "you shall" and "we shall." And if they're not talking about what "shall" happen, they're saying "let us." NOT "let's." "Let us." When have you ever heard Americans saying "shall" and "let us" outside of church? (Or a lawyer's office, maybe.)

It sounds British (or someone's idea of British.) One character announces that his brother is "frightfully absent-minded." When Perry is arguing ethics with Tragg, he points out that "Criminals don't play cricket." A commonplace observation for an Englishmen, but not for an American. And the kicker is when Perry uses as an example a guy selling liquor illegally and past "regular closing hours." During Prohibition, it was illegal to sell liquor at all in the U.S.

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Title: The Case of the Cautious Coquette

Subtitle: Perry Mason Series, Book 34

Author: Erle Stanley Gardner

Narrator: Alexander Cendese

Format: Unabridged

Length: 5 hrs and 45 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-15-16

Publisher: Brilliance Audio

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 4 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Classic Detective

Publisher's Summary:

When Perry Mason and Paul Drake ran the ad, all they were hoping for was a clue to the identity of a hit-and-run driver. The first reply looked suspicious. It said that the license number of the wanted car was written down in the notebook of a woman who could be out of her apartment from two to five on a certain afternoon, and a key to the apartment was enclosed.

"Could this letter," Mason asked Della Street, "have been written by the woman herself? I want to get the feminine angle." Della laughed. "There aren't any feminine angles - they're all curved." Fast curves.

From the very first time Perry met the voluptuous blonde, Lucille Barton, she pitched him trouble. She lied about her past, about her many marriages, about her gun, and about her boyfriends. Then the murders began. And the cops turned up with evidence which pointed clearly to one person as the killer - Perry Mason!

Members Reviews:

Nice, solid, fairly early Perry Mason!

I just love Perry Mason and this is a pretty good one from close to the beginning of the series..

Gardner was still forming the Mason character and all the other supporting ones as well. The story has quite a few twists and turns but then the good Perry Mason ones always do. Characters are little too one dimensional but then Mason stories are always like that to some degree.

I would rate this a 8.5 to 9.0 out of 10. One last comment - I think it's a little sad that the publisher felt it was needed to point out this book was written in a different era and that there might be some verbiage that might offend readers.

One of the best Perry Mason novels

I've always been a big fan of Erle Stanley Gardner. When I discovered in the early 1980s that his books were widely available in used book stores, I started reading them voraciously and I've never really stopped. Gardner's books are a bargain on Kindle and most are included in the Kindle Unlimited program. If I join, that will be a big reason why. I find the Perry Mason books extremely well-written, but some fans of modern police procedurals may find him old-fashioned. There is no explicit sexual content here, but Gardner inhabits a patriarchal society that we have largely left behind. If you like the television show Perry Mason, the old black-and-white ones, which premiered in the fall of 1958, then you'll like the novels on which the TV show was based. The first and second seasons of the television series rely pretty heavily on Gardner's published novels, so if you're looking for the "film" version of one of the books, check out those early years of Raymond Burr on TV.

A real page turner that will keep you glued to your seat!

I cannot wait to read the next book in the Indian sub-continent! The surprises keep coming, while the challenges get bigger and bigger! This book is thought provoking, insightful and fast paced! I love this book!

Perry puts himself in a trap and extricates himself though a "narrow opening"

Very interesting and exciting whodunit that doesn't reveal the killer until the end, and then requires extensive explanation. You will also be treated to Perry's distaste for insurance adjusters as he figures a way to get two different parties to pay up for a single accident.

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Title: The Case of the Empty Tin

Subtitle: Perry Mason Series, Book 19

Author: Erle Stanley Gardner

Narrator: Alexander Cendese

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 47 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-15-16

Publisher: Brilliance Audio

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 12 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Classic Detective

Publisher's Summary:

A spanking-new tin can, secretly placed among the rows of Mrs. Florence Gentrie's preserves, contains not a speck of food - but it does carry one very damning clue to a murder that took place right next door. Such an unsavory discovery in such an unlikely place can't help but pique the curiosity of a dedicated mystery hunter like Perry Mason.

But the real mystery about this murder is who - and where - is the victim? Upstairs neighbor Elston A. Karr heard the telltale sounds of foul play, but his foul temperament (and his own dark secrets) make him most uncooperative. It takes a second murder to clear up the mystery of the missing body - and to make Perry Mason the next prime candidate to disappear....

Members Reviews:

Great Performance

Alexander Cendese is great. The story will definitely keep you awake. Erle Stanley Gardner is a master at creating dramatic dialog. He is underappreciated these days as a dramatist.

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Title: The Case of the Caretaker's Cat

Subtitle: Perry Mason Series, Book 7

Author: Erle Stanley Gardner

Narrator: Alexander Cendese

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 15 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-05-16

Publisher: Brilliance Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 18 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Classic Detective

Publisher's Summary:

When the cat's away the murderer will play....

In his will, Peter Laxter guaranteed his faithful caretaker a job and a place to live...for life. But Laxter's grandson Sam says the deal doesn't include the caretaker's cat - and he wants the feline off the premises by hook, crook...or poison. When Perry Mason takes the case, he quickly finds there's much more at stake than an old man's cat - a million dollars or more to be exact....

Members Reviews:

received in a timely fashion and in good condition - cover was different but is the complete ...

received in a timely fashion and in good condition - cover was different but is the complete story written in 1935

Excellent book!

My mom liked it!

Five Stars

IT'S GREAT

Good

Good story. Lots to try and keep straight. I guessed part of the ending though. The clues were there. I recommend

Get your Perry, Della & Paul "fix" : )

The only problem: the cat on the cover is a Siamese and the cat in the story is a Persian! Other than that, I love ESG xoxoxoxo

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Title: The Case of the Shoplifter's Shoe

Subtitle: Perry Mason Series, Book 13

Author: Erle Stanley Gardner

Narrator: Alexander Cendese

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 55 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-05-16

Publisher: Brilliance Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 13 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Classic Detective

Publisher's Summary:

After her well-to-do Aunt Sarah is caught shoplifting, Virginia Trent is convinced she needs to seek psychiatric help for kleptomania. So why does Virginia turn to legal eagle Perry Mason? Because a cache of valuable diamonds - left in Sarah's care - has suddenly vanished into thin air.

Virginia thinks Sarah swiped the stones, but gem dealer Austin Cullens begs to differ. In fact, he's prepared to forgive and forget - until he is mysteriously murdered and Sarah is caught running from the crime scene. Now it appears the lady with the sticky fingers may have blood on her hands.

Members Reviews:

Good story, lousy narration

Good case, lousy title (the shoe doesn't enter into it much). Lots of courtroom yelling, which is fun. Poor judge! The case is normal Gardner (i.e. very complicated). Audio: horrible narration by Alexander Cendese. Yes, there are loads of characters, and he has different voices for each. Good. But most of them sound like cartoon characters. One came across as a parody of Marlon Brando's the Godfather. And why in the name of the gods does he make Della Street sound like a spastic chipmunk on helium?

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Title: The Case of the Howling Dog

Subtitle: Perry Mason Series, Book 4

Author: Erle Stanley Gardner

Narrator: Alexander Cendese

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 17 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-05-16

Publisher: Brilliance Audio

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 15 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Classic Detective

Publisher's Summary:

Compared to a juicy murder trial, a case of feuding neighbors isn't exactly Perry Mason's cup of tea. But Arthur Cartright insists that Mason is the only one who can muzzle the howling hound that's driving Cartright crazy. But Perry doesn't realize just how crazy until he meets his client's neighbor. Clinton Foley says Cartright is barking up the wrong tree with his canine companion - and swears that the man is dangerously insane to boot.

Mason's not the type to cop out on a client - but when Cartright draws up a will that leaves everything to his neighbor's wife, even Perry has to wonder if the man has slipped from anger into madness. That's why he pays a personal visit to Clinton Foley's house, where he finds one missing wife, one poisoned dog, and one corpse....

Members Reviews:

Great Perry Mason Mystery

These early Earl Stanley Gardner Perry Mason novels are extraordinary. There are some legal and cultural anachronisms but if you allow for the early 20th Century writing and setting during Prohibition America, the legal and cultural issues are understandable. Some nomenclature used is offensive by 21st century standards but were common during the period. I will never want this book nor any others modified for current political correctness. Such people who desire to revisions Huckleberry Finn or ban To Kill A Mockingbird have minds of low caliber that do not wish to remember history. This is a well written mystery and a historical document.

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Title: The Case of the Dangerous Dowager

Subtitle: Perry Mason Series, Book 10

Author: Erle Stanley Gardner

Narrator: Alexander Cendese

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 4 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-05-16

Publisher: Brilliance Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 10 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Classic Detective

Publisher's Summary:

When Matilda Benson solicits the help of Perry Mason, her request seems simple enough: cruise to a gambling ship moored just beyond the twelve-mile limit and buy back the IOUs signed by Miss Benson's niece. But after Mason reaches the floating casino, he discovers problems aplenty - most notably the ship's owner with a bullet hole through his head. Strangely enough, Matilda and her niece are also on board that night...when someone tosses a gun over the railing. Does Perry Mason's client have something to hide?

Members Reviews:

If you love Gardner, you have to read the Dangerous Dowager

As usual, the books are always much more interesting and provide more suspense and questions than the TV movies. Not that I don't love the TV series of the first few seasons. This novel is no different. And though this novel was the basis of one of the series shows, it is quite different with the exception of the general characters and related environment of gambling casinos.

While the plot advances in a somewhat convoluted fashion, that only adds to the questions of 'who dunnit.' One notable trait of Gardner and his books, he successfully puts the reader in the setting as an observer. You find yourself experiencing the uncomfortable, if not miserable, night time boat trips to and from the gambling ship.

I don't do book reports in my reviews. That's why you read the book. You find yourself in the scenes and interpret and visualize your own experience. Why would you want to hear me tell it?

While I believe that the Cool & Lam novels are by far the greatest works Erle Stanley Gardner created, I love the Perry Mason novels. In some of the PM novels you'll note irritating contradictions, but most are great reading and all are worth reading. The Dangerous Dowager is no exception.

I've read most of Gardner's books, and probably all of those I've read, two or three times.

Mason Digging a Hole and Climbing Out

The writing is always good and surprisingly not dated. Perry Mason takes off on an attempt to help a client maintain custody of a child against a devious husband whose interest is mostly in getting control of a trust fund. Good clean story with a twist at the end.

Good as usual.

ESG usually has one main clue in a book. That clue is presented fairly to the reader, but is presented with the rush of action contained in all his books. The reader is usually so caught up in the action they overlook it. That is true with this book as well, however the confession at the end does help the case as Mason saw it, otherwise the reader would have been left with the idea of a cover up. The title character beautifully drawn.

The case of the dangerous gamblers.

I fully enjoyed this book. It kept me guessing as to who did or commented the killing of the gambler and black mailer.

Three Stars

Typical Perry Mason - typical detective story of its generation.

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Title: Death on the Riviera

Author: John Bude

Narrator: Gordon Griffin

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 23 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-01-16

Publisher: Soundings

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 19 votes

Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Classic Detective

Publisher's Summary:

When a counterfeit currency racket comes to light on the French Riviera, Detective Inspector Meredith is sent speeding southwards out of the London murk to the warmth and glitter of the Mediterranean. Along with Inspector Blampignon, an amiable policeman from Nice, Meredith must trace the whereabouts of Chalky Cobbett, crook and forger.

Soon their interest centres on the Villa Paloma, the residence of Nesta Hedderwick, an eccentric Englishwoman, and her bohemian house guests, among them her niece, an artist, and a playboy. Before long, it becomes evident that more than one of the occupants of the Villa Paloma has something to hide, and the stage is set for murder.

Members Reviews:

Tricky designs on the beach cause flurry

Please see my comment on "Cheltenham Square Murder," as it generally applies to this book too.

Four Stars

Good page turner. It definitely kept my interest.

Five Stars

Excellently written mystery!

Not Bude's Best But Still a Lot of Fun

I love these British Golden Age mysteries, back when the world seemed a little more charming and a little less chaotic, and 'tecs with energy and a little imagination could do what it takes a whole lot of DNA testing to accomplish now. Sure the cliches are rampant, but that's because their popularity caused them to be emulated and enduring. This book about a louche proto-artists' colony in the sunshine is not Bude's best, but it's still a great deal of fun, if you can get past the occasionally patronizing and simplistic views of the British on holiday.

Counterfeiting gone deadly

"Death on the Riviera" was originally published in 1952 by Macdonald, UK. It has been reissued by Poisoned Pen Press in collaboration with the British library as a "British Library Crime Classic".

For this tale Mr. Bude brings back Inspector Meredith of the C.I.D. who had been introduced in an earlier book. Inspector Meredith and his assistant are sent to the Riviera to help the French investigate a counterfeiting scheme that is passing bad GBPound notes along the French coast. A second story line involves jealousy and murder amongst the expats living in the area. The two plots intertwine around the question of whether the murderers and victims are part of the counterfeiting gang.

"Death on the Riviera" is rather fun but offers some challenges to readers. The dialogue is not of a modern style at all. Some of the slang is not only out of date but in several instances I got the feeling that perhaps the UK and US uses were different. Overall the writing seems breezy and offhand for a detective story. For instance, in the middle of a suspense-filled discussion that has begun to unravel the central mystery, the detectives take a 10 minute break to have an aperitif.

Readers not from the UK may not know that for quite a while after the war, British tourists were subject to Exchange Controls and not allowed to take much money out of the country. At the time this story is set, the limit was only Â50, which, while admittedly was worth a lot more then, still did not go far on the Riviera. The funny money boys counted on doing business with cash-strapped tourists.

Inspector Meredith's command of French seems to get suddenly stronger when needed.