Sunday, September 10, 2017

The Case of the Fiery Fingers

The Case of the Fiery Fingers. Erle Stanley Gardner. 1951. 192 pages. [Source: Bought]

First sentence: Perry Mason had just returned to the office after a long day in court.

Premise/plot: Perry is far from impressed when Nellie Conway shows up at his office needing his legal advice. (She pays him a dollar.) She is a nurse--a night nurse--working for the Bain family. Mrs. Bain has been seriously injured in a car accident and is estranged from her husband. Nurse Nellie claims that Mr. Bain has offered to pay her money to give his wife "special medicine." Nellie is convinced that the medicine he's given her is really poison. Perry Mason wasn't her first choice; she went to the police first and was laughed out of the building. Mason, well, he's not taking Nurse Conway seriously either. But he does have one of the tablets tested to see what it is, if it is poison. Within days--if not hours--Nurse Conway finds herself in need of a lawyer for another reason altogether. She's been accused of theft by her employer, Mr. Bain. Will Mason represent her? He says yes, but more to annoy other people than to help her out. Mason soon regrets ever hearing the name of Bain....

My thoughts: This murder mystery is enjoyable. It involves TWO trials. Mason has two different clients.
Judge Peabody:
The vice of a leading question, of course, consists in having asked it.
Perry Mason:
A lawyer isn't paid to consider probabilities. He's paid to consider possibilities.
Perry Mason:
A good lawyer must always remember one thing. Never get mad unless someone pays him to do it.
Charlotte Moray:
He likes his pastures while they're green and while they're on the other side of the fence. Give him the key to the gate and it would mean nothing.
Lt. Tragg:
You know lots of things, Mason. Sometimes you amaze me when I find out what you do know, and then again there are times when I am afraid I never do find out what you know. So I have to try to keep you from finding out what I know.
Lt. Tragg:
Winners never explain. Losers always do.


© 2017 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

No comments: