Expect the unexpected. Review on Case of the Lucky Loser - Erle Stanley Gardner

Perry Mason, one of my all time favourites, has never failed to fascinate me.

Before I proceed with my review on “The case of the Lucky Loser”; introducing the prime characters of the novel

Perry Mason

The Sensible and truthful lawyer who prefers to stick to the truth and would not mind pleading guilty if his client was guilty

Della Street

The smart secretary who knows her boss’s mood swings

Paul Drake

The daring and efficient detective who gives Mason a helping hand in gathering valuable clues that lead to the truth.

It’s different. No action, no mushy love stories and certainly no melodrama; plain facts furnished in the most fabulous manner and presented in splendid style.

The case of the Lucky Loser

The case begins with a call from an anonymous lady who desperately wants Mason to listen to the proceedings of a case and give her his conclusions. Initially Mason refuses to oblige but his curiosity being aroused he consents to do it. Result …The defendant Ted Balfour is accused of a hit and run accident and Mason’s gut feeling is that the witness is lying. Fortunately for the defendant, his rich uncle Balfour decides to hire Mason to bail him out of the tight corner.

Mason embarks on a search for the truth and saves the defendant from the hands of treacherous relatives keen on his uncle’s money; not to mention the electric chair.

First they find the Eagan runover on the road, then they find that Eagan has been dead for two years…

Finally Mason finds the culprit and also the identity of the deceased who has been smashed beyond recognition.

When all the clues seem to settle in their respective places and the story takes shape the twist in the tale and the unexpected climax makes it more interesting.The element of surprise and mystery is forever present in Gardner's novels.

If you are the kind who loves witty dialogues and smart snippets; time you read one of Gardner’s Perry Mason series and relished the good humour, the information, the excitement and the entertainment it has to offer.

The courtroom scenes are the best where the lawyers match wits and the court sustains and overrules their objections and where the witnesses are mercilessly counter questioned so as to gain the jury’s confidence They are the most interesting and if you have an eye for information here is where you could collect a lot of those.

Now for some info on the mastermind who created the character Perry Mason

Erle Stanley Gardner worked as a professional attorney for twenty-two years. He was an ardent sportsman, an enthusiastic wildlife photographer, and a constant traveler, who spoke fluent Chinese.

''Murder is not perpetrated in a vacuum. It is a product of greed, avarice, hate, revenge, or perhaps fear. As a splashing stone sends ripples to the farthest edges of the pond, murder affects the lives of many people.'' (from The Case of the Horrified Heirs, 1964)

A Peep into Gardner’s Style

Gardner's first Perry Mason stories were THE CASE OF THE VELVET CLAWS (1933) and THE CASE OF THE SULKY GIRL (1933) - the latter H.R.F. Keating included among the 100 best crime and mystery books ever published (Crime & Mystery: the 100 best books, 1987). ''The character I am trying to create for him is that of a fighter who is possessed of infinite patience,'' he explained to his publisher. Readers were enthusiastic and he gave up law and wrote eighty more Masons. Keating notes that Gardner was no stylist, but he made one demand: that the reader should outguess Perry Mason. Usually in the beginning of the story a client enters Mason's office: ''A man came into the room who radiated restlessness. He was a thin man, with a very pointed nose and large ears. He walked with nervous, jerky steps. He was in his late twenties or early thirties.'' (from The Case of the Sulky Girl) Mason of course gets more attention in the story - he ''gave the impression of bigness; not the bigness of fat, but the bigness of strength. He was broad-shouldered and rugged-faced, and his eyes were steady and patient. Frequently those eyes changed expression, but the face never changed its expression of rugged patience.''

Now you know how his novels are.

With Perry Mason expect the unexpected.

Hey! I gathered the info on the author Erle Stanley Gardner from the website

https://kirjasto.sci.fi/gardner.htm