The Case of the Haunted Husband (Perry Mason Series Book 18)

The story is a good story, but I find the writing here terribly distracting... it's like the publisher (author, perhaps) decided to forgo any contractions, and it just doesn't make the dialogue sound normal:(some random samples):"I will have to stop by my office to get my hat...""I shall talk with my operative first...""She is in her room""Come on, let us get the manager..."I've not notice this in any other books, but I find this extremely jarring. It looks as though someone took the normal, casual conversation and changed into formal writing. (I mean, who says "I will have to get a jacket"? - it's "I'll have to get a jacket" or "Let's get the manager".The book is filled with this kind of stilted writing; I don't know if it is due to the Kindle translation, or if the original script was like this.Other than that major distraction, this story is a bit different than most of the Perry Mason books: the client is almost invisible in this story (which is a change from most of the books). There is a section toward the end which gives a very philosophic view of life and death (which is also very unusual in these books).

I read Perry Mason books in between my book club reads. This one was one of the better ones. I liked the interaction between Mason and Tragg and the plot was well developed. As in most of these books, I could not completely figure out who did it until the finale. For those who love Perry Mason, this will not disappoint.

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.

Looking to start next story to find out if crimes ever pay off. I'm guessing Mr. Gardner will surprise me with and way to handle the guilty.

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. (not that that stopped anybody) but regulating the sale of liquor to certain strictly enforced "hours" was a British custom, not an American one. [CORRECTION: I got a comment from Jill which for some reason doesn't show up. She says that immediately after Prohibition was repealed, U.S. bars WERE strictly regulated as to hours and were raided if they sold liquor after hours. Mea culpa and thanks, Jill!]Is it possible that some (or all) of the Perry Mason books were published in England and the stilted language added to suit the tastes of the constipated English? And could one of those editions been turned into a Kindle edition? The company that prepared the Perry Mason books for Kindle was definitely slip-shod. Sometimes the book descriptions are switched and I've noticed other sloppy problems.It's a shame and it affected my enjoyment of this otherwise good book. I'll continue to buy the Perry Mason Kindle editions, but I SHALL check and make sure I know what I'm getting next time.

We love the Perry Mason books -

This PM is notable because Mason and Tragg cooperate to solve the crime. There is not a lot of courtroom drama. Perry also provides a decent philosophy about life and death. The plot seemed a little too complicated to be believable, but maybe it seemed more tortured because it was revealed by Perry's explanation and not plot development. Overall, some innovated elements

I fully enjoyed reading this book. The twists and turns that make the Perry Mason mystery so much fun trying to figure out who committed the murder.