May Read/2

Title: The Case of the Velvet Claws
Author: Gardner, Erle Stanley
Genre: Mystery
Book Description (from amazon.com):

     Thanks to a bungled robbery at a fancy hotel, the already-married Eva Griffin has been caught in the company of a prominent congressman. To protect the politico, Eva's ready to pay the editor of a sleazy tabloid his hush money. But Perry Mason has other plans. He tracks down the phantom fat cat who secretly runs the blackmailing tabloid -- only to discover a shocking scoop.

     By the time Mason's comely client finally comes clean, her husband has taken a bullet in the heart. Now Perry Mason has two choices: represent the cunning widow in her wrangle for the dead man's money -- or take the rap for murder.

My Read:

     I didn't realize that this is the book one in the Perry Mason Mystery series until I read the author's biography provided at the end of the book. In this book, there was no trial or cross-examination. Yet, in this book, it demonstrated how smart and skillful the famous attorney was. It proved not only the lawyer was loyal to his clients no matter who the clients were but also the lawyer was a stern fighter who would fight diligent for his clients. The following saying of the lawyer impressed me the most:

"That's my creed in life, Paul. I'm a lawyer. I take people who are in trouble, and I try to get them out of trouble. I'm not presenting the people's side of the case, I'm only presenting the defendant's side. The district attorney represents the people, and he makes the strongest kind of a case he can. It's my duty to make the strongest kind of a case I can on the other side, and then it's up to the jury to decide. That's the way we get justice. if the district attorney would be fair, then I could be fair. But the district attorney uses everything he can in order to get a conviction, I use everything I can in order to get an acquittal. It's like two teams playing football. One of them tries to go in one direction just as hard as it can, and the other tries to go in the other direction just as hard as it can." "It's sort of an obsession with me to do the best i can for a client. My clients are entitled to the best I can do for them. It's not my job to determine whether or not they are guilty. That's for the jury to determine."-page 217

The following saying made by Perry Mason also intrigues me:

"It wasn't that," he said slowly, choosing the words. "It was the fact that it needed an explanation that hurt."

"Never, never, never, so long as I live, will I ever doubt you again." said Della Street-page 255

I had to read several times to totally realize the meaning of the words Perry Mason had delivered to his loyal secretary, Miss Della Street. At some point, in this first book of the Perry Mason series, the lawyer's secretary didn't quite understand some approaches her boss made to make a successful case. The expression the lawyer made impressed me. It describes how a good relationship should look like that there shouldn't be any doubt standing between two souls at good terms. 

I enjoy so much reading this first book and I am glad that I read the bio at the end of the book.