The Case of the Lazy Lover

by Erle Stanley Gardner

Book Overview

A runaway witness leads a lawyer into a whodunit: "The only dull pages in this book are the blank ones" (The New York Times). Defense lawyer Perry Mason is surprised to receive two checks from a... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0345294963
• ISBN13: 9780345294968
• Release Date: January 1981
• Publisher: Ballantine Books
• Length: 192 Pages
• Weight: 0.29 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 4.3" x 6.9"

Customer Reviews

Greed Leads to Murder

The Case of the Lazy Lover Della Street sorted the mail into three piles: the urgent, that which didn't require immediate attention, and the deferred. One letter had a $2,500 check from Lola Allred, but she was not a client or on the master file of any who was ever involved with Perry Mason. Bertrand C. Allred is a mining promoter and operator who used a slick legal trick to make millions (Chapter 1). Then a second check for $2,500 from Lola Allred! Her first check is good (Chapter 2). Bertrand Allred visits Perry, Lola ran away with his best friend and employee Robert Fleetwood. Fleetwood had been friendly with Lola's daughter Patricia. Allred needs Fleetwood's testimony in a law suit and wants Perry's help in locating Fleetwood. That second check was a forgery, a microscope detected it (Chapter 3). A telegram says the check was to protect Patricia. Paul Drake will investigate the sender of the telegram, and the make and model of the typewriter (Chapter 4). Could there be foul play? Perry visits the bank to learn that Lola Allred wrote a $5,000 check to Maurine Milford (Chapter 5). Perry gives the information to Paul Drake for his search for Lola or Maurine. George Jerome, Allred's business partner, visits Perry for his help in finding Fleetwood. Paul has located Maurine (Chapter 6). Perry investigates and learns more about Maurine (Chapter 7). What is the purpose of this play-acting? A phone call from Patricia sends Perry and Paul into action (Chapter 8). It was a bum steer (Chapter 9). Perry visits Patricia, Lola shows up, then the police with news of a death (Chapter 10). They found a body in Lola's car, her story doesn't check out. Lola and Patricia are taken to the police station. Dixon Keith visits Perry (Chapter 11). Later Perry explains how he will evade his shadow. Perry, Della, and Gertie retrieve Fleetwood from that isolated rural ranch (Chapter 12). Fleetwood claims amnesia until he is turned over to the police. Perry has a plan to save his client (Chapter 13). Perry and Paul talk to Fleetwood's girlfriend Bernice Archer (Chapter 14). Allred finally remembers what he had forgotten (Chapter 15). There were tracks in the soft wet ground that showed the footprints (Chapter 17). There is a sketch of the area. Fleetwood's story hangs the murder on Lola. The Preliminary Hearing begins, Perry questions the laboratory expert (Chapter 18). [Did you notice anything about the testimony of two witnesses?] Lola tells more of the facts! What will Perry do (Chapter 19)? Perry recalls a witness for questions about those footprints (Chapter 20). Will there be an admission that frees Perry's client because of a new look at the circumstantial evidence? Perry surmises what must have happened (Chapter 21). A solution that uses all the known facts is likely to be true. "Circumstantial evidence never lies, but it isn't always easy to interpret it correctly." The novel says Perry has a fast car that can do ninety, and it can be started in second gear. T

Excellent Process to Murder

Very well-plotted mystery. Especially, the process to the murder is very complicated and fascinating. The disclosure of who is murdered is so surprising, so explosive! That makes this story outstanding.It is well-known that Mason's clients are always innocent. That seems to limit the mystery, but Mason mysteries are not so easy. It is not sure whether the clients tell the truth. They often tell various lies on various reasons, but sometimes they tell the genuine truth. This is perplexing, and that makes it difficult for Mason and readers to guess what really happened.