Steven Helmer Publications

Synopsis: While Perry Mason and Della Street are out for lunch, Adelle Hastings came into the office seeking an appointment but left after a few minutes and didn't return. Soon after, her purse is found in the outer office and inside is a gun that has been fired. A phone call from an opposing attorney alerts Mason to the fact Hastings was looking for someone to represent her in a divorce settlement. However, when he and Della travel to Vegas in search of their client, she claims she wasn't the woman who came to visit them. As Mason correctly suspects, Hastings' soon-to-be-ex-husband is later found murdered, and all evidence points to her. Review: The Case of the Daring Divorcee wasn't available at my library when I was reading the Perry Mason series in order, so I wound up skipping it. Once the other books were read, however, I decided to try to locate it, and my library was finally able to acquire a copy from another library. I finished reading it and it was worth th...

Synopsis: Perry Mason doesn't make a lot of mistakes but when Diana Douglas comes into his office with $300 to retain his services but refusing to give him any information about why or even her name, just her inaccurate measurements, he realizes he should have been a bit more insistent about getting the details, especially since Diana had a travel bag full of money. Originally believing he will need to defend his young client against embezzlement charges, he soon learns he will need to defend her against murder charges when a blackmailer is found dead, and Diana's card is found at the crime scene. Review: I am still waiting for some books I have on hold at the library and, while waiting for those, continued with the Perry Mason series by checking out The Case of the Fabulous Fake . At first, I wasn't sure what to expect but it turned out to be a good choice. I think the thing I liked best about this book is the mystery surrounding Mason's client. Diana had a problem w...

Synopsis: After approaching a man who has been following her and threatening to slap him the next time she saw him, widow Selma Anson consults with attorney Perry Mason to find out the potential legal consequences of following through with her threat. A curious Mason has Paul Drake investigate and learns his client is close to marrying one of her deceased husband's best friends, the wealthy Delane Arlington. This doesn't sit well with George Findlay, a man who is planning on marrying one of Delane's nieces and doesn't want to risk losing out on the potential inheritance. Findlay is so determined to prevent the marriage, in fact, he is helping prosecutors prove Selma murdered her first husband. The evidence seems to support that accusation, and Selma doesn't help her case by attempting to flee under an assumed name. Review: I requested a book through my local library and, since they needed to have it sent from another library first, I checked out The Case of the Car...

Synopsis: Twenty years earlier, Ellen Calvert won a beauty contest, trip to California and a screen test. However, in addition to her movie career not taking off, she became pregnant via an affair with the son of a wealthy business owner in her midwestern hometown. When she was given $1000 to have an abortion, she instead decided to change her last name to Adair and disappear, arranging for her son to be secretly adopted by a couple she did housecleaning for. When people from her hometown begin searching for her, she seeks advice from lawyer Perry Mason. Then, when she learns the father is dead and her son stands to inherit millions, she asks Mason for help in that endeavor. Unfortunately for Mason, the lone witness that can verify Ellen's story is found dead and the evidence points to his client as the murderer. Review: After taking a short break from Perry Mason books to focus on the books I received as birthday gifts, I checked The Case of the Queenly Contestant out from my ...

Synopsis: While on her way back from a 3-month-long Asian retreat, 22-year-old Daphne Shelby receives a letter from her wealthy uncle, Horace, instructing her to cash an enclosed check for $125,000 and then have attorney Perry Mason take charge of the money on her behalf and make out a will naming her his sole heir. When Daphne and Mason attempt to follow the letter's instructions, they learn Horace's finances have been seized by his half-brother, Borden Finchley, and Horace has been committed to a sanitarium.  Believing it is an attempt to steal Horace's money, Mason agrees to help Daphne free her uncle, only to find the case is more complicated than first believed. Things become even more complicated when Daphne breaks her uncle out of the sanitarium without Mason's knowledge and later becomes the primary suspect in the murder of Ralph Exeter, Finchley's associate.  Review: It's been a while since I've read a Perry Mason book, and I even needed to do so...

Synopsis: The wealthy Stewart Bedford is happy to be married to his much younger trophy wife, Ann Roann, who he loves to show off in social circles. When a blackmailer calls on him and threatens to expose his wife's criminal past, Stewart decides to cave into his demands, only to be drugged and wake up in a motel room with the blackmailer's body. Perry Mason is hired to defend him against murder charges however, there is one major problem, there is evidence Ann Roann was at the motel too and may be involved. Review: My daughter has an ice show coming up in a few days and, since we've been at the ice rink a lot, I've had plenty of time to read. That includes this book, which I managed to finish up while waiting for one of her rehearsals to be over. When I first started reading this book, I honestly didn't think I would like it all that much, mostly because the author decided to start out by telling the story from the victim's perspective and introducing Perry ...

Synopsis: When Eleanor Corbin is arrested after running almost naked through a park, she claims to have amnesia about what happened to her prior to the event and her half-sister, Olga, hires Perry Mason to protect Eleanor's interests. Things become more complicated when Douglas Hepner, the man Eleanor claims to have married two weeks earlier, is found dead with Eleanor's gun hidden nearby. The district attorney seems to have an airtight case against her, and with Eleanor refusing to give up on her obviously fake amnesia story, Mason isn't convinced she isn't guilty. Review: I recently regained my enthusiasm for Perry Mason novels and, despite giving myself a short break by reading an Agatha Christie mystery first, made sure to check out this book while at the library. To be honest, I wasn't sure I would enjoy this book at first, but it ended up being one of Mason's most intriguing cases. I think the thing I liked best about this book was the fact Mason himse...

Synopsis: Attorney Perry Mason believes his court-assigned client, Albert Brogan, is being framed for armed robbery. However, the two victims in the crime, Rodney Archer and Martha Lavina, insist Brogan was the man and the one witness who could refute their testimony, nightclub hostess Inez Kaylor, fled the courtroom and cannot be found. To make matters worse, prosecutors hope to use the armed robbery conviction to pin a murder charge on Brogan as well. Mason has just one weekend to figure out why Archer and Lavina are lying. Review: I took a break from reading Perry Mason books after not enjoyng the last couple as much as I had hoped. However, I couldn't figure out what to get the last time I was at the library and wound up checking out this book as a result. While I'm still not as big of a fan of Perry Mason as I am of other literary detectives, this book did wind up being better than I expeced it to be.  I think the thing I liked the most about this book was the way it st...

Synopsis: Belle Adrian doesn't approve of her daughter, Carlotta's, relationship with Arthur Cushing. When she hears a scream coming from Arthur's cabin and Carlotta's car isn't in the garage, she investigates and discovers Arthur has been murdered. Believing her daughter is guilty, Belle does her best to remove any incriminating evidence and continues to keep her mouth shut even when she is facing murder charges. Fortunately for her, Perry Mason happens to be in town on vacation. Review : It's raining and kind of cold outside today so, not being able to do too much outside, I wound up finishing this book. Overall, I thought it was an enjoyable murder mystery. OK, to be honest, I didn't find it too difficult to figure out who the killer was. I had a suspicion almost from the very start and, once the case made it to court, the evidence and testimony only confirmed my theory. Despite that, there was a lot to like about this book. I especially liked the way t...

Synopsis: When Nellie Conway comes to him with a story about her employer, Nathan Bain plotting to kill his wife, Elizabeth, Perry Mason tries to distance himself from her as much as possible but ultimately is forced to defend her against theft charges. When Elizabeth is poisoned shortly after, Mason is once again brought into the fray and defends Elizabeth's sister, Victoria, against murder charges. Review: I wasn't 100 percent sure if I wanted to check out another Perry Mason book the last time I was at the library but, just in case there was another COVID-related closure, I figured I'd grab this one. I finished it while waiting for my daughter at the ice rink last night and, while it was OK, it wasn't one of my favorites. I think the thing that bothered me about this book is many of Mason's actions really don't make a whole lot of sense. He doesn't want anything to do with Nellie Conway (for reasons that aren't fully explained) but still travels to ...