Steven Helmer Publications

Synopsis: When Stephanie Falkner comes to Perry Mason to discuss an offer she's been made on a casino she inherited from her murdered father, Mason's long-time client Homer Garvin, Sr., asks the attorney to also meet with the prospective buyer, both to protect Stephanie and to represent his 15 percent stake. The buyer, George Casselman, is later found murdered, Stephanie becomes the primary suspect with Garvin charged as an accessory, putting Mason in a position to defend both, something that becomes more complicated when Mason's attempt to create confusion over the murder weapon backfires and has him facing potential charges as well. Review: I wasn't able to obtain a copy of The Case of the Long-Legged Models when I first read through Erle Stanley Gardner's Perry Mason series. So, when I was able to finally get it through my local library, I made sure to have it in time for my three-day weekend. Unfortunately, while I have enjoyed most Perry Mason books, this on...

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: When Kerry Dutton was given the task of managing a trust set up for a naive and irresponsible heiress, he made some moves with the money that made her more financially secure but also crossed some legal lines that could be construed as embezzlement.  He hires Perry Mason to help protect him when he comes clean but instead needs the lawyer to defend him against murder charges. Review: I had planned on taking a break from Perry Mason books. However, the library didn't have the book I was interested in reading and, while waiting for it to come in, I checked this one out. Unfortunately, the book did nothing to offset my recent disappointment with the series. This was a book I frankly had a hard time getting interested in to begin with. The talk about his client's misuse of trust funds was something I found to be kind of dull, even though there was a good chance he was lying to the lawyer and was really trying to embezzle the money. I think a big part of this was becaus...

Synopsis: Joan Kirby hires Perry Mason to cross-examine her husband, John. While his story about helping a stranded young woman, Norma Logan, find a motel room seems plausible, Mason doesn't believe him and, when a doctor running a black-market adoption agency is found severely beaten and later dies, Mason's new client becomes one of the suspects. Complicating things is the Kirby's illegally adopted son. Review : When I picked out this book at our local library a few days ago, the title and the description had me believing this would be one of my favorite Perry Mason books. After finishing it last night, I can say I didn't hate it, but it also fell far short of expectations. The overall premise wasn't a terrible one, the victim was running an illegal abortion clinic and the fact he had both Kirby and Logan written in his appointment book made Mason's client look like one of the primary suspects. Norma choosing to hire an unscrupulous attorney who was looking t...

Synopsis: When Ted Balfour is convicted of a hit-and-run manslaughter, his wealthy family hires Perry Mason to clear his name. However, when an anonymous tip results in a new charge of first-degree murder, Balfour's family wants Mason to do everything he can to save the family name, even if it means allowing his client to wrongfully be convicted. Review: My daughter's ice show is just a couple days away and, since I've been spending a great deal of time at the ice rink, I've managed to get a lot of reading in. This includes this Perry Mason mystery, which I finished yesterday evening. Overall, I have to say my opinion of it is a bit mixed. I did find the overall mystery a bit intriguing, both because of the prosecution being allowed to try Mason's client for the same crime twice (despite that being unconstitutional) and because of the way things were being stacked up against him. This included the family's "fixer," Banner Boles, blatantly lying on ...

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 Dr. Logbert Denair uses a truth serum therapy on Nadine Farr to find out what secret has been troubling her, he is both surprised and concerned when she confesses to killing someone and consults Perry Mason . Mason agrees to help the girl but the police, after receiving a tip about the confession, are quick to find corroborating evidence. Complicating things is very-public evidence tampering accusation against Mason with no way to prove he didn't do it. Review: When I checked this particular Perry Mason novel out from our library, it was done with some high expectations because I enjoyed the previous couple I had read. Unfortunately, this one really didn't live up to those expectations. The case itself was an intriguing one. The defendant seemed to believe she killed the victim (albeit by accident) and hid the evidence. However, the discovery of a second bottle of pills in the same place she disposed of the first one did create some doubt about that, along with...

Synopsis : Sybil Harlan knows about her husband's affair with his business client Roxy Claffin but, since he is her whole world, she doesn't want a divorce. Instead, she wants Perry Mason to buy stock in a company her husband is dealing with on Roxy's behalf and do everything he can to stop the deal, hoping the other woman's reaction will drive her husband back into her arms. However, when Sybil is blackmailed by another stockholder and that stockholder is later murdered, she needs Perry Mason to prove her innocence. Review: I picked up a copy of this book at the library on Friday and, despite starting out by reading another book (which I lost interest in after about a day), managed to finish it by Monday. At first, I wasn't sure what to think of it but, after reading the last page, do think it was a good read overall. I thought the overall case was intriguing. While I was never convinced his client was guilty, a variety of poor judgements did at least make it see...

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...