The Case of the Baited Hook

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By Erle Stanley Gardner & Otto Penzler

Publisher Description

Perry Mason risks his freedom to prove the innocence of an unidentified client: “Fast-paced . . . the question of whodunit, as always, gets an unexpected answer.” —Publishers Weekly

The bait is half of a $10,000 bill, delivered to Perry Mason by a man who promises the second half of the note should his companion, a silent masked woman, ever require the lawyer’s services. When a dead body is discovered soon after, Mason feels the hook―but how can one prove the innocence of a person whose identity is unknown?

Suspecting he’s been set up, but curious nonetheless, Perry sets out to solve the mystery from the ground up, beginning with the face behind the veil. The more he learns, the more complex his investigation becomes. Uncovering a convoluted case of stock fraud, divorce, and inheritance, Mason’s nearly left reeling―that is until, with the help of Della Street and Paul Drake, he pulls off one of his most daring gambits ever to finally cast light on the killer.

Filled with memorable characters, a multitude of motives, and just a few red herrings, The Case of the Baited Hook is classic Perry Mason, showcasing the character’s brilliance and pizazz with a plot that pushes his powers into overdrive. As puzzling as it is entertaining, the book exemplifies the style that made Edgar Award winner Erle Stanley Gardner one of the most popular authors of the twentieth century and inspired the hit HBO series.

“A good Perry Mason yarn . . . Perry moves fast to outmaneuver his opponents.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“[The] Mason books remain tantalizing on every page and brilliant.” —Scott Turow, #1 New York Times–bestselling author of The Last Trial

"A good starting point for those new to Gardner’s celebrated attorney.”― Publishers Weekly

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3 Reviews

4.0

Aeri

Created 5 months ago

Anastasia

Created 12 months ago

“The Case of the Baited Hook by Erle Stanley Gardner is the 16th book in the Perry Mason series. Perry Mason is called out in the middle of the night to meet a masked client with no details of a case but that he will be given the second half of a substantial cheque when his services are required. Lots of mystery in this book with Perry Mason trying to guess the identity of his client. Plenty of twists and misdirection and one of the times where it does not finish up in a courtroom. A bit of fun with Gertie trying to hold back the police. A very enjoyable classic mystery.”

Supriya Joshi

Created about 6 years ago

About Erle Stanley Gardner

Erle Stanley Gardner (1889–1970) was an author and lawyer who wrote nearly 150 detective and mystery novels that sold more than one million copies each, making him easily the best-selling American writer of his time. He ranks as one of the most prolific specialists of crime fiction due to his popular alter ego, lawyer-detective Perry Mason. A self-taught lawyer, Gardner was admitted to the California bar in 1911 and began defending poor Chinese and Mexicans as well as other clients. Eventually his writing career, which began with the pulps, pushed his law career aside. As proven in his Edgar Award–winning The Court of Last Resort, Gardner never gave up on the cases of wrongly accused individuals or unjustly convicted defendants.

Other books by Erle Stanley Gardner

The Case of the Rolling Bones: A Perry Mason Mystery (An American Mystery Classic)

Erle Stanley Gardner & Otto Penzler

$15.95

Fools Die On Friday

The Case of the Baited Hook

Publisher Description

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3 Reviews

About Erle Stanley Gardner

Other books by Erle Stanley Gardner

Otto Penzler

Other books by Otto Penzler

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