Book Review: The Case of the Careless Cupid by Erle Stanley Gardner (1968)

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 Careless Cupid to hold me over until it arrived. Since the last Perry Mason book I read didn't live up to my expectations, I was a little concerned with this one. However, it turned out to be pretty good.

I think the thing that impressed me most about this book was, despite her ability to pass a polygraph test, it wasn't completely clear if Selma Anson was innocent until toward the very end. After all, her husband had been poisoned. She was the only person in possession of the poison and the only person who stood to gain from her husband's death. The lone exception to that was maybe Delane, who admitted he had been in love with her while her husband was still alive. However, while Delane choosing to kill her husband so he could pursue her made sense, it became less likely once she was arrested for the murder. After all, if he loved her, he certainly wasn't going to let her go to prison for a crime he committed.

I also loved how Mason did his part even before Selma was officially charged. This included flying after her when she attempted to flee and coming up with a clever ruse to explain away her decision. The polygraph test part of it was equally interesting because I'm not so sure Mason really believed his client when he had her take it in front of newspaper reporters. That decision could have gone wrong in a hurry as a result.

The courtroom part of the book was short but sweet with the evidence piling against Selma and Mason seemingly trying to pull a fast one to avoid even more damning testimony about his client. When he pulled the rabbit out of his hat at the end, I almost face palmed myself when Mason twisted the evidence around and painted a completely different picture of what happened prior to Selma's husband being killed. It was so obvious; I probably should have guessed it.

Final Opinion: I had some doubts at the beginning, but this proved to be a solid murder mystery, and I enjoyed reading it. It's worth taking the time to read if you get a chance.

My Grade: A