The Case Of The Stepdaughter's Secret: A Perry Mason Mystery: 73

Just like all the Perry Mason stories excellently written and exciting till the end.

The Perry Mason novels have the same pattern you see in the TV series; the complicated, not-too-gory homicide, involving a host of suspects including at least one beautiful woman, followed by a trial that ends with Mason exposing the true culprit. Paul Drake and Della Street are like you see them on TV, but Mason is a much livelier character than Raymond Burr's rather monolithic and staid portrayal. This Mason grins a lot - Burr never managed more than a wry smile - and freely uses words like "Hell" and "damn". Also, in this story, there is no Tragg or Hamilton Burger."The Case of the Stepdaughter's Secret", a case of murder aboard a private yacht, is standard fare, with a not particularly elegant solution but a good central idea. Stop and think hard about what actually happened on the boat and you should get it. It is rather neat.It is quite funny how the courtroom procedure goes from realistic to farcical - just as in the TV series - as Mason gets away with evidence tampering and inadmissible testimony. To enjoy a Perry Mason story you just have to tolerate those liberties. Good, light reading for the beach, poolside or cruise.