Vintage Mystery #10

I read this book for the Vintage Mystery Bingo Reading Challenge 2015. The challenge is to read 6 or more Vintage Mysteries. All novels must have been originally written between 1960 and 1989 inclusive and be from the mystery category.

I read this for the category “I-6 Woman in the Title.”

The Case of the Worried Waitress  - Erle Stanley Gardner

It’s against restaurant rules for a server to approach customers who are professionals in order to obtain free advice or information. But Katherine Ellis, Kit, was not only young and beautiful, it was obvious that she was deeply concerned about a problem. So after Perry Mason and Della Street had finished lunch, he left the message to the server, "My usual fee is $10. Under the plate there is a tip of $11." When Kit visits Perry’s office and tells her story, he concludes that she has every reason to be apprehensive - in fact, she had put herself in a very vulnerable position.

This is not the best Mason novel by any means. It would be a shame for a novice to read it and decide Gardner was not for her. The reason is that the twist is really far-fetched, even for a whodunit. I would recommend The Case of the Cautious Coquette and The Case of the Careless Kitten. For old school puzzlers there are The Case of the Buried Clock and The Case of the Crooked Candle.

This novel would be fine for any hardcore Mason fan.