Gladys Doyle answers an ad for “an experienced good-look secretary, hostess and companion, not over twenty-four, not under twenty-two, poised, close-mouthed and diplomatic.” Gladys gets the job, along with her own beautiful corner bedroom in her employer’s penthouse apartment, as it is a twenty-four-hours-a-day job.

Gladys Doyle’s is Mauvis Mean, authoress of the recent best-selling novel, “Chop the Man Down.” It is quite a racy and gritty book about a small town girl surviving in the big city. Seems there are references to some important and dangerous people.

After a month of secretarial duties, screening incoming calls and other similar tastes, Mauvis gives Gladys a job on the local ski slopes. Gladys is to meet with a PR man, from the studio who bought the rights to “Chop the Man Down.” Mauvis doesn’t want to be bothers, so she is sending her personal, confidential secretary.

Mauvis give Gladys money for expenses, her car to use, the use of the apartment she keeps in reserve at the ski lodge and a shortcut from the lodge, back down the hill and back to the city.

All goes well until the return trip home. A storm breaks out making driving and visibility close to impossible. Gladys takes a wrong turn and ends up stranding the car. She finds a cabin nearby and takes shelter. The man who opens the door isn’t very happy about her appearance, but lets her stay. When she wakes up the next morning, the man is gone. Instead, there is another man the cabin — a dead man.

A name Mauvis had mentioned stuck in Gladys’ mind — Perry Mason.

Perry takes the case, but knows it won’t be simple. To win he will have to stay ahead of Lieutenant Tragg, and Tragg is on the move to win.

Another case where Perry seems to pull rabbits out of hats — but this time it is a scarf with three monkeys on it — hear — see — speak. ( )

Original price: $0.35Signed FQS ( )

Perry Mason is involved in a case in which a clue is a set of the "see no evil, hear no evll" monkeys. ( )

Not ESG's best Perry Mason novel, but it wasn't bad at all. I liked that Perry had more trust in Tragg than Burger did. ( )

19 July 2014

Big ship ( )