This is one of the early Perry Mason novels, published in 1938. Perry and Della Street, his secretary, are on a cruise. As is typical of the time, Perry has his own room, and Della shares hers with another woman. During the cruise, a man is murdered, and his wife ends up with his well-filled money belt. The man is suspected of being an embezzler, and his wife is suspected of murdering him. There are the usual plot twists in the story, and it keeps the reader guessing. The solution is complicated, but Perry solves the puzzle.
The writing in this earlier novel is not as smooth as many of his later novels, and Perry seems to be a little rough around the edges. Perry skirts very close to the edge of legality in this one, almost getting himself and his friends arrested. The writing keeps your interest throughout the book. However, when reading this, one has to keep in mind that this was written in the 1930s, and that was a different time in so many ways.
I enjoyed this book, although I don't think it was one of the best written Perry Mason books. I'll be reading more in the future, as I really enjoy this series!
This is part of my 2014 Mt. TBR Challenge,
and my 2014 Vintage Mystery BINGO Challenge--Golden--D--Book with lawyer.
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