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A review by r_j_setser
The Case of the Mythical Monkeys by Erle Stanley Gardner
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
5.0
I've never read Perry Mason before but I ended up with a few copies after a library sale and so started this one. I was immediately drawn into the case (and there was a Sherlock Holmes reference that made me laugh out loud)!
I was surprised at how dialogue-driven the writing is, and even more surprised that I actually liked it! I'm typically drawn to more descriptive styles of writing *ahem Hemingway*, but this was very entertaining! We are given only the pertinent details necessary to the current plot, and very little more, relying entirely on conversations to fill in the blanks for us. Now, that may be because I picked up book #59 as my starting point, but I found it super easy to follow. Frankly, this book was altogether enjoyable to read.
I've said before that I've related to female characters in fiction, but it's always just little pieces here and there, like personality traits or internal struggles. However, Della Street is quite possibly my favorite female character of all time now because, as a woman working with only men on a daily basis, I related to her SO MUCH (in this book, this is my first Perry Mason novel). Her constant reminders of "now boys, we need to eat" and her responses to them trying to leave her behind for "safety"... She just pushes them out of the way and walks through the mud in her heels and climbs through the window...pure gold. When she told Mason, "I'd like to remain on speaking terms with my stomach", I lost it. Girl knows her way around the language of "snark" and can handle herself in a room full of men! I was also pretty impressed by how present she was in the story, considering that this series is from the 50s. Hopefully, the whole series includes Della as much as this one did, because she was truly the icing on the cake in this book.
Overall, I have three more Perry Mason novels in my library and I will most likely dive into another one this evening!
Content notice: This book is definitely in line with the "cozy mystery" style, however, the topic does focus on a woman who frequently uses her body to persuade men to her will, and therefore there are some risque comments made throughout the novel (Perry Mason's responses had me laughing so hard, y'all). However, there is no spice or on-page romance of any kind. A few mild curse words dropped, but nothing above PG-13.
I was surprised at how dialogue-driven the writing is, and even more surprised that I actually liked it! I'm typically drawn to more descriptive styles of writing *ahem Hemingway*, but this was very entertaining! We are given only the pertinent details necessary to the current plot, and very little more, relying entirely on conversations to fill in the blanks for us. Now, that may be because I picked up book #59 as my starting point, but I found it super easy to follow. Frankly, this book was altogether enjoyable to read.
I've said before that I've related to female characters in fiction, but it's always just little pieces here and there, like personality traits or internal struggles. However, Della Street is quite possibly my favorite female character of all time now because, as a woman working with only men on a daily basis, I related to her SO MUCH (in this book, this is my first Perry Mason novel). Her constant reminders of "now boys, we need to eat" and her responses to them trying to leave her behind for "safety"... She just pushes them out of the way and walks through the mud in her heels and climbs through the window...pure gold. When she told Mason, "I'd like to remain on speaking terms with my stomach", I lost it. Girl knows her way around the language of "snark" and can handle herself in a room full of men! I was also pretty impressed by how present she was in the story, considering that this series is from the 50s. Hopefully, the whole series includes Della as much as this one did, because she was truly the icing on the cake in this book.
Overall, I have three more Perry Mason novels in my library and I will most likely dive into another one this evening!
Content notice: This book is definitely in line with the "cozy mystery" style, however, the topic does focus on a woman who frequently uses her body to persuade men to her will, and therefore there are some risque comments made throughout the novel (Perry Mason's responses had me laughing so hard, y'all). However, there is no spice or on-page romance of any kind. A few mild curse words dropped, but nothing above PG-13.