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A review by wjlongiii
The Case of the Velvet Claws by Erle Stanley Gardner
4.0
An old tale well told
I won't bury the lede, as noir-esque stories go, this is solid. 'The Case of the Velvet Claws' is a very old book with all the old fashioned verbage, and sensibilities that go along with it. If you have issues setting aside the "triggered" mentality inherent in our time, I would avoid it. But if you're down for something out of time, this book is a refreshing and interesting read.
From a craft standpoint, it directly contradicts a number of modern writing "rules," some in enjoyable ways, others can be much more jarring. Gardner writes almost entirely from outside his characters in a way that recall plays. At times it can seem crude, but it's undeniably effective for the no nonsense style of the plot and tone.
I didn't come to this novel knowing how it would be constructed, but hoping for a detective (well... investigative lawyer) story with grit and surprises. I got what I came for and it doesn't hurt that it fits with the new series and old TV movies, I was already familiar with.
I could have only appreciated it more if it played that classic theme at the end.
I won't bury the lede, as noir-esque stories go, this is solid. 'The Case of the Velvet Claws' is a very old book with all the old fashioned verbage, and sensibilities that go along with it. If you have issues setting aside the "triggered" mentality inherent in our time, I would avoid it. But if you're down for something out of time, this book is a refreshing and interesting read.
From a craft standpoint, it directly contradicts a number of modern writing "rules," some in enjoyable ways, others can be much more jarring. Gardner writes almost entirely from outside his characters in a way that recall plays. At times it can seem crude, but it's undeniably effective for the no nonsense style of the plot and tone.
I didn't come to this novel knowing how it would be constructed, but hoping for a detective (well... investigative lawyer) story with grit and surprises. I got what I came for and it doesn't hurt that it fits with the new series and old TV movies, I was already familiar with.
I could have only appreciated it more if it played that classic theme at the end.