The Case of the Negligent Nymph by Erle Stanley Gardner

     I remember watching black and white episodes of Perry Mason before cable, before satellite TV... this handsome and imposing lawyer always won his cases, of course. I don't believe I've ever actually read one of the books the TV show was based on, but my daughter and I found a pile of old Perry Masons on the clearance rack at a little used bookstore (on a visit to Nampa, Idaho, in case you were wondering) and we snatched them up. We were enraptured by the 40s and 50s era sultry women on the covers, I think. Don't you love this cover? Pretty edgy illustration to advertise our squeaky clean, full-of-integrity Perry.

     Perry, observing a privately-owned island for another case, happens to spy (through his binoculars) this naked nymph swimming to the dock, drying, donning an evening dress and joining the party that is in full swing up at the house. (Della's response to Perry's account of what he spied through his binoculars: "Boys will be boys!" Love it!). But our nymph's behavior is certainly curious! Not many minutes later, he hears the alarms at the house and watches the same lady run full tilt from the house pursued by people and dogs. She jumps in the water and swims desperately away but the dogs follow her into the water and, at this, Perry doesn't think twice before he rescues her from the sharp teeth of those dogs. When she is later accused of stealing a large amount of jewels from the house, Perry is sure of her innocence. As he says, "A wet dinner gown leaves but very, very little to the imagination." Clever, clever Perry. Of course, these things are rarely what they seem, right? Oh yes.

     It was a quick, enjoyable (and clean, of course) read. Perry is the soul of honor and his Della and Paul Drake are clever, witty AND always come up with the goods. I've several more of these to read and I'll enjoy them all, I'm sure. Who doesn't like Perry Mason, after all?