Books › The case of the crooked candle
The case of the crooked candle
First published 1940 · 339 pages
A rapid-fire battle of wits where sharp dialogue and legal loopholes unravel a perfectly staged crime.
What it feels like
Reading this classic mystery feels like stepping into a smoky, mid-century Los Angeles office where the dialogue is as sharp as the suits. The experience is incredibly brisk, driven almost entirely by rapid-fire conversations, cross-examinations, and the relentless ticking clock of an impending trial. You are placed right in the passenger seat with a shrewd, pragmatic defense attorney who is always two steps ahead of the police. The mood is tense and cerebral, devoid of heavy emotional angst but rich in intellectual intrigue. It delights readers who love a good puzzle, offering the deep satisfaction of watching a seemingly airtight case get dismantled piece by piece through clever legal maneuvering and sheer deductive brilliance.
- Mood
- tense
- cerebral
- mid-century atmospheric
- intrigue-laden
- Tone
- sharp
- pragmatic
- suspenseful
- clever
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- legal maneuvering · hidden motives · the pursuit of truth · deception and alibis
- The writing
- Lean, punchy, and heavily reliant on rapid-fire dialogue that drives the momentum forward without unnecessary embellishment.
- The arc
- Moves from a state of tangled, anxious suspicion into a thrilling, intellectually satisfying courtroom triumph.
- Who it's for
- Readers who delight in classic, puzzle-box mysteries and love watching a shrewd defense attorney outsmart the police.
Content notes
- murder
- police interrogation
About the book
"Mr. Mason, I'm going to confide in you." Daphne Milfield paused, and seemed to brace herself. The ringing of the telephone froze the words on her lips.
"Perhaps that's your husband now," Perry Mason suggested.
She picked up the receiver. "Why no, I don't know a Mr. Tragg... Lieutenant Tragg? No, I don't... He does?... He is?..." "The nerve of that man!" she exclaimed, dropping the receiver back in place. "He's on his way up here."
"Lieutenant Tragg is from headquarters -- homicide," Mason said. "Who do you know that's been murdered?"
"Good heavens! No one, except perhaps my..." "Go on." "No! No! No one."
"Were you about to say 'my husband'?"
Description from Open Library.
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