Erle Stanley Gardner, The Case of the Velvet Claws

Martin Kich (Wright State University)

The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 3.2.3: American (US) Writing and Culture: The Early Twentieth-century , 1900-1945.
Vol. editors: J. Michael Duvall (College of Charleston), Emory Elliott (University of California, Riverside), Dale Enggass (University of Utah), Matthew Hofer (University of New Mexico), Stephen E. Meats (Pittsburg State University), Tony Papanikolas (San Jose State University), Justin Parks (UiT - The Arctic University of Norway), Nick Selby (University of East Anglia)

Dates

First circulation or publication 1933

Places

United States (Country of Origin)

Genres and Modes

Crime and Detective
Novel

Resources

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This novel is the first in Erle Stanley Gardner’s series of eighty-two novels featuring criminal defense attorney Perry Mason. The novel introduces the characters who will remain the major characters throughout the series: Mason; Della Street, his secretary; and Paul Drake, the private detective on whom he relies. At the beginning of the series, Mason is a more hard-boiled character than he would be depicted in the popular television series starring Raymond Burr and in the later novels written with that portrayal in mind. In the earlier novels, he is willing not just to bend the law in defense of his clients, but even to cross the line that defines what is strictly legal—though he is careful to proceed in a manner that will minimize his legal liability. Early on, he is also…

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1795 words

Citation: Kich, Martin. "The Case of the Velvet Claws". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 17 July 2024 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=41662, accessed 07 September 2024.]

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