The Case of the Caretaker's Cat

Review: I was recently traveling with my mother-in-law and we came across the James Dean Gallery and Museum in Fairmont, Indiana where they sold memorabilia along with some antiques. There I found several old pocket-sized books that I bought on impulse. Mostly I bought them because I love books and couldn't resist buying a few mysteries from the 1930's.

This book was a rather quick read and I truly enjoyed it. I have never read anything by Gardner before, but may look for other books of his in the future. It was filled with many twists and turns that kept me guessing as to who the actual killer was. Since I am not familiar with the Perry Mason storyline, (I may have only seen one of the movies made from the series), it seemed like a new tale and rather fun to be a part of.

In terms of style, the book flowed very easily. Climaxes and twists happened at all the right times to keep the reader invested in the storyline. I really didn't want to put the book down and was itching to get back to it when I had, which is something I look for in a book. The characters were also very believable and richly fleshed out. Mason was shown as a dashing, devilish, and highly intelligent man whom seemed to enjoy taunting the other lawyers and policemen. That alone made the story a great read, you wanted to see what he was going to do next.

Overall storyline was not all that original, but still a good read. It was a tale of greed leading to murder where some innocent people get caught in the crossfire. However, it was told in such a way that I wanted to know every little detail and to try to figure out who did it the same way I would in a 21st century mystery book today. Sometimes the simplest reasons or motives are the best ones to use.

If you enjoy a good, old fashioned mystery book from the 1930's era, then this book is for you. If you need all the bells and whistles of a new age mystery, then you most likely will not enjoy this book. All in all, I am glad that I spent the $2.50 at the James Dean Gallery for this little book and can't wait to read the other little book I bought by Agatha Christy.

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

I bought this book at a museum/gallery that sold antiques; I was not paid to do a review of this book.