The Case of the Amorous Aunt (A Perry Mason Mystery)

This was the first Perry Mason book I read and I've became a fan since then. The story moved so fast I couldn't put the book down till it ended. Its a shame that most Perry Mason books are out of print, because the younger generation don't know what they are missing.

The Case of the Amorous Aunt, by Erle Stanley Gardner This book is dedicated to Dr. Manuel Merino Alcántara, Professor of Legal Medicine and Sub-Director of the Mexican Forensic Institute. An autopsy can uncover the facts of a murder so no subsequent fabrication can cover it up. A medical examiner will find clues that a less thoroughly trained individual could miss. The official autopsies in Mexico City are about equal in number to New York city. A young couple come to Perry Mason on a matter of life and death. Linda's wealthy widowed aunt has fallen in love with a stranger, withdrawn a small fortune, and traveled to Los Angeles. Linda is sure her aunt's fiancee is planning to murder her for her money. Perry Mason suggests they hire a private investigator to investigate the aunt's fiancee. They find that this fiancee, aside from his name, does not seem to exist. His bank account emptied and closed, his car sold, his apartment closed out, and no known friends and associates. All fingerprints were wiped clean! Perry Mason learns that the aunt and her fiancee will be going to Arizona to get married. Perry, Della, and Paul fly to Yuma to further investigate. Most of the story takes place here, not in Los Angeles. They miss the sought couple at the state line inspection station, but locate them later. Linda's boyfriend shows up; he had tried to follow the pair. The aunt's fiancee is later found poisoned, and the aunt is arrested for the murder! Many surprising events continue to happen until the very end. [Note how some seeming minor character in the background turns out to be the real killer.] The very active Perry Mason earns his fee by defending the aunt. The villains are exposed at the end so justice triumphs. This fast moving story has as many surprises as an amusement park ride in a "haunted house". This book is limited by the censorship of its day, but you can read between the lines.