{"product_id":"the-case-of-the-sulky-girl-a-perry-mason-mystery","title":"The Case of the Sulky Girl: A Perry Mason Mystery by Erle Stanley Gardner [rare books]","description":"\u003ch3 data-start=\"44\" data-end=\"89\"\u003eBook Summary\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"91\" data-end=\"244\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"relative -mx-px my-[-0.2rem] rounded px-px py-[0.2rem] transition-colors duration-100 ease-in-out\"\u003ePublished in \u003cstrong data-start=\"13\" data-end=\"31\"\u003eSeptember 1933\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cem data-start=\"33\" data-end=\"61\"\u003eThe Case of the Sulky Girl\u003c\/em\u003e is the second novel in Erle Stanley Gardner’s Perry Mason series\u003c\/span\u003e. \u003cspan class=\"relative -mx-px my-[-0.2rem] rounded px-px py-[0.2rem] transition-colors duration-100 ease-in-out\"\u003eIt introduces \u003cstrong data-start=\"14\" data-end=\"32\"\u003eFrances Celane\u003c\/strong\u003e, a 23‑year‑old heiress who is caught between love and inheritance: her father’s will grants her only $5,000 if she marries before turning 25, otherwise she stands to inherit over a million—but her uncle, \u003cstrong data-start=\"237\" data-end=\"254\"\u003eEdward Norton\u003c\/strong\u003e, has full control of the trust\u003c\/span\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"246\" data-end=\"322\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"relative -mx-px my-[-0.2rem] rounded px-px py-[0.2rem] transition-colors duration-100 ease-in-out\"\u003eDriven by frustration, Frances hires Perry Mason to challenge the trust terms. Despite Mason’s best efforts, Norton remains obstinate. Soon afterward Norton is found murdered in his study, and Frances’s secret husband, \u003cstrong data-start=\"219\" data-end=\"234\"\u003eRod Gleason\u003c\/strong\u003e, becomes the prime suspect. Initially the chauffeur is arrested, but Mason suspects a setup and dedicates himself to proving Gleason’s innocence. Through investigative work and courtroom strategy, Mason reveals a deeper scheme involving \u003cstrong data-start=\"472\" data-end=\"485\"\u003eblackmail\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong data-start=\"487\" data-end=\"503\"\u003eembezzlement\u003c\/strong\u003e, eyewitness deception, and layers of motive—all orchestrated to frame Gleason\u003c\/span\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"324\" data-end=\"400\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"relative -mx-px my-[-0.2rem] rounded px-px py-[0.2rem] transition-colors duration-100 ease-in-out\"\u003eThe story culminates in a high‑stakes trial where Mason allows the prosecution’s case to linger—only to deliver a decisive blow at the pivotal moment. The real killer is unmasked in dramatic courtroom fashion, and justice is served just in time to protect Frances and her unborn child from wrongful conviction\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-start=\"407\" data-end=\"453\"\u003eAbout the Author — \u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"455\" data-end=\"695\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"relative -mx-px my-[-0.2rem] rounded px-px py-[0.2rem] transition-colors duration-100 ease-in-out\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eErle Stanley Gardner \u003c\/strong\u003e(July 17, 1889 – March 11, 1970) was an American lawyer‑turned‑novelist, famed as the creator of \u003cstrong data-start=\"118\" data-end=\"133\"\u003ePerry Mason\u003c\/strong\u003e, the brilliant defense attorney who became a pop‑culture icon\u003c\/span\u003e. \u003cspan class=\"relative -mx-px my-[-0.2rem] rounded px-px py-[0.2rem] transition-colors duration-100 ease-in-out\"\u003eGardener studied law informally, passed the California bar in 1911, and initially defended underprivileged clients before turning to writing full time. His legal background deeply informed the realistic courtroom procedures and strategy in his fiction\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"relative -mx-px my-[-0.2rem] rounded px-px py-[0.2rem] transition-colors duration-100 ease-in-out\"\u003eGardner was extraordinarily prolific: at his peak he dictated more than a million words per year, wrote dozens of Mason novels (over 80 in the series), and became one of the best‑selling American authors of the 20th century, with tens of millions of books in circulation\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"\" data-state=\"delayed-open\" aria-describedby=\"radix-«r1b»\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ms-1 inline-flex max-w-full items-center relative top-[-0.094rem] animate-[show_150ms_ease-in]\" aria-describedby=\"radix-«r1b»\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Erle_Stanley_Gardner?utm_source=chatgpt.com\" rel=\"noopener\" alt=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Erle_Stanley_Gardner?utm_source=chatgpt.com\" class=\"flex h-4.5 overflow-hidden rounded-xl px-2 text-[9px] font-medium bg-token-text-primary! text-token-main-surface-primary! transition-colors duration-150 ease-in-out\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"relative start-0 bottom-0 flex h-full w-full items-center\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"flex h-4 w-full items-center justify-between overflow-hidden\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"max-w-full grow truncate overflow-hidden text-center\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Best of used books","offers":[{"title":"Used","offer_id":43879254753537,"sku":"2TU1TAJ9D-Used","price":99.0,"currency_code":"INR","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0421\/4299\/0495\/products\/TheCaseoftheSulkyGAPerryMasonMystery.jpg?v=1754117923","url":"https:\/\/bestofusedbooks.com\/products\/the-case-of-the-sulky-girl-a-perry-mason-mystery","provider":"Best Of Used Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}