Review of "The D. A. Calls It Murder," by Erle Stanley Gardner

 Review of

The D. A. Calls It Murder, by Erle Stanley Gardner

Three out of five stars

Much slower pace than most Gardner tales

 This story involves the main character of Douglas Shelby, the District Attorney of Madison City. When a rather nondescript clergyman is found dead in the Madison Hotel and the cause of death seems to be an accidental overdose of sleeping powder, there is pressure to close the case. However, Shelby has his doubts and keeps the investigation open.

 The case moves rather methodically, until it is proven that the man was in fact murdered. Unlike the much more dynamic Perry Mason stories by Gardner, this one has no real high point of tension. The dialog is also much tamer than in the Mason stories and this one lacks the high tension between Mason and the members of law enforcement. It is clear from reading this book how critical those relationships are to the success of the Mason series.

 As a mystery, this one has some of the requisite twists and turns. However, it lacks riveting dialog or a great deal of action. In that sense, as a fan of the Mason stories, I found this one disappointing and somewhat dull.

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