| My current guilty pleasure is binging the old Perry Mason TV shows. (I’m currently 68 episodes in, with total of 271) I watched these back in the 60s, when I was too young to remember anything except Hamilton Burger whining to the judge whenever Mason pulled a smart move in court. This is pulp fiction at its finest. Based on the Erle Stanley Gardner novels, they are more hard-boiled detective than L.A. Law, wallowing in femme fatales, damsels in distress, tough guys, lying clients, black mail, infidelity, double-crosses, and the inevitable, fiery, courtroom confrontation. One of my other guilty pleasures is nit-picking the difference between books and their screen adaptations. I read The Case of the Careless Kitten, which was adapted in an episode by the same name (Season 8, Episode 24). The book is a fast, fun read (and one of the reasons this newsletter did not come out last week). Happily, while the TV adaptation simplified the plot to fit into an hour, the story remains true to the original. I also enjoy the minimal settings in black and white, with the camera lingering on the performances. Not sure this is your cup of tea? Head over to IMDb and read the episode titles. With names like “The Case of the Borrowed Brunette” and “The Case of the Sleepy Slayer”, it’s an entertaining way to spend a few minutes. |
Lia Anderson Dog Park Mysteries by C.A. Newsome 