| Harley Raymand returns to Kenvale, California as a Purple Heart veteran of the war. All he really wants is time to convalesce in the peaceful atmosphere of his hometown. He is invited to stay at the cabin of some family friends and finds himself in the middle of a murder mystery that only Perry Mason can solve.
Adele Blane is the daughter of a well to do banker. Her family owns the cabin. As the story line goes it appears that she an Harley were more that a little friendly in the past. On the fateful day, she drives Harley up to the family cabin just to help “air the place out“. She does a bit of spring cleaning and Harley falls asleep under a tree in the nearby woods. However his sleep is not restful as he keeps hearing the sound of a ticking clock. Not believing there is actually a clock buried in the woods, he moves to another location and falls fast asleep. When Adele finally wakes him, he tells her of the strange sound he heard. Upon investigation they find that there is actually a clock lightly buried in the location where Harley had lain down. They rebury the clock respectfully not wanting to disturb someone else's property but are put off by such a strange occurrence. About that time Jack Hardisty arrives. He is the husband of Adele's sister Milicent and an employee at her father's bank. A character that is not liked by many for good reason of his shallow friendliness and money grubbing ways. At first they hide in the bushes only to see him remove a gardening spade from his car. Jack catches a glimpse of the two lurking and quickly tosses the shovel back. Such an odd thing that both the couple take note. Neither Adele or Harley particularly enjoy Jack's company so they leave him to his devices after a brief exchange. Later Mr. Hardisty turns up more that a little stiff. The police really only look at one suspect. Mrs. Hardisty was also seen in the area of the cabin that day and had a good reason for wanting her disloyal husband dead. Mr. Blane, a doting father, calls in the best…who would be none other than Perry Mason. The father is sure of his daughter's innocence and wants Perry to prove it. Perry gets wind of the mysterious buried clock and can't resist the challenge. But the clock has been moved from it's original location and nobody seems to know where it went. He begins the investigation along with his loyal sidekick Della Street and his invaluable P. I. friend Paul Drake. Using Harley Raymand as an inside man, they interview a whole cast of fascinating characters who live in the mountainous region. | ||
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Plot & Themes Tone of story - suspenseful (sophisticated fear) How difficult to spot villain? - Very difficult--no foreshadowing/clues Time/era of story: What % of story relates directly to the mystery, not the subplot? - nearly 100% Special suspect? - lover Misc. Murder Plotlets - Proving innocence of very obvious suspect Kind of investigator Kid or adult book? - Adult or Young Adult Book Any non-mystery subplot? descript. of violence and chases - 10 % Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 50 % Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 20 % How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 20 % Crime Thriller Yes Murder Mystery (killer unknown) Yes Main Character Gender - Male Profession/status: Age: - 40's-50's Ethnicity/Race Unusual characteristics: Main Adversary Identity: - Male Age: - long-lived adults Profession/status: Motive of antagonist - money/treasure How sensitive is this character? Intelligence - Average intelligence Setting United States Yes The US: - California Mountains/Cliffs Yes Mountains: - climbing on trails Small town? Yes Small town people: - nice, like Andy/Opie/Aunt Bee Writing Style Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment Amount of dialog - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog |
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