In one of Perry Mason's most memorable cases ever, the lawyer risks his freedom to prove the innocence of an unidentified client.The bait is half of a $10,000 bill, delivered to Perry Mason by a man who promises the second half of the note should his companion, a silent masked woman, ever require the lawyer's services. When a dead body is discovered soon after, Mason feels the hook—but how can one prove the innocence of a person whose identity is unknown? Suspecting that he's been set-up, but curious nonetheless, Perry sets out to solve the mystery from the ground up, beginning with the face behind the veil. The more he learns, the more complex his investigation becomes. Uncovering a convoluted case of stock fraud, divorce, and inheritance, Mason's nearly left reeling—that is until, with the help of Della Street and Paul Drake, he pulls off one of his most daring gambits ever to finally cast light on the killer.Filled with...

The Case of the Calendar Girl (1958) – Mason masterfully defends a man accused of murdering a corrupt politician by shoving the blame onto a model. When the model is accused of murder using the evidence Mason uncovered, Perry defends her.

The Case of the Fiery Fingers (1951) – Mason defends a woman twice--once on theft charges, and then on murder charges.This is one of the most unusual cases that attorney Perry Mason ever takes. It starts with a nurse entering his office and claiming that the husband (Bain) of the woman she takes care of is trying to kill his wife. Bain has offered the nurse $500 to give his wife some pills that he claims are additional medication not prescribed by her doctor. Mason has the one of the pills examined and it turns out to contain aspirin. The nurse has also gone to the police and they dismissed her concerns.The plot immediately deepens as some members of the wife's family arrive and are very critical of Bain, considering him to be a scoundrel that marries for money. When it becomes clear that Bain has been carrying on an affair with another woman and what appears to be a partial will written by the wife appears, there are many players in the mix. The wife is murdered via arsenic poisoning in a set of pills and the deceased sister is put on trial for the murder and Mason is her attorney. The story then takes a classic Mason plot turn in that his client looks very guilty and although some of the others look bad, there appears to be no other explanation for the death. Suddenly, Mason has an inspiration and is able to set a trap that exposes the true killer.Distinctive in the opening chapter, this case starts with one of the most unusual premises then settles down into the Mason formula of deceptive clients that appear guilty and Mason aggressively pursuing his client's interests to the limits of the law. In this one, Gardner is able to effectively disguise the true murderer until the last few pages, although in retrospect there are a few clues dropped on previous pages. 

4 novelets and 3 short stories by the creator of PERRY MASON and the best-selling American mystery writer of all time.

The Case of the Bigamous Spouse (1961) – Gwynn Elston, door-to-door saleswoman, finds herself implicated in the murder of her best friend's new husband.

The Case of the Step-Daughter's Secret (1963) – Blackmail leads to murder on a yacht and a cash-filled purse on the bottom of the ocean weighted down with a gun.

A beautiful coed is raped and murdered. Only one clue is found, so small that it is invisible to the naked eye. Can such a tiny lead bring a murderer to justice?