Beware the Curves

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This is one of the best Bertha Cool/Donald Lam stories, simply because it emphasizes Gardner's strength, courtroom drama. It begins with a client making what appears to be a simple request of the Cool agency, to find a couple that the client encountered many years ago when they were on their honeymoon many years ago. The client was able to provide enough information so it only took Donald a few hours to track them down. However, the client is not what he claims and Donald and Bertha are enmeshed in an old murder where the client is the suspect and has been a fugitive since the murder. Donald is his usual talented self and he really shines when their client is put on trial for first-degree murder. Donald is able to advise the lawyer for the defense, moving him down a path that leads to an acquittal. The courtroom scene was very much in the mold of Perry Mason, where there is a last minute legal revelation. The plot is convoluted; Donald schemes and stays a step ahead of the law and all opposition, which includes the law and all guilty parties. With many twists, turns and some irrelevancies, this is a book that keeps you interested and entertained.