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I finished The Case of the Vagabond Virgin by Erle Stanley Gardner. I love these early Perry Mason books where he is presented as something as a shyster who will go any length—legal or otherwise—for a client. The later books, in which Mason is much more respectable and would never think of planting evidence or forging a check to a blackmailer seem to be less interesting. It's always been my understanding that the character was modified in response to criticism from Gardner's fellow lawyers who felt the character portrayed their profession in a bad light. That being said, in this book, there was not one, but two bonehead stunts pulled by Mason, both of which had the potential to see him disbarred. The second was a disappointment, as it seemed not only unnecessary but the resolution consisted merely of no one ever discovering what he had done. The first was far more fun, as it seemed certain that he was headed for public housing, especially as he was headed for the police department for questioning and told his secretary Della that he would take care of a certain matter when he got back, and Lt. Tragg corrected, "If he gets back."
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