Customer Reviews

The Case of the Turning Tide

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The 'Foreword' says real murder cases show truth is stranger than fiction and much more exciting. Murder mysteries are escape fiction and highly standardized. This book has the events streaming across the pages as would happen in real life. Any clues are the ones that would occur naturally. Gardner says this story has some of the thrills found in real murder cases. In Chapter 1 Ted Shale, a paper salesman, is on the beach hoping to meet Addison Stearne, the owner of hotels, in order to make a sale. Shale sees a girl fall off a yacht and grabs a rowboat to rescue Nita Moline from the sea. Joan Harpler, the owner of a yacht, swims to help in the rescue. When they bring Nita back to the yacht they find the bodies of Addison Stearne and C. Arthur Right. The police are called, D.A. Frank Duryea arrives, the murder investigation begins. There are complications in this story.

Chapter 3 introduces us to Milred Duryea's grandfather. Gramps Wiggins is the black sheep of the family who travels with a home-made house trailer and is resourceful. Visitors on Catalina Island have to go to the telephone office for long-distance calls (Chapter 7). Chapter 8 illustrates how a private detective works. There is an exchange of opinions (Chapter 10). Elwell & Fielding's secretary notices little things (Chapter 12). Gramps Wiggins also notices little things (Chapter 14). He also has a good idea (Chapter 17) and it works (Chapter 18). Does the turning tide affect the position of a moored yacht (Chapter 19)? Would the position of the found objects time the crime? Is there a clue in a brand-new bathing suit (Chapter 28)? The surprising solution to the murders occurs in the last chapter.

There are a lot of interesting characters in this fast-paced complicated plot. Both love and money are behind the murders. Do those who seem guilty at first turn out to be merely suspicious because of their actions?

Having read, I think, every single one of the eighty-six Perry Mason mystery novels, plus two or three of his other novels, as well as his masterful non-fiction work, The Court of Last Resort, I was delighted and greatly pleased at Gardner's supped-up writing in this particular work.

Gardner started writing pulp fiction in the 1920's, continuing with more serious material until his death in 1970. He was an amazing writer who wrote four of his books at a time, using a Dictaphone and several typists. I've read that he seldom or never rewrote anything once dictated! That seems incredible to me. Shades of the genius Mozart!

Turning Tide is not a Perry Mason mystery, but I can't imagine any Mason fan not loving this tale. Gardner admitted in the Intro that he was trying something a little different: this was to be a presented with a more `natural development'. All the elements we've come to love about Gardner's writing are here - precise, uncluttered rhetoric delivered in a fast-paced narrative with credible surprises. And more.

What he has added in this story are powerfully descriptive passages and delightfully developed characters - a handful of colorful characters from society's overlooked concern - a little social justice, and a lot of humorous banter, high-falutin sarcasm, irony - at times, downright tongue-in-cheek fun - fun at the genre and people's readiness to jump to conclusions. This 1941 novel is absolutely remarkable and fresh and will be a treasure to all Gardner fans, and, if one has never read him before - can there be such people? - will make new loyal enthusiasts!