Bigger They Come
Bigger They Come by Erle Stanley Gardner is a reprint edition published by National Geographic Books on October 4, 2022. This 288-page novel introduces readers to Bertha Cool, the tough head of a private detective agency, and her new hire, Donald Lam, who compensates for his meekness with sharp deductive skills. Together, they embark on a quest to locate a missing person, navigating a complex web of crime and deception.
In this engaging mystery, Donald Lam’s assignment to deliver divorce papers leads him into a world filled with rigged slot machines and elusive suspects. The narrative showcases the contrasting dynamics between the gruff Bertha and the nervous Donald, highlighting their unique partnership in solving crimes. With elements of hard-boiled fiction and a humorous tone, this novel offers a blend of puzzling scenarios that will appeal to fans of detective stories and historical mysteries. The edition also includes discussion guide questions, making it suitable for book clubs.
Official synopsis Publisher
A private detective searches for a missing person in this “breathlessly dramatic” (Los Angeles Times) whodunnit from the creator of Perry Mason
Bertha Cool is the gruff, tough-talking, corpulent head of her private detective agency, opened after the death of her husband; Donald Lam is her meek, slight, and nervy new hire, who makes up for a lack of boldness with brilliant deductive work. The duo couldn’t be any more dissimilar but, with their skills combined, they are an unstoppable force when it comes to solving crimes, as evidenced by their over two dozen successes in the long-running series penned by Perry Mason creator Erle Stanley Gardner.
In this, their first outing, Donald Lam is tasked with delivering divorce papers to a man who reportedly made a fortune in rigged slot machines. The only problem is that nobody—not even the police—can find him. Before long, Lam’s seemingly-simple assignment finds him caught up in a web of money, mysterious safety deposit boxes, and a gang of toughs every bit as desperate as he is to find the runaway husband.
Reissued for the first time in decades, and originally published under the A.A. Fair pen name, The Bigger They Come is an enjoyable private eye novel replete with puzzling scenarios and a humorous tone. As fast and twisty as anything Gardner ever wrote, the novel (and the series it spawned) is more Paul Drake than Perry Mason, but it is sure to please any fan of the Golden Age whodunnit.
Includes discussion guide questions for use in book clubs.
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