The Case of the Careless Kitten — Erle Stanley Gardner

The lawyer who inspired the HBO series unravels a mystery surrounding a back-from-the-dead banker in “one of the best of the Perry Mason tales” (The New York Times).
 
Helen Kendal's woes begin when she receives a phone call from her vanished uncle Franklin, long presumed dead, who urges her to contact criminal defense attorney Perry Mason; soon after, she finds herself the main suspect in the murder of an unfamiliar man. Her kitten has just survived a poisoning attempt, as has her aunt Matilda, the woman who always maintained that Franklin was alive.
 
Lucky that Helen took her uncle's advice―Mason immediately takes her as a client. But while it's clear that the occurrences are connected, and that their connection will prove her innocence, the links are too obscure to be recognized even by the attorney's brilliantly deductive mind. Risking disbarment for his unorthodox methods, he endeavors to outwit the police and solve the puzzle himself, enlisting the help of his secretary Della Street, his private eye Paul Drake, and the unlikely but invaluable aid of a careless but very clever kitten in the process.
 
The Case of the Careless Kitten is one of the most acclaimed cases in the iconic Perry Mason series, which need not be read in any particular order, from Edgar Award winner Erle Stanley Gardner.
 
“This vintage case shows America's lawyer taking on a delightfully unexpected role. There's strong supporting work by the eponymous kitten, to boot.” -- Kirkus Reviews
 
“Races along at breakneck speed . . . eccentric characters, complex motives, and -- as always -- a delicately nuanced presentation of the special relationship between Perry and his faithful secretary.” -- Publishers Weekly