One author I failed to mentioned, because I rarely read him
any more, is Erle Stanely Gardner. I used to watch reruns of
the old *Perry Mason* TV series after school when I was a
kid, and when I found a several Mason novels cached in a
drawer at my Grandparents' house, I began to devour them.
Over time, the plots began to seem mechanically formulaic,
but to my 13-year-old self found Mason to be the perfect way
to transition from the Hardy Boys to adult mysteries. Given
the specific definition of "blown away," I guess I'd have to
say Uncle Erle blew me away more than anyone else. Though the
charm was not lingering and long-lasting, as it was with
Hammett, Chandler, or McBain, I still admire the
craftsmanship with which Gardner constructed his books.
JIM DOHERTY
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