The Ehrengraf Fandango is the twelfth short story featuring the lawyer Martian H.
Ehrengraf. He has a small room at his home reserved for attorney-client
meetings. The room is a bit reminiscent of such a room at a police station as
both the table and the chairs are bolted to the floor. The surroundings lean
towards the austere and Ehrengraf may or may not be recording everything that goes
on in the room. It is not exactly clear from the start that he pushes the legal
boundaries hard if not flat out obliterating them. That talent comes in handy
with his latest client, Cheryl Plumley, as the story begins.
The entire world knows she fired the
gun that killed three people in a house on Woodbridge Avenue. She has no memory
of actually going into the home and shooting Mary Beth and Richard Kuhldreyer
as well as their neighbor, Patricia Munk. While her only explanation other
than sheer madness for the crime would be satanic intervention, Ehrengraf has a
much more down to earth explanation. Not only does he know how he can help her
with the case, he has a few other ideas to help her and her future.
Along with a touch here and there of
subtle humor, The Ehrengraf Fandango by Lawrence Block is a complicated
multiple case mystery. The Plumley case is just part of a much larger tale in
this work. Martian H. Ehrengraf is a lawyer who bends the law to suit himself
and enjoys the fruit of his labors in the process. He only defends innocent
clients and he never loses a case. If you need his services it is always best
to pay his free promptly and without delay.
Also present at the end of the book
is the original introduction to the first story, The Ehrengraf Defense, written
by Edward D. Hoch for the 1978 initial appearance in Ellery Queen’s mystery
magazine. That is followed by two different afterwards from the author, first
in 1994 and then 2014. Those pieces by Hoch and author Lawrence Block provide
intriguing details about the dapper lawyer, the other eleven tales in the
series, as well as publishing in general.
Material was picked up to read and
review when the author made it free back in January.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2016
Good review. Lawrence Block can write a good story (or book) in his sleep almost. He started out good and now it may naturally.
ReplyDeleteThank you.
ReplyDeleteThis was the first one of this series I had ever read/reviewed. Hope to have my review of his new overlain up in a few days.