The D.A. Calls It Murder

In a small town north of Los Angeles, Doug Selby claims narrow victory in a hotly-contested race for District Attorney. Then his troubles begin: First, when the local paper, supportive of the incumbent, immediately launches an effort to get Selby recalled. And then there’s the murdered man that turns up in the very hotel that housed Selby’s campaign headquarters. If he can quickly solve the case, Selby will prove that he deserves his new position; if not, he risks providing more fodder to his enemies at The Blade.

What follows is a fast-paced and twisty investigation involving a famous actress, a stolen identity, and plenty of red herrings as Selby, the sheriff, and a sympathetic journalist endeavor to determine whodunit. This clever Golden Age page-turner features the same legal acumen that fans expect from the author of the Perry Mason series and Erle Stanley Gardner’s signature snappy dialogue and quick plotting, as well.

Originally published in 1937 and reissued for the first time in over thirty years, The D.A. Calls It Murder is a classic legal mystery with a lead who starkly contrasts with Gardner’s more famous character. Doug Selby went on to star in eight more celebrated novels.