Don Von Elsner (1909–1997)

Von Elsner's book starts out quite well, with a lawyer being drawn into a complicated murder plot where all the evidence points to him! There are some pretty interesting characters and sappy dialogue, though on more than one occasion the author tries to get a little poetic but just comes across as silly. The structure of the book is interesting, beginning as a detective story before moving to a courtroom for a preliminary hearing with lots of Perry Mason-type surprises. By the time the book is finished, however, the incredible series of plot twists and the long series of explanations required at the end (including a bridge problem!) has completely worn the reader out and it is difficult to care about the outcome, sinking this book to the level of mediocre despite its promising elements.… (altro)