Perry Mason: Case of the Mandarin Murder - Audiogenic RRP œ19.95
     (Text game with optional graphics for PC and ST)

                Reviewed by "Kedenan"

Earle Stanley Gardner is the number one best selling mystery
writer of all time, according to the Guinness Book of World's
Records.  Creator of Perry Mason and of eighty five books of which
Perry Mason is the hero, he was himself a member of the bar and is
considered to be the dean of American mystery fiction.  His books
were the basis for the well known television series and one is
here produced for the computer by The Telarium Corporation,
written in SAL and can be played with or without graphics.

"Perry Mason: The Case of the Mandarin Murder" is the first
interactive mystery to use the world famous criminal lawyer, it
also presents a breakthrough in interactive fiction: the
co-operation of the characters and jury changes as a direct result
of your interactions with them, in addition, you can do virtually
everything that a courtroom lawyer can do, from cross examining
witnesses to introducing evidence.

THE STORY:
Her name is Laura Knapp and it looks as though she is in trouble,
when she calls upon you at 7pm in the evening.  It doesn't take
long to find that her husband wants to divorce her; not your
favourite case at that time in the evening.  But then, it's not
like Perry Mason to leave an attractive young woman in distress
either, especially when her husband is Victor Knapp, the most
famous restaurateur in Los Angeles.

You therefore take the case, and what a case it turns out to be,
because barely twelve hours later, Victor Knapp is dead -
murdered.  Laura is in jail, charged with the crime, and facing
trial very soon.

Only she swears that she didn't do it.  You think that she might
be right.

You'll have to work fast and smart, investigate at the scene of
the alleged crime and dig into peoples lives.  Like Russell
Miller, the food critic whose career was ruined when he gave
Victor's restaurant a bad review and Margot Duboq, Knapp's chef,
and the secret of his success, who seems to have a secret of her
own.  And the Masters couple, Julian and Suzanne, he a bitter
partner of Knapp's, and she reputedly a very close friend.

You'll have the help of your Secretary, Della Street and that wily
detective Paul Drake. You'll be up against your old foes, Lt Tragg
and prosecuting council Hamilton Burger.

If you're good you will be able to convince the jury that your
client isn't the killer.  If you're very good (after all, you are
Perry Mason), the real murderer will break down and confess - but
only after you have figured out the true, twisted story.

Of course for a person of your talents it should be just another
day at the office......

To start the adventure on the PC place Disc A in the drive, and
use the command INSTALL1 for 1 disc drive, or INSTALL2 for 2 disc
drives.  After you have just loaded the game, prepare a SAVE disc
- see manual. - otherwise you will not be able to save, so have a
formatted disc ready.