The Case Of The Shoplifter'S Shoe by Erle Stanley Gardner

Book Summary

In the thirteenth Perry Mason novel (published in 1938), Mason and his secretary Della Street take shelter from a rainstorm in a department store. They witness a security guard trying to arrest Sarah Breel, an elderly woman accused of shoplifting. Mason intervenes, arguing that she hasn’t yet attempted to leave without paying—successfully postponing her arrest.

Sarah’s niece, Virginia Trent, later admits that she believed her aunt intended to steal. Meanwhile, valuable diamonds entrusted to Sarah by her uncle George Trent go missing. Although a gem dealer vouches for Sarah, he is soon found murdered. With no one else to defend her, Sarah is accused of double homicide—and Mason takes the case What begins as a minor shoplifting incident evolves into multiple murders, courtroom drama, and twisty revelations. The narrative moves into high gear as Mason’s trademark courtroom tactics and cross‑examinations build toward a dramatic climax. Reviewers praise Gardner's swift pacing, complex plotting, and sharp dialogue throughout the novel .

About the Author — 

Erle Stanley Gardner (July 17, 1889 – March 11, 1970) was an American lawyer‑turned‑author, best known for creating Perry Mason, the iconic defense‑attorney detective. Born in Malden, Massachusetts, he moved extensively in his youth due to his father’s mining‑engineer career, living in remote regions of California, Oregon, and the Klondike.

Gardner passed the California bar in 1911 and practiced law in Oxnard and later Ventura, representing marginalized communities and developing unconventional courtroom tactics—some of which later inspired Mason’s fictional strategies . In the early 1920s he began writing pulp fiction under pseudonyms like A. A. Fair, Carleton Kendrake, and Charles J. Kenny, eventually dictating up to 1.2 million words annually at his peak productivity .

His first Perry Mason novel, The Case of the Velvet Claws, appeared in 1933. Gardner went on to publish 82 Mason novels and wrote extensively in other mystery and legal‑thriller genres. His books sold hundreds of millions of copies in the U.S., establishing him as one of the best‑selling American writers of the 20th century .

Gardner also founded the Court of Last Resort in the 1940s—a legal advocacy project dedicated to reviewing questionable convictions—showcasing his lifelong passion for justice beyond fiction