Books › The case of the shoplifter's shoe
The case of the shoplifter's shoe
First published 1938 · 347 pages
A sharp, classic legal mystery where a petty crime spirals into a high-stakes murder defense.
What it feels like
Reading this classic legal mystery feels like stepping into a sharply tailored suit of logic and deduction. Set against the backdrop of Los Angeles, the narrative moves at a brisk, confident pace, pulling the reader from a seemingly simple department store dispute into a tangled web of stolen diamonds and murder. The mood is tense but grounded by the unwavering competence of its central sleuthing attorney, offering a satisfying sense of order being restored to a chaotic situation. The prose is direct and focused, prioritizing the mechanics of the mystery and the thrill of the defense. It is a perfect fit for readers who delight in golden-age detective fiction and the intellectual satisfaction of watching a brilliant legal mind at work.
- Mood
- intriguing
- tense
- urban
- Tone
- analytical
- confident
- suspenseful
- professional
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- the presumption of innocence · unraveling deception · legal maneuvering · hidden motives
- The writing
- Direct, observant, and focused on the sharp mechanics of legal sleuthing and deduction.
- The arc
- Moves from mild curiosity over a petty crime to high-stakes tension as a murder accusation demands a rigorous defense.
- Who it's for
- Fans of classic courtroom dramas and golden-age detective fiction who love watching a brilliant mind dismantle an accusation.
Content notes
- murder
- theft
About the book
After a thieving woman is accused of murder, it’s up to Perry Mason to prove her innocent Sleuthing attorney Perry Mason can’t resist a good mystery, so when he sees an older woman being accused of shoplifting during a department store outing with his assistant, Della Street, he doesn’t hesitate to intervene. Armed with an assumption of innocence and the legal acumen to silence her accuser, Mason leaps to the woman’s defense―until her niece appears, acknowledging her aunt’s guilt, and pays for the stolen items. Soon thereafter, Aunt Sarah is accused of stealing a valuable set of diamonds, and her niece, Virginia, enlists Mason’s aid. The man who left the jewels in Sarah’s care insists that she didn’t take them, but when he turns up dead, she’s left with nobody to vouch for her. Nobody, that is, but Perry Mason―expert in the art of defending the innocent.
Description from Open Library.
Books like The case of the shoplifter's shoe
See why they match
Farewell, My LovelyRaymond ChandlerA neon-lit descent into the glamorous, rotting heart of 1940s Los Angeles, guided by a cynical knight in a trench coat.
The Big SleepRaymond ChandlerA rain-slicked descent into a glamorous but rotting city, guided by a cynical knight in a trench coat.
"E" is for evidenceSue GraftonA crisp, sun-drenched procedural where a fiercely independent investigator must rely entirely on her own wits to dismantle a frame-up.
The brass verdictMichael ConnellyA razor-sharp collision of courtroom chess and street-level grit where the law and justice are rarely the same thing.
"G" is for gumshoeSue GraftonA sun-baked, high-stakes game of cat and mouse where a fiercely independent detective must navigate both a hitman's crosshairs and her own guarded heart.
Deadly NightshadeElizabeth DalyA literate, slow-burn descent into the dark secrets hiding beneath the polite veneer of a rustic Maine summer.