The Case of the Shoplifter's Shoe

February 21, 2022
This fine Perry Mason whodunit from Gardner (1889–1970) opens with the legendary L.A. defense attorney and his assistant, Della Street, taking refuge in a department store from a downpour and witnessing a security guard’s attempts to arrest elderly Sarah Breel for shoplifting. The lawyer successfully intervenes, noting that even had Sarah moved items from one part of the store to another, she had not yet tried to leave with them without paying. Mason’s efforts earn the gratitude of Sarah’s niece, Virginia Trent, who later confides, to Mason’s surprise, that she did believe her aunt was planning to shoplift. Furthermore, Virginia suspects Sarah of stealing valuable diamonds that were entrusted to Virginia’s uncle, George Trent, a gem expert. After Mason agrees to look into the matter, he winds up investigating multiple murders that Sarah’s accused of committing. In court, Mason displays his usual brilliant cross-examination skills as the action builds to a highly satisfying climax. Gardner’s cleverness and mastery of trial details are amply on display in this entry in the American Mystery Classics series.

March 1, 2022
Some people regard lawyers as sharks, while others would like to hire one of those. Sara Breel was lucky. When a store detective tried to arrest her for shoplifting, the sharkiest shark of all, Perry Mason, happened to be nearby, looking for trouble. In a hilarious, sharply written scene--the dialogue is like a good vaudeville turn--Perry roars to Sarah's rescue, explaining why arresting her is illegal. So begins this latest entry in the American Mystery Classics series. It's an early Mason tale (1938), written before the series' elements had fully coalesced. There's no Lieutenant Tragg here, no prosecutor Ham Burger--just the young Perry, on the make, learning how to ""break people down."" Mason's good deed has gotten him permanently attached to Sarah, who we learn is up to something dodgier than shoplifting; suddenly she's on trial for murder. While we wait to watch Mason eviscerate his opponent, we can savor a vanished way of talking. There's something charming about hearing a movie called a ""picture show."" As a kind of origin story, this one's a treat.

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