Cover of The Case of the Beautiful Beggar

The Case of the Beautiful Beggar

  • 1960 first published
  • 253 pages
  • 14 editions

The Case of the Beautiful Beggar is a 1960 angel fiction novel by Erle Stanley Gardner. Readers will find themes of Perry Mason, California, lawyers and Legal.

32 Open Library readers have it on their want-to-read list. It has been published in 14 editions.

It runs to roughly 253 pages — 4–5 hours of reading at an average pace.

About The Case of the Beautiful Beggar

A very beautiful young woman approaches Perry Mason with a strange request: her uncle Mr. Horace Shelby has given her a check for $12500 and wants her to immediately meet Mason and together go to the bank to withdraw money. She had gone for a 3 month vacation and had come back to find this letter waiting for her. Mason and Daphne Shelby go to the bank to withdraw the amount. That's when they are shocked to find out that the account is empty. Daphne Shelby had spent her life caring for her elderly uncle. When his half-brother showed up, with his wife and a friend, they convinced the uncle that Daphne was overworked and needed a vacation. This gave them the chance to drug the uncle and have him committed. The half-brother told the court that Daphne wasn't really the old man's niece but the illegitimate daughter of his deceased housekeeper. It seems like her uncle's half brother Finchley has been appointed as the Conservator for Shelby's wealth as it was proven in court that Shelby was incompetent to handle his financial affairs. All this happened when Daphne was away. She goes home to find uncle Shelby missing and Finchley and his wife has taken over the house. They asked her to move out immediately. Penniless and homeless she goes back to Mason. Its up to Mason, his able Secretary Della Street and Mason's sharp friend, detective Paul Drake to help Daphne and find out where Horace Shelby is.
Description from Open Library

Themes, setting & tropes

Genres

Subjects

  • Trials, Murder
  • Perry Mason
  • Mason, Perry
  • Detective and mystery stories
  • California
  • Lawyers
  • Los angeles, Calif.
  • Mason, perry
  • Legal
  • Mystery & detective

Quick answers

Who wrote The Case of the Beautiful Beggar?

The Case of the Beautiful Beggar was written by Erle Stanley Gardner and first published in 1960.

What genre is The Case of the Beautiful Beggar?

It is usually shelved as Angel Fiction.

How long is The Case of the Beautiful Beggar?

The median edition has 253 pages, about 4–5 hours of reading at 250 words per minute.

What books are similar to The Case of the Beautiful Beggar?

Readers who like it often enjoy The Long Goodbye, The Chill and The Brass Verdict.

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