I have always maintained that Earl Derr Biggers’ blend of romanticism and mystery is second to none. In this big book, which I’ve owned for ages — as well as various individual editions of the stories in both hardback and paperback — Charlie Chan’s five best cases bear that out, in my opinion. Biggers was almost on a par with M.M. Kaye in regard to lovely descriptive prose — at least within a mystery setting. That is on grand display here, and no more so than in the first one, The House Without a Key. It reads as a romantic novel which also happens to be a mystery.

The Black Camel is the only entry I’ll leave unreviewed, but it is a winner like the rest. Charlie is back in his lovely Hawaii in that one. Author Biggers gets to wallow in his passion for Hollywood and films, when an actress finishing a film on the islands meets murder. Charlie of course, can’t have that on his own piece of paradise.

Here is an overview of the other great Charlie Chan novels you get in this volume:


THE HOUSE WITHOUT A KEY

You can almost feel the gentle trade winds of Hawaii during the 1920s in this classic novel by Earl Derr Biggers. Romantic and full of atmosphere, this is a most enjoyable read that was our first introduction to Charlie Chan. Biggers was always a great romance writer who simply incorporated mystery into his books to propel the story forward. This is never more evident than in The House Without a Key.

The story centers on young and proper John Quincy Winterslip of Boston, who has been sent to retrieve the elder Minerva Winterslip from the 'semi-barbaric' Pacific Islands of Hawaii. When his ship stops in San Francisco on its journey to the islands, however, John Quincy's idea of who he is begins to change. The possibility that there is a world outside of Boston and Beacon Hill, has begun to take shape in Quincy's soul. A mysterious errand in an exciting and mysterious San Francisco for the black sheep of the family, Dan Winterslip, who is also living in Hawaii, will kick off an adventure that will, in the end, turn John into a man.

A murder shortly before John's arrival will reveal old family secrets from a time when Hawaii was wild and dangerous, and a port for all the world. John Quincy does not understand the nostalgia Minerva and others feel for this time in Hawaii's history, but soon discovers for himself that romance is alive in those trade winds blowing the palms fronds. John will meet Carlota Egan, a girl who could not be further away from the fiancée awaiting him back in Boston. As John Quincy begins to help his lovely cousin Barbara and Minerva get to the bottom of the murder, Boston seems more and more like a distant memory.

Luckily for John, Hawaii's best police detective will become his friend while helping to unravel the clues. That detective, of course, is Charlie Chan. An Asian who has been in Hawaii many years, Chan navigates the mystery with little to go on, but with much wisdom and humor. The Charlie Chan of The House Without a Key is subtle and endearing. Chan may be Chinese, but his very American take on a piece of pie with which he is unhappy he is a hoot!

Biggers truly makes both his characters and the islands of Hawaii come alive in the first novel in which Charlie Chan appeared. His descriptions of Hawaii as seen through the eyes of the characters are both nostalgic, and filled with beauty. The House Without a Key is that rare novel which can be read with pleasure by those who love a good mystery, or those who love a light and atmospheric romance. If both are your cup of tea, this great classic is definitely for you. It is a great read during summer, when things are bright and cheery, or during winter, when you want a tropical escape. The writing style is of another era, of course, but all the lovelier for it. A true mystery classic.


THE CHINESE PARROT

"Trifles sometimes blossom big. Detective business consist of one unsignificant detail placed beside other of same. Then with sudden dazzle, light begins to dawn." -- Charlie Chan to Bob Eden

Charlie's first trip to the Mainland is a sparkling adventure full of mystery and old-fashioned romance. It will take the Honolulu detective from exciting 1920s San Francisco to the purple desert.

As in the first Charlie Chan novel, The House Without a Key, Biggers writes a mystery and romance in which Charlie plays an integral part while not being the main focus. Beginning with Behind That Curtain, Charlie would be more at the forefront, the author using his romantic style to frame the mystery rather than the other way around. I must confess a special affection for the first two Charlie Chan novels featuring Charlie as the secondary lead. In The Chinese Parrot, it will be young Bob Eden who works hand-in-hand with our favorite Hawaiian detective from China, finding adventure and romance in one of Charlie's most perplexing cases.

San Francisco's Bob Eden is a young man about town until his father brokers Sally Jordan's expensive string of pearls. He is sent to meet her former houseboy, Charlie Chan, who is bringing them across the ocean on the President Pierce. From the moment he's shadowed at the dock, the young man without a care in the world finds himself in the greatest adventure of his life. He and Charlie will head to the desert to meet the buyer, with Charlie posing as a Chinese cook. They decide to stall rather than part with the pearls, however, after the words of a Chinese parrot indicate something terrible may have happened prior to their arrival. Harboring suspicions that a man has been murdered in this purple desert, the difficulty for Bob and Charlie rests in discovering who the victim was and who did the deed.

Just as John Quincy was at the heart of the action in The House Without a Key, so Bob Eden finds adventure and mystery far from home. Romance is found with Paula, a location scout for the movies. Biggers, who always had a fascination with the movies, works it deftly into this Chan entry when a murder weapon proves to have belonged to legendary silent Western star, William S. Hart.

A secretary, a gambling house, a dead man's clothes, and a second murder with a tangible body make up a complex and confusing mystery which has Charlie and Bob Eden stumped, not to mention the reader. Reporter Will Holley becomes an ally but just when they think they know who was killed at the ranch, and why, their theory is turned upside down and there seems to be no course of action but to hand over the pearls.

The exciting twist which follows, augmented by the only trick Charlie was ever to learn from the Japanese, makes for a fine and surprising end to all the intrigue and mystery in the desert. The blend of romance and mystery perfected by Biggers is one no modern mystery writer has ever come close to attaining. The Chinese Parrot is an old-fashioned and delightful mix of fun for mystery fans.


BEHIND THAT CURTAIN

"The moment has charm." -- Charlie Chan

Charlie Chan is in romantic San Francisco in Behind That Curtain, but he can feel the trade winds of Hawaii calling him back to Honolulu for the birth of his 11th child. Yet the romance of a misty San Francisco filled with the Orient beckon him to remain long enough to solve a crime.

Bill Rankin is the reporter bringing the visiting sleuth from Honolulu, together with Scotland Yard's, Sir Frederic Bruce, to write a feature based on their exploits. But it is Frederic's regrets in connection with an unsolved murder, and the seemingly unrelated disappearance of Eve Durand from India nearly 15 years prior, that haunt their conversation. Barry Kirk and the pretty young D.A. he's immediately smitten with, June Morrow, plead for Charlie to stay when Sir Frederic is murdered. There are as many suspects to ponder over as there are mysterious clues. But which is that elusive "essential clue" so beloved by Scotland Yard?

Charlie initially wants no part in the investigation. Only once onboard the S.S. Maui does Charlie overhear a conversation which has him rushing down the gangplank to join Barry and June. Captain Flannery's methods, however, are as heavy-handed as Charlie's are subtle. Charlie discovers evidence of two other missing young women, and suspects a possible connection to yet another unsolved murder. How does a world famous adventurer fit into the picture? Are the slippers the essential clue, or something else? In the end, of course, our favorite detective from the Islands realizes the clue has been there all along.

Behind That Curtain has so much atmosphere it washes over the reader like a sudden rain shower. 1920's San Francisco comes alive with cable cars, and quaint bungalows for shelter from the rain, beneath the delicate pen of Earl Derr Biggers. Dark passages and murder do exist in Biggers's mysteries, but he always allows the elegant Chan to guide us away from danger, and towards romance.

There is an innocence to the romance between Barry and June indicative of another time, as is the writing style of Biggers. Both Biggers and his creation, Charlie Chan, are at the top of their game here, funny and wise. The final scenes hold humor and a dash of romance. Behind That Curtain offers one of the most charming endings of any entry in the Charlie Chan canon. A must read for those who like their mysteries very old-fashioned, and a bit on the romantic side.


KEEPER OF THE KEYS

"Man who buries treasure in the snow, forgets that summer is coming." -- Charle Chan

Hawaii's Charlie Chan gets his first look at snow in Keeper of the Keys. In another first for the Chinese detective from Honolulu, this mystery will move Chan to facilitate the flight of someone involved deeply in a murder and its aftermath. Not a first by any means in this old-fashioned series, however, Chan will also facilitate a budding romance.

As Charlie travels by train through the snow-clad mountains all the pieces for mystery and murder are put in place because the passenger list includes the ex-husbands of singer Ellen Landini. Ellen joins them at Dudley Ward's estate overlooking the blue lake and pine trees, bringing with her young Hugh Beaton, her latest conquest. Charlie's attempt to discover if rumors of a man's offspring are true quickly take a dark turn, and he is soon helping investigate a murder.

As Charlie assists Sheriff Holt in his investigation, it is not lost on Charlie that the young man has a blind spot where the lovely Leslie Beaton is concerned. As Charlie reminds the young sheriff to remained focused, Charlie has trouble doing so himself. When evidence begins to mount against one of his own race, the suspect makes it clear to Charlie that he no longer considers Chan a true Chinese, because of his American ways, which pains Charlie greatly.

An unsigned will points to one person, blackmail to another, and a seemingly "essential" clue only serves to muddy the waters further. When a second murder occurs the case takes on great urgency. Everywhere Charlie turns points toward China, which will lead our favorite Hawaiian detective to do the unthinkable.

Reporter Bill Rankin from an earlier entry, Behind that Curtain, makes a welcome appearance for the reader. For Chan, however, Bill's arrival is not nearly so welcome when he spills the beans on some of Charlie's activities! It ain't over till it's over in this one, with Biggers wrapping up both the mystery and the romance quite nicely. This one is quite fun for Charlie Chan fans, and a must if you've missed this entry in the Charlie Chan series.


There are some non-Charlie Chan stories which have great charm and are fun reads, most notably The Agony Column, and Fifty Candles. Sadly, Earl Derr Biggers, novelist and playwright, died before his fiftieth year, in 1933. These five novels are certainly the best of Earl Derr Biggers’ wonderful legacy. An older, out-of-print book, this is worth tracking down and owning. For mystery lovers, Charlie Chan is a must on any bookshelf. ( )