The House without a Key (Charlie Chan Series #1)

A good read

For a book that was written in 1925 I think it's a very good read. What I really liked about the book was that description is not over used like so many books in the cozy market today. I really get tired of ready about what kind of flowers were placed in the vestibule or what kind of dress the heroine was wearing etc.. This book has a good story with acceptable characters. The only thing that I was surprised about was that Charlie Chan didn't do much until the very end. He didn't take much of an active role through most of the book, but of course it's hard not to compare this book with the movies where we Charlie Chan on every page. But I plan on reading the rest of the series.

In his first novel...

Earl Biggers weaves a thrilling and indeed, dramatic story about Honolulu detective Charlie Chan in his first installment of the series. Charlie is intrduced in chapter 7 and quickly becomes a deep and loveable character. His ancient Chinese wisdom is always welcome and provides a great insight into the mind of this detective. Written in 1928, this is one classic you don't want to pass up.

Charlie Chan's First Case

Charlie Chan is introduced in Chapter VII of this first book of the popular series about an oriental detective from Honolulu. Although playing a minor role in the beginning, Charlie asserts himself by the end of the case. John Quincy Winterslip, a young lawyer from Boston, is on a trip to Hawaii to visit a wealthy relative, Dan Winterslip. Along the way he is asked to find and destroy an ohia wood box which is in the attic of Dan's San Francisco house.He fails to get the box and learns on his arrival in Hawaii that Dan has been murdered. The leading suspect is Jim Egan, owner of a ramshackle hotel on the beach. The essential clue is a wrist watch with an illuminated dial which is damaged. Motivated by the growing interest in Egan's daughter, Carlotta, John Quincy helps Charlie and the police solve the crime. The real hero, however, is Charlie who manages to stay one step ahead of everybody else. In 1932 Earl Biggers wrote a report to his Harvard classmates on the occasion of the twenty-fifth reunion of the class of 1907. He described how he happened to conceive of creating an ethnic Chinese detective for a mystery story set in Hawaii: 'But my memories of the islands were rather dim I dropped into a library to brighten them a bit by a perusal of recent Honolulu newspapers. In an obscure corner of an inside page, I found an item to the effect that a certain hapless Chinese, being too fond of opium, had been arrested by Sergeants Chang Apana and Lee Fook, of the Honolulu Police' Because of this chance reading of a newspaper item, Biggers was inspired to use Charlie Chan in THE HOUSE WITHOUT A KEY which was published in 1925 after running serially in the SATURDAY EVENING POST.

Charlie Chan's First Case

Charlie Chan is introduced in Chapter VII of this first book of the popular series about an oriental detective from Honolulu. Although playing a minor role in the beginning, Charlie asserts himself by the end of the case. John Quincy Winterslip, a young lawyer from Boston, is on a trip to Hawaii to visit a wealthy relative, Dan Winterslip. En route he is asked to find and destroy an ohia wood box which is in the attic of Dan's San Francisco house. He fails to get the box and learns on his arrival in Hawaii that Dan has been murdered. The leading suspect is Jim Egan, owner of a ramshackle hotel on the beach. The essential clue is a watch with an illuminated dial which is damaged. Motivated by his growing interest in Egan's daughter Carlotta, John Quincy helps Charlie and the police solve the crime. The real hero, however, is Charlie who manages to stay one step ahead of everybody else. In 1932 Earl Biggers wrote a report to his Harvard classmates on the occasion of the twenty-fifth reunion of the class of 1907. He described how he happened to conceive of creating an ethnic Chinese detective for a mystery story set in Hawaii: 'But my memories of the islands were rather dim; I dropped into a library to brighten them a bit by a perusal of recent Honolulu newspapers. In an obscure corner of an inside page, I found an item to the effect that a certain hapless Chinese, being too fond of opium, had been arrested by Sergeants Chang Apana and Lee Fook, of the Honolulu Police.' Because of this chance reading of a newspaper item, Biggers was inspired to use Chan in THE HOUSE WITHOUT A KEY which was published in 1925 after running serially in the SATURDAY EVENING POST.

Charlie Chan's First Appearance

Charlie Chan is introduced in Chapter VII of this first book of the popular series about an oriental detective from Honolulu. Although playing a minor role in the beginning, Charlie asserts himself by the end of this case.In my opinion, THE HOUSE WITHOUT A KEY is the best of the six Chan novels written by Earl Biggers.

Charlie Chan On Waikiki

Charlie Chan is introduced in Chapter VII of this first book of the popular series about the oriental detective from Honolulu. Although playing a minor role in the beginning, Charlie asserts himself by the end of the case. The House Without A Key was produced on the screen in 1936 as a Pathe serial with George K. Kuwa in the role of Chan.

No text was provided for this review.