Keeper Of The Keys is the sixth Charlie Chan novel written by Earl Derr Biggers.
I have the others but just picked this up one day and started reading. I own a beautiful old hardcover copy published in 1932. It may be from being about 90 years old, or sometimes they used cheaper paper, but the pages are a golden honey colour, and they have an imprint from the typeset. All things I enjoy as I hold the hardcover in my hands and tuck into a good yarn.
Charlie Chan has solved some interesting cases in America, and is heading east to snowy Lake Tahoe at the mysterious request of Mr. Dudley Ward. When he arrives, he finds that Mr. Ward's ex-wife (the flighty Ellen Landini) a famous singer, will be joining them. The other guests include her second husband, her third husband, and her soon-to-be fourth husband! Along with the household staff and Miss Landini's maid, it's a full house. As yet another guest arrives, dramatically landing by plane on the snowy property no less, Landini is shot in an upstairs study.
Chan moves into action along with the local police to uncover the secrets and motives of the party. Everyone in the house is involved, with many having motive and some having (iron clad?) alibi's. They do manage to travel around, to nearby Reno, which is described as a wild west town - I can imagine it in the 1930's - and across the icy lake to a nearby lodge.
It's an intricate plot, with a few more murders and attempts along the way, which didn't reveal the culprit to me until the very end.
Highly entertaining, although, you have to take a grain of salt when reading a novel from that time period. Chan is most respected without question, however there are derogatory comments made by and about the other characters. Mr. Ward's longtime butler Ah Sing is Chinese from the old country, slightly resenting Chan's American ways. He has a thick accent in his pidgin English such as "P'liceman? Some say plitty wise man? Maybe?"... "Maybe," agreed Charlie.
But make no mistake, Biggers has created one of the long lasting, internationally known mystery detectives. While the language and conventions are a little dated in style, it's a pleasure to go back with Charlie to 1932. This was an intricately plotted case, with a diverse cast of characters and lots of clues to pick up. There are mysteries, thrills, daring escapes, and even romance. A highly entertaining read!
1932 / Hardcover / 307 pages
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