Charlie Chan Carries on

by Earl Derr Biggers

Book Overview

In this 5th installment of the classic series of mysteries featuring Charlie Chan of the Honolulu Police, we meet Scotland Yard's Inspector Duff, first introduced in Behind That Curtain. Duff is... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0445402210
• ISBN13: 9780445402218
• Release Date: January 1987
• Publisher: Warner Books (NY)
• Weight: 0.25 lbs.

Customer Reviews

A must for detective fiction fans

I have read all the books written by Biggers' narrating Charlie's adventures and I am posting this review to all of them in general.Biggers' writing style is unique and easily distinguishable,his characters amusing and very realistic and his star detective (Charlie Chan) one of the most balanced individuals in crime fiction;this guy will make you laugh and he will make you think harder on the values of life,he will praise patience yet he will deliver justice swiftly and effectively,he will be kind and he will be cunning.Having read contemporary as well as older works of crime fiction,I recommend every single one of this books hands down.Just read it!Thank you for reading this review.

Murder around the world

There just isn't enough crime in Honolulu to fulfill Charlie Chan. Sadly his great talents are going to waste in paradise. But Charlie's old friend Chief Inspector Duff from Scotland Yard comes to his rescue in this book. Duff is investigating the murder of Hugh Morris Drake, a sweet old man strangled in London's famous and exclusive hotel, Broome's. Drake is with a tour group encircling the globe. Inspector Duff, unable to detain the group in London long enough to solve the mystery, joins them in their travels. Well over half the book details Duff's conscientious but unimaginative investigation, while the body count rises. Finally, in Honolulu, Duff himself is wounded. At this critical moment, he hands over the case to his friend: "Carry on, Charlie!" And once again we're on the trail of a killer with Charlie Chan, enjoying his flowery language and pithy Chinese sayings. While sagely observing the various members of the tour, Charlie also finds time to encourage a romance between the two youngest travelers. The investigation is devoid of the scientific methods found in present-day police procedurals. Everything depends on Charlie Chan's sagacity, with some help from his Japanese assistant in this case. But Charlie's delightful personality is the reason for reading these mysteries, so it doesn't much matter. I'd recommend reading all six Charlie Chan mysteries by Earl Derr Biggers, not just one.

A Puzzling Mystery with Minimal Chan

The title of Charlie Chan Carries On refers to Charlie Chan taking over Scotland Yard Chief Inspector Duff's investigation after the inspector has tracked a group of murder suspects to Honolulu from London. As a result of that structure, this story is really about Duff's investigation rather than a typical Charlie Chan mystery. Other than quoting from the great Chan (who is a friend of Duff from an earlier case), Charlie doesn't have much of a role until the last third of the book. If you want maximum Chan, skip this one. But if you want a challenging set of mysteries to solve, Charlie Chan Carries on is a most rewarding book. This title is also carried over into one of the early Chan movies which most people rate as one of Warner Oland's best. One of the things I like best about the book is that if you pay attention, you'll be given a clear clue as to who the killer must be. As the book opens, it's 1930 and Chief Inspector Duff is out of sorts as one investigation has ended but no new one has started. Duff is married to his work and needs engagement. As a favor, he's given a new murder to solve, one that involves the strangling of a wealthy American in tony Broome's Hotel (probably intended to refer to Brown's Hotel). Upon arrival, Duff can tell that something is wrong. There's no sign of a struggle in the victim's room. The deceased is Hugh Morris Drake, a retired philanthropist whom everyone likes. What can the motive be? Drake, his daughter, and his granddaughter are traveling as part of a small group with Dr. Lofton, who is conducting them on an around-the-world trip to see the sights in a way that caters to the ultra wealthy. As a result, the group has the pull to leave London when Duff cannot point to a suspect. Duff is left with a lot of suspicions but few clues that can lead anywhere. From a distance, the Yard keeps track of Lofton's group. From this experience, it soon becomes clear that there's a most dangerous and resourceful killer in the group. Who can it be?

Patience, Hard Work and Perseverance

An American tourist named Hugh Morris Drake is murdered in his room at Broome's Hotel in London during the night. Chief Inspector Duff of Scotland Yard investigates the crime.Duff learns that the victim was a member of the Lofton Round The World Tour. The only clues are a hearing aid, a safe deposit box key and a bag full of small stones. All of the members of the tour are suspects including Dr. Lofton, Max Minchin, Captain Ronald Keane and John Ross. Lofton is the director of the tour. Minchin is a racketeer from Chicago. Keane is an unemployed engineer and Ross is a lumber man from Tacoma.As the tour continues, Walter Honeywood and his wife Sybil are killed in Nice. Sergeant Welby of Scotland Yard is accompanying the tour and continuing the investigation. He is murdered on the docks of Yokohama. Chief Inspector Duff travels to Honolulu to join the tour. While visiting Charlie Chan, Duff is shot in the back and hospitalized. Charlie gets permission to fill in for his friend on the final leg of the trip to San Francisco. Charlie is on a mission to save face since Duff was shot in Charlie's office.The reader knows that the killer may as well surrender now as Charlie begins to demonstrate the Chan trademarks of patience, hard work and perseverance.The book was made into a movie by Fox in 1931. It was the fourth Charlie Chan film and the first in which Warner Oland appeared as Chan.