SEVEN KEYS TO BALDPATE

By Earl Derr Biggers

Book Overview

Earl Derr Biggers was an American novelist best known for the detective Charlie Chan series and the novel Seven Keys to Baldpate . This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: B00086ZV28
• Release Date: January 1913
• Publisher: Bobbs-Merrill
• Weight: 0.94 lbs.

Customer Reviews

There are at least seven movies based on the play written by George M. Cohan.

The stories most aligned with the book have the same name. One outlier is named “House of the Long Shadows” (1938), where only the names are similar. A lightweight writer, Mr. McGee, besides that, it was time for him to write a classic novel; to write this novel, he needed to find a place for perfect solitude. That place turns out to be an inn high up on Baldpate Mountain that was closed for the winter. Little did he know that there were seven Keys to Baldpate Inn. Each key can be held by a person or persons with unique characteristics and a good reason for being there. If you can believe who they are and their reasons. Mr. McGee suspects them all of being some part of a convoluted plot that n-o-b-o-d-y will let him in on. We go along for the ride. There is no use speculating. And Mr. McKee's chivalry may be his undoing. Be sure to read the book to the last sentence. I came to this book by Earl Derr Biggers (of Charlie Chan fame) after watching the 1935 version of “Seven Keys to Baldpate” with Walter Brennan as the station master. I have several video versions of “Seven Keys to Baldpate.” I have still to see them play live; however, the movie versions were more based on the play than the book. Some of the statements were directly out of the book, but many others had that Cohan feel. Meantime the book stands alone as a great example of a 1913 Earl Derr Biggers mystery.

Charming and fun!

I have wanted to read this book ever since I saw the movie, "House of the Long Shadows" (which is based on the book). Surprisingly the book is nothing like the movie (or should that be the other way 'round?) It is a charming tale that keeps you guessing, and is an intriguing, historical look at how people spoke and acted in the early 1900s. If you haven't seen the movie, it is worth a look. It stars four actors from the early horror genre: Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, Vincent Price, and John Carradine. It also stars Desi Arnaz, Jr. It's a funny, creepy-old-house movie with some knuckle-biting scenes. It is set in Wales, so the name of the manor house is changed from "Baldpate" to "Bllyddrpaetwr" or some such spelling! I really enjoyed reading this book - just be prepared to overlook all the typos.

Fun, rapid-paced entertainment from yesteryear

Published in 1913, Earl Derr Biggers' novel is a fun and rapid-paced read for fans of classic mystery fiction. The protagonist is a popular writer of the day who comes to a vacant mountain resort ('Baldpate') in winter, seeking solitude for writing a serious novel. Soon six more visitors arrive, not revealing their true identity or explaining why they have come. The tale becomes a mystery of who has the hidden package, what are people's motivations, and what will the outcome be of the protagonist's love for a beautiful mystery woman. If you believe quality detective fiction emerged in 1980, avoid this volume. You should note that this book was written seven years before passage of the 19th amendment giving women the right to vote, and stereotypical notions of how women should 'surrender' to men are present. Still, the book has elements not unlike those of Agatha Christie's writing...or perhaps Christie on testosterone: an isolated environment, interesting plot twists, plenty of action, and the guy and gal happily uniting in the end. The dialog and action are more light-hearted than hard-boiled. The energy, good-cheer, and rapid-pacing of the story will captivate most readers. This is a fun return to the days of yesteryear.