The house without a key

By Earl Derr Biggers

A moonlit garden in 1920s Honolulu, fragrant with plumeria and shadowed by secrets, becomes the stage for a crime that will fracture a powerful family and ignite an amateur sleuth's most delicate investigation. Here, in the languid heat of the tropics, the genteel facades of island society conceal simmering resentments, tangled loyalties, and an inheritance dispute that threatens to unravel everything. This classic detective novel, once out of print for decades and now republished by Alpha Editions, invites readers into a world where every whisper carries the weight of family secrets and every clue is a thread in a web spun from both affection and betrayal. Restored for today's and future generations, this golden age mystery is more than a mere puzzle-it's a vivid portrait of a vanished era. The story unfolds with the elegance and tension beloved by Agatha Christie fans, yet its setting in a cosmopolitan, jazz-infused Hawaii lends it a singular charm. The crime fiction elements are deftly intertwined with a keen sense of place, as the amateur sleuth navigates not only the labyrinthine corridors of a grand house, but also the shifting social landscape of a community on the cusp of modernity. For mystery lovers and cosy crime readers alike, the narrative delivers both suspense and atmosphere, drawing the reader into a Honolulu where every sunset might conceal a new revelation. As the inaugural tale in the celebrated Charlie Chan series-an enduring touchstone of detective fiction-this edition stands as a collector's item and a cultural treasure. Its return to print is a gift to classic-collection buyers and casual enthusiasts, offering a compelling blend of intrigue, period detail, and literary significance. With its restoration, a lost gem of amateur sleuth investigation and family drama is once again available to enchant and challenge new generations of readers.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 9373054597
• ISBN13: 9789373054599
• Release Date: February 2026
• Publisher: Alpha Edition
• Length: 228 Pages
• Weight: 0.68 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.0" x 9.0"