Customer Reviews

The Black Camel

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Overall good Charlie Chan mystery, I enjoyed it a lot! (although the plot is a little messy and long). A movie starring Sidney Toler and #2 Son called "Charlie Chan in Rio" took the main plot from this book and made it more concise and entertaining. For a Chinese person like myself, it is amusing to see some of the comments from Chan regarding his offsprings' lack of respect for him and their use of slang English. It actually sounds quite genuine, like any older Chinese immigrant fathers would say.

Silver screen goddess, Sheila Fane, has a secret that weighs heavily on her heart. It is a secret that makes her reluctant to marry again, though she has just received such a proposal. While in Honolulu for some location shots for her current film, she consults with Tarneverro, fortuneteller to the stars, as to what she should do. He wrests her deepest, darkest secret from her and advises her not to marry. Shortly thereafter, Hollywood's brightest flame is snuffed out, a cruel knife thrust ending Ms. Fane's life.

Enter revered Honolulu police inspector, Charlie Chan, who is called upon to solve this baffling murder case. In his own inscrutable and unhurried way, Inspector Chan slowly, but surely, makes mincemeat of those who would dare to lie to him. To solve this case, however, he must delve into Ms. Fane's past and discover the secret that gave her so much unrest. He finds that is is tied to an unsolved murder that had occurred in Hollywood several years prior. Inspector Chan ultimately puts both matters to rest.

Charlie Chan is one of the best fictional detectives ever created. Highly intelligent and seemingly droll, he slowly but surely solves his cases. Father to eleven children, all of whom drive him a little crazy with their American slang, he is an eminently respected detective, who has solved many high profile cases. It is amazing that, though written during the nineteen twenties and thirties, these mysteries are as fresh today, as when they were first written. While they may lack some of the political correctness of today, they are still gems. Well written and highly entertaining, the entire Charlie Chan series deserves to be reissued by some wily publisher.

Shelah Fane, the once famous movie actress, now fading in the lime-light, had no enemies. Or so it seemed before she turned up murdered. And now the famous Charlie Chan comes face to face with the most puzzling case of his career. Is it possible that everyone had a alibi? Why confess to a murder you did not commit? Why is the man who so wants to help doing all he can to blockade the investigation? Why does the name Denny Mayo come up so often? Can the murderer ever be found?

This is the fourth of Earl Derr Biggers' six Charlie Chan novels. Having concluded the case described in "Behind That Curtain," Charlie has returned to his Hawaiian home. He has also been promoted to Inspector within the police department, and as such he is called upon to solve the murder of Hollywood movie star Shelah Fane. Fane's watch was stopped at 8:02, and the pin which fastened her orchids is missing. But: everybody involved seems to have an alibi. As Charlie says, "The alibis arrive in one huge flock."

In this novel Biggers enters Charlie's consciousness more than previously, allowing the reader to see more of the detective's feelings and motivation. One of the many things I love about Charlie is that when somebody makes a racist slur or remark, he quickly corrects them, often in a humorous way. Jessop, the British butler, says: "The Chinese cook has exhibited all the worst qualities of a heathen race -- I'm sure I beg your pardon."' To which Charlie replies: "A heathen race," repeated Charlie gravely, "that was busy inventing the art of printing at moment when gentlemen in Great Britain were still beating one another over head with spiked clubs. Pray excuse this brief reference to history."

Before writing this novel, Biggers returned to Hawaii for more inspiration. During that visit he was wined and dined all over the island. He was invited into the homes of Chinese-Hawaiians, and gathered material to help him round out Charlie Chan. There is in this book, for example, a wonderful scene between Charlie and one of his daughters, Evelyn, 15 years old. Evelyn speaks in slang, calling Shelah Fane "swell." Charlie replies: "As I have frequent reason to point out, your language is sadly lacking in dignity," he reproved." Evelyn urges her father to make haste with the investigation, not take time to think deeply. "Should I pause to think deeply," he replied, "I would be plenty lonesome man in this new world."

At the end of this novel, Charlie solves the case in a gathering-of-the-suspects-in-one-room scene.

Loosely suggested by the exploits of Chang Apana (1887-1933), a Hawaiian police officer of Chinese heritage noted for his fearlessness, Earl Derr Biggers' Charlie Chan was among the most popular characters of 1920s and 1930s detective fiction. 1929's THE BLACK CAMEL is an absolutely charming read, one that will whisk you back to a more innocent era that considered all things Hawaiian and Asian exotic.

Actress Shelia Fane has arrived in Honolulu to film scenes for her current movie, and with her career fading she is greatly tempted to accept the hand of a wealthy suitor. Tarneverro, a psychic to the stars, warns her to decline--but no sooner does she refuse the proposal than the "black camel" of death kneels at her gate, and the celebrated Charlie Chan is called in to solve the crime.

Earl Derr Biggers will never compete with the likes of Christie or Sayers in terms of plot, but on this occasion he makes very clever use of details arising from one of the most notorious crimes of the day: the still unsolved murder of film director William Desmond Taylor, a crime in which several stars were implicated. The resulting story is multi-layered and a great deal tighter than most of Biggers' work, and his portrait of Chan, Honolulu, and Hawaii of the late 1920s has tremendous period charm. Fans of period mystery fiction will find it a truly enjoyable read. Recommended.

The old movies based on the Charlie Chan mystery series created Earl Derr Biggers did nothing to make me want to read the books; in fact, they made me run the other way . . . . so until recently I've been missing out on something wonderful.

The book's highlights, in no particular order: 1) Biggers knew how to write evocatively of a place. The fluent descriptions of setting appeal to all of the senses. 2) Biggers documents the historical and sociological Honolulu with clear-eyes. 3) He does a great job of describing the eternal American immigrant problem--how do you assimilate without sacrificing your heritage? 4) Charlie is a well-developed character. It is a joy to watch him savor his adopted language, embracing both the western poetry from which he learned English and ancient Asian myths. It is funny to watch him play humble or clueless only to trump everyone around him with his shrewdness and wit. He is always dignified. It is with sympathy we watch him gently struggling with his Asian identity, as a father of eleven clatteringly American children and a traditional Chinese wife, and as the butt of the arrogance of Hawaii's older white settlers. 5) If you've read Sarah Vowell's history of the annexation of Hawaii, Unfamiliar Fishes, you'll find this 1920s account to dovetail in historical, geographical and, especially, sociological detail. 6) The Chan novels rival the best Agatha Christies for plot development--he plays the conventions of the Golden Era of detective fiction for red herrings themselves.

The Black Camel is the best I've read to date. In some respects, many of the characters are stereotypes: the fading Hollywood actress (at 30!), her entourage that includes a fortuneteller, an arrogant Englishman, a suave leading man, a director, the ingénue, the eager young man, the arrogant butler, the European maid, the gauche former actress who married a rich man, . . . . and yet Biggers plays off the reader's assumptions about these types, darkening the plot as he goes. If any do not break their stock superficiality, it is the Japanese detective assigned to Charlie's case, who comes off as comically inept.

Flush with success from solving two highly complicated whodunnits in California, Charlie Chan is back in Hawaii; back to his home on Punchbowl Hill; back to his newest infant son and 10 other children. Now promoted to Inspector, Charlie's latest case takes him to the rental home of Hollywood film star Shelah Fane, who is currently in Hawaii to wrap up filming on a movie that originated in Tahiti. But the lovely Shelah won't get to finish her performance due to a deep and deadly stab wound to the heart.

Who hated Shelah enough to kill her? And does the mysterious murder of fellow actor Denny Mayo 3 years previously have anything to do with Shelah's own death?

The suspect list is long and varied, and includes a personal assistant, a butler, fellow actors, a director, an ex-husband, a present lover, an artistic but drunken beach bum and a fortune teller to the stars. Alibis are made, then destroyed, and Charlie is in serious danger of losing face before the killer is exposed.

The Black Camel is another charming addition to the Charlie Chan mystery series. Biggers again delivers an intriguing whodunnit with enough ambigious suspects and clues to make Charlie work extra hard to bring it to a successful conclusion.

I am really enjoying this series; so much so that I have personally petitioned my local library to purchase the last 2 books so that it will have the complete Chan canon. Fiscal budgets being what they are, it might be awhile before I can visit Charlie again. Until then, Aloha, my wise and witty friend!

The 1920s and 1930s were the 'Golden Age' of pulp fiction. One of the most popular genres were the mysteries. And one of the most popular fictional characters was Charlie Chan, a Chinese-American detective and the creation of Earl Derr Bigggers. So popular were the Charlie Chan mysteries that Hollywood made many of them into movies. Now Academy Chicago Press has brought out new trade paperback editions for six these time-lost classics for a new and appreciative generation of readers in a numbered series featuring their original pulp paperback covers. Included in this impressive publishing project are: "The House Without A Key"; "The Chinese Parrot"; "Behind That Curtain"; "The Black Camel"; "Charlie Carries On"; and "Keeper Of The Keys". Although each title is available individually, community libraries would be well advised to obtain the entire six volume series for the benefit of their grateful patrons who appreciate well crafted mysteries by a pulp fiction mystery writer who was at the top of his game!

It is the late 1920's. Charlie Chan, after having recently finished a difficult case on the mainland, has returned to Hawaii. Charlie, his wife, and eleven offspring still live in a home perched on the seaside slope of Punchbowl Hill, affording them with a beautiful view of exotic Diamond Head, sleepy Honolulu, and the peaceful Pacific Ocean.

Down below at the port, passengers disembark from the liner Oceanic. Among them, a few select members of a film company that will be completing their current project: a motion picture starring the beautiful Miss Shelah Fane; costarring the handsome Huntley Van Horn; and also the up-and-coming star: the vivacious Diana Dixon.

The director, Val Marino, has already shot most of the film in Tahiti and only some footage is left to shoot in Hawaii. Unfortunately his star, Miss Fane, seems troubled about something, and of all things, she is going to waste valuable time seeking the counsel of that charlatan fortune-teller: Tarneverro the Great.

That night, the mysterious Tarneverro sat Miss Fane before his crystal. She had sought the seer to learn if there was happiness in her future if she married the wealthy Mr. Alan Jaynes. Unfortunately, she didn't hear what she wanted to hear; she told him something she didn't want to tell; and, oddly enough, Tarneverro did not foretell that in the near future, someone's life and the picture would both come to an abrupt end ...

Overall, this is a great murder mystery.

Note: A 1931 movie version can be found in the "Charlie Chan Collection, Vol. 3," with Warner Oland as Chan. It was made 2 years after the book was published and it was filmed in Hawaii. The movie is interesting but the book is better.

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.