Seven Keys to Baldpate [Paperback]

Earl Derr Biggers (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 18, 2005

A famous author comes to a summer mountain resort in the dead of winter, determined to find peace and quiet to write his next book. But before his first night is out, a steady stream of unexpected visitors begins to fill the hotel...men and women with stories of love, loss, and flight...none of them telling the truth. Before the week is out, there will be gunfire, bribery, fights in the snow, and hidden truths unmasked. "Seven Keys to Baldpate" is a mystery that will leave you guessing to the end. Earl Derr Biggers penned "Seven Keys to Baldpate" long before he created his most famous character, Chinese detective Charlie Chan, yet in its day it was a popular best-seller and became the source for no less than seven films.

Product Details

• Paperback: 196 pages
• Publisher: Wildside Press; 2nd edition (January 18, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 159224078X
• ISBN-13: 978-1592240784
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,852,234 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fun, rapid-paced entertainment from yesteryear, May 11, 2007

By 

Gary Coffrin (San Jose, California, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Seven Keys to Baldpate (Paperback)

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.

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Although Once Famous, Now Only Mildly Amusing, September 11, 2004

By 

Gary F. Taylor "GFT" (Biloxi, MS USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Seven Keys to Baldpate (Hardcover)

SEVEN KEYS TO BALDPATE concerns a novelist, Billy Magee, who seeks isolation to begin his next work and hopes to find it at Baldpate Inn, a mountainside resort now closed for the winter. When he takes up residence, however, he is startled to find his isolation repeatedly broken by a host of unexpected visitors, all of whom seem to be lying about their backgrounds and their reasons for arrival.

Originally published in 1913, BALDPATE was among the most popular novels of its day--and its mixture of mystery and comic banter proved equally popular on both stage and screen. The basic premise would also prove very influential over the years. Still, and in spite of the deft touch with which Biggers handles the material, today the novel reads as highly artificial in both tone and construction. Fans of period pop fiction will likely enjoy it, but the book is unlikely to hold many charms for other readers.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Biggers is the Best, January 14, 2008

By 

JAK (Scottsdale, AZ USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Seven Keys to Baldpate (Paperback)

Biggers is always an enjoyable read. See the other reviews as they will tell the story. I am here only to tell you not to hold Biggers accountable for all the typos! If you can find this story printed by anyone other than Wildside Press, please do so. The typos are so numerous that I doubt Wildside Press had anyone proof read before printing. Be forewarned, but do add this story to your collection or just read it for the delightful, light story that it is.