Customer Reviews

Seven Keys to Baldpate

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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.

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

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.

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.

If you like mystery, love stories that take place around the turn of the century, and are a bit corny, then this book will be a good easy read.

A light weight writer, Mr. McGee, besides that it is time for him to write a classic novel; in an effort to write this novel he needed to find a place for perfect solitude. That place turns out to be an inn that was closed for the winter high up on Baldpate Mountain. Little did he know that there were seven Keys to Baldpate Inn. With each key can 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 which nobody 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 after watching the 1935 version of Seven Keys to Baldpate with Walter Brennan as the station master. I have still to see the play however the movie was 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 Erle Stanly Biggers mischief and mystery.

We read this book in our book club because we visited the inn near Estes Park that it is loosely based on. The inn is wonderful, the book is terrible. It is very poorly written in every aspect; so much so that it's a wonder anyone published it. Don't waste your time or money on this book.