Seven Keys to Baldpate (1913) is a mystery novel by Earl Derr Biggers. Although he is widely known as the author of a bestselling series of novels featuring Chinese American detective Charlie Chan, Biggers worked for years as a struggling mystery writer with moderate success. Seven Keys to Baldpate is one of his most acclaimed works of fiction from that period in his career, due in no small part to George M. Cohan’s celebrated stage adaptation of the same year. Cohan’s version has since served as source material for at least seven feature length films. “‘Yes, it’s a little more lively in summer, when that’s open, ‘ answered the agent; ‘we get a lot of complaints about trunks not coming, from pretty swell people, too. It sort of cheers things.’ His eye roamed with interest over Mr. Magee’s New York attire. ‘But Baldpate Inn is shut up tight now. This is nothing but an annex to a graveyard in winter. You wasn’t thinking of stopping off here, was you?’” When William Magee arrives at Baldpate Mountain from his native New York City, he discovers that the hotel where he will be staying is virtually closed for the winter. Despite this setback, Magee manages to secure a key to the Baldpate Inn. There, he begins to work on what he hopes will become his first serious novel, his big break after years as a pulp fiction writer. Soon, other guests begin to arrive, each of them harboring a dangerous secret. This edition of Earl Derr Biggers’ Seven Keys to Baldpate is a classic of American mystery fiction reimagined for modern readers.
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A propos de l’auteur
Earl Derr Biggers (1884-1933) was an American novelist and playwright. Born in Ohio, Biggers went on to graduate from Harvard University, where he was a member of The Harvard Lampoon, a humor publication for undergraduates. Following a brief career as a journalist, most significantly for Cleveland-based newspaper The Plain Dealer, Biggers turned to fiction, writing novels and plays for a popular audience. Many of his works have been adapted into film and theater productions, including the novel Seven Keys to Baldpate (1913), which was made into a Broadway stage play the same year it was published. Towards the end of his career, he produced a highly popular series of novels centered on Honolulu police detective Charlie Chan. Beginning with The House Without a Key (1925), Biggers intended his character as an alternative to Yellow Peril stereotypes prominent in the early twentieth century. His series of Charlie Chan novels inspired dozens of films in the United States and China, and has been recognized as an imperfect attempt to use popular media to depict Chinese Americans in a positive light.
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