The Black Camel: A Charlie Chan Mystery

by Earl Derr Biggers

Book Overview

"Death is the black camel that kneels unbidden at every gate." This is what Charlie Chan tells the guests of the unfortunate Shelah Fane, a glamorous Hollywood movie star who has been murdered while on location beach side in Honolulu. Here the detective confronts his most perplexing case of his long and illustrious career. Chan is aided by a mysterious fortune teller named Tarneverro the Great. It appears that Miss Fane had summoned Tarneverro to...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0897335856
• ISBN13: 9780897335850
• Release Date: May 2009
• Publisher: Academy Chicago Publishers
• Length: 284 Pages
• Weight: 0.61 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.3" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

A must for detective fiction fans

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.

Tremendous Period Charm

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.

CHARLIE CHAN ROCKS!!!

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.

Good Charlie Chan mystery set in Honolulu.

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.

The Fate Of Miss Fane . . .

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?