Academy Chicago Publishers

Visit academychicago.com to order books from our unique selection! Currently we're very excited about releasing the first two novels in the classic Charlie Chan detective series. Here are some details about the books: THE HOUSE WITHOUT A KEY No less an authority than Rex Stout ranked Charlie Chan 'among the ten best fictional detectives' in existence. A great intrigue writer himself, Stout knew a thing or two about a good mystery and the reasons for his enthusiasm are plain to see. Charlie Chan's creator, Earl Derr Biggers was extraordinarily sensitive to atmosphere and place, which not only results in moody, evocative portraits of Honolulu and San Francisco but also leads to a deft, intricate snap-shot of Chinese-Hawaiian culture in 1930s. This sets the scene for a great mystery with the iconic detective at its centre, whose finely drawn characterization is the antithesis of a cultural stereotype. In this novel the ever insightful Detective Chan ('Ghost of Honor' at next years Left Coast Crime Convention) makes his début as an Inspector in the Honolulu Police Department. The first of six in the series, 'The House without a Key' sees Chan coming to the aid of an aristocratic Boston family who find themselves in difficulties resulting from the conduct of their inscrutable relative, Dan Winterslip. Dan lives in the keyless house of the title, a mansion on Waikiki Beach, and the action begins when a nephew, John Quincy Winterslip, is dispatched to this seemingly idyllic abode to retrieve a wayward aunt, who has overstayed her welcome in Waikiki. Earl Derr Biggers was born in Warren, Ohio in 1884. He graduated from Harvard University in 1907, and lived for many years in California. He wrote six novels featuring the diminutive Chinese-Hawaiian detective Charlie Chan, who became a staple of the movies. His other famous books include Seven Keys to Baldpate and The Agony Column. He died in Pasadena, CA in 1933. THE CHINESE PARROT 'He who rides the tiger cannot dismount' Inspector Chan explains to a fellow struggler in this novel, the second in the Chan in series, and he speaks with the voice of experience for he tries to keep himself on top of a whole host of tigers as he winds his way through the story. Ties of friendship and gratitude lead Chan to San Francisco on a mission for an old employer. Entrusted with the seemingly simple delivery of pearls to a prospective buyer, the sale soon shows itself to be more than anyone had bargained for. Chan has to go under cover to get to the core of the mystery; but his cover and ingenuity are sorely tested when he comes under scrutiny for a murder he did not commit. Fighting for the truth and his own freedom, the ever-vigilant detective gets his break when a Chinese parrot unwittingly reveals important information and Chan goes up against a Californian police department rife with racism as he attempts to unravel a tangled web of deception, kidnapping and murder. 'The Chinese Parrot' was twice adapted for the cinema in 1927 and in 1934 and the successive series of twists and turns that made it such an enticing cinematic prospect are sure to dazzle even habitual readers of intrigue.