Audiobooks by Earl Derr Biggers

"Step into the alluring world of 1920s Honolulu with The House Without a Key by Earl Derr Biggers, the first thrilling mystery featuring the legendary detective Charlie Chan. When a wealthy Bostonian is found murdered under mysterious circumstances, his young, aristocratic relative, John Quincy Winterslip, is drawn into a web of intrigue, deception, and danger far from his familiar New England life. As the investigation unfolds, John Quincy teams up with the astute and unassuming Charlie Chan, whose sharp intellect and keen observations unravel secrets hidden beneath the tropical paradise's calm surface. From opulent mansions to shadowy docks, the case twists through unexpected turns, exposing motives rooted in jealousy, greed, and long-held grudges. Expertly narrated to capture the elegance and suspense of this classic detective tale, The House Without a Key offers a captivating blend of mystery, cultural charm, and timeless characters. Start listening to The House Without a Key today and dive into a masterful mystery that launched the iconic Charlie Chan series!"

Earl Derr Biggers (Author), Oliver Thompson (Narrator)

Audiobook

Love Insurance: A Romantic Comedy

"A most unusual request for insurance was made to Lloyds of London. It was outre enough to bring on what can best be described as something of “improbable dimensions.” The request was made by a young Brirtish Lord. He was engaged to an American heiress and was worried she might back out. An added part of the story is a guarantee there would be a sizeable payout if the ceremony stalls. The story of same can easily be called a delightful romantic comedy and it wouldn’t be surprising if you laugh out loud, or at least chuckle frequently. So, just listen and thereby form your own definition of “improbable.”"

Earl Derr Biggers (Author), John Rayburn (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Agony Column

"This is a classic mystery novel by the creator of the fictional Chinese detective, Charlie Chan. The tale you’re about to hear is in London just before WWI. American visitor Geoffrey West is attracted to a beautiful young lady and he decides to try and get her attention by putting a personal ad in the so-called ‘Agony Column’ of a London newspaper. She sees it and responds by demanding he send her several letters so she can make up her mind as to whether she has any interest in him. Before anything else happens, Geoffrey winds up being thought possibly guilty of a vicious murder. He is still free and continues the letters, letting her know the circumstances. Her growing affection thus turns to both dread and worry. He realizes he has to prove his innocence, but matters become even more complex with the possibility of wartime spies. In the treacherous tale of murder and intrigue, young Geoffrey tracks a killer from the posh dining room of the Carlton Hotel to the opium dens of London’s Limehouse district in search of the truth and the heart of his true love only to find the culprit all too close to home. As you will hear, although confusing at times, it provides a refreshing change of pace for those who prefer classic mystery and old-fashioned romance."

Earl Derr Biggers (Author), John Rayburn (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Chinese Parrot

"Back around 1920, Earl Derr Biggers went to Hawaii on vacation and got an idea for a new kind of fictional hero. About four years later, he put the notion to work as he developed the character of Charlie Chan, a Chinese detective who was eventually featured in five different films over a thirty-year period. He first emerged in the Saturday Evening Post Magazine as the minor character’s role grew to being the leading player in the ensuing installments. The story you’re about to hear is the second Charlie Chan novel, and it features a parrot named Tony who is witness to a crime. The unusual bird spoke Chinese and had a less-than-perfect use of English grammar but was killed by the criminals as a precaution. Chan himself was a friend of a family selling jewels and agreed to deliver them on his first trip to mainland California. While there he masquerades as a pidgin-speaking cook during his undercover investigation. His profound and original intelligence offers genial humor and witty dialogue. Although the series originated nearly a century ago, it still has a fresh and modern feel. One review described it as, “Dated—yes! Outdated—never!” Listen, as an investigative light begins to dawn."

Earl Derr Biggers (Author), John Rayburn (Narrator)

Audiobook

Love Insurance

"Lord Harrowby came to Lloyds of London with a most unusual request. He wanted to ensure that nothing would prevent his imminent wedding and expected a big policy payout if things didn’t work out. It was insurance man Dick Minot’s responsibility to make sure everything worked smoothly. Trouble is, Dick Minot fell in love with the bride! What to do? Hilarity ensues as Dick tackles one crisis after another with a conflicted heart in this 1914 farcical romantic comedy. Kidnapping, jewelry heists, blackmail, past infidelity—all trying to foul up the works in a tropical paradise. Written by the world-famous creator of Chinese detective Charlie Chan!"

Earl Derr Biggers (Author), Jim Patton (Narrator)

Audiobook

Seven Keys to Baldpate

"The famous author William Magee is in need of a place free from interruptions to write his next book, and so he heads to a summer mountain resort in the dead of winter in New York City. The Baldpate Inn happens to be closed for the season … but it is certainly not deserted. Magee was given a key to the Baldpate Inn so he might write in solitude, but he soon discovers that he is not the only person with a key. In fact, he is only one of seven! And the other guests, including a young woman who catches Magee’s eye, are all there on a mission to find a mysterious package with a large sum of money. So, instead of the peace and quietude he sought, Magee is dropped smack dab in the middle of a dangerous battle of wits. Before the week is out, there will be gunfire, bribery, fights in the snow … and hidden truths will be revealed. Featuring a range of clever characters and witty repartee, Seven Keys to Baldpate is a fast-paced thriller that will keep you guessing until the very end. George M. Cohan adapted Earl Derr Biggers’s Seven Keys to Baldpate for the theater in 1913, and Skyboat Media is pleased to present a dramatized reading of Cohan’s play in this original audiobook compilation. In George M. Cohan’s theatrical adaptation, novelist Billy Magee makes a bet with a wealthy friend that he can write a ten-thousand-word story within twenty-four hours. Just as in the novel, he retires to the Baldpate Inn in the dead of winter and locks himself in, believing he possesses the only key. But there appear to be seven keys to Baldpate, as he is besieged by visitors and drawn into their hijinks, including a plot to steal a large sum of money from the hotel safe. But the arrival of these guests is hardly a coincidence … and they may have a secret agenda of their own."

Earl Derr Biggers, George M. Cohan (Author), Gabrielle De Cuir, Joe Barrett, John Lee, John Rubinstein, Justine Eyre, Stefan Rudnicki, a full cast (Narrator)

Audiobook

Seven Keys to Baldpate

"Seven keys. Seven doors. Seven people desiring solitude in a deserted hotel high on a mountainside. Those are prime ingredients for a story packed with mystery, excitement, and action. Add a side dish of humor and the listening recipe is complete. Seven Keys to Baldpate was such an intriguing tale it brought on an effort to build an actual counterpart of Baldpate. The site selected was about five miles south of Estes Park, Colorado, opposite Lily Lake on Highway 7. It turned out to be a fascinating getaway location; vacationers were not only intrigued by the concept, but many actually made extensive contributions of various keys to match the mood. This erased the story’s description of the “Seven Keys,” and the inn’s collection of keys reached an astounding total of twenty to thirty thousand. The exceptional collection was comprised of far more than just ordinary keys brought on a whim. One was an actual key to a desk drawer belonging to Nazi leader Adolf Hitler in the bunker where he eventually committed suicide. There was one from Mozart’s wine cellar, and from the likes of Westminster Abby, the Pentagon, and the Frankenstein Castle in Muhltal, Germany, said to be a possible inspiration for Mary Shelley’s fictional 1818 Gothic novel Frankenstein. This all stemmed from when novelist Billy Magee bet a wealthy friend he could write a ten thousand–word story within twenty-four hours. For privacy he went to a summer resort named Baldpate Inn in western Nebraska. He locked himself in, thinking he had the only key. Some peculiar people showed up and Magee thought it was an effort to make him lose his bet. Instead, there were actual killings and bodies disappeared and reappeared. The gruesome happenings led to the completion of this intriguing novel that you can now hear."

Earl Derr Biggers (Author), John Rayburn (Narrator)

Audiobook

The House Without a Key

"Book #1 in Earl Derr Biggers' hugely successful Charlie Chan series. In this first novel, Chan comes to the aid of an aristocratic Boston family who find themselves in dire straits over what has befallen Dan Winterslip, the black sheep of the family, who lives in a mansion on Waikiki Beach - the house without a key. The troubles begin when a young nephew is dispatched by the family in Boston to retrieve a wayward aunt who has overstayed her welcome in Dan Winterslip's house. Biggers brings Honolulu to life with his deft descriptions of the landscape and its hybrid ethnic communities. And with the creation of Inspector Chan, Biggers also shatters stereotypes and is ahead of his time in highlighting the positive aspects of Chinese Hawaiian culture."

Earl Derr Biggers (Author), Kris Dyer (Narrator)

Audiobook

The House without a Key: A Charlie Chan Mystery

"The sublime beauty of Hawaii nearly a century ago is captured in this first book featuring the fictional Honolulu police detective, Charlie Chan. Author Biggers was staying at a hotel on Waikiki Beach in the 1920s when he was inspired to write the book. The Chan role at first was relatively minor, and he didn’t say anything until several chapters had gone by. However, the concept caught on when the literary public wanted more of him. That prompted five subsequent books as the character became more prominent. Altogether, Chan developed into a personality that fascinated mystery fans of all eras. In addition to the print episodes, more than four dozen successful movies eventually followed in the 1930s and 1940s. The overall idea is a pleasure to read, or to hear, as we invite you now to listen to this novel that established a completely new pattern for mysteries."

Earl Derr Biggers (Author), John Rayburn (Narrator)

Audiobook

[German] - Charlie Chan, Fall 6: Hüter des Schlüssels

"Charlie Chan folgt einer Einladung an den verschneiten Lake Tahoe. Ein Mann namens Dudley Ward hat dort zu einer seltsamen Gesellschaft gebeten. In seinem einsamen Haus am See finden sich unter anderem drei Männer ein, die mit ihm ein Schicksal teilen: Sie alle waren einst mit Ellen Landini verheiratet, einer berühmten Opernsängerin. Keiner der Gäste ist gut auf die Dame zu sprechen. Dann offenbart Ward den Clou des Abends: Ellen Landini taucht als Überraschungsgast auf. Damit ist Unheil vorprogrammiert. Und das lässt nicht lange auf sich warten."

Earl Derr Biggers, Marc Freund (Author), Arne Stephan, Bernd Vollbrecht, Bodo Wolf, Dagmar Dreke, Jörg Hengstler, Jürgen Thormann, Marie-Isabel Walke, Rainer Brandt, Reinhard Kuhnert, Stefan Gossler, Thomas Schmuckert, Tim Knauer, Yvonne Greitzke (Narrator)

Audiobook

[German] - Charlie Chan, Fall 5: Charlie Chan macht weiter

"Ein Todesfall in einem alten Londoner Hotel bildet den Ausgangspunkt einer ganzen Mordserie: Ein Unbekannter dezimiert nach und nach die Teilnehmer einer amerikanischen Reisegesellschaft. Inspektor Hayley von Scotland Yard nimmt sich des Falles an. Doch schon bald muss er erkennen, dass er dem gerissenen Verbrecher, den er unter den Teilnehmern der Reise vermutet, nicht gewachsen ist. Als die Weltreisenden endlich Honolulu erreichen, eskalieren die Ereignisse und Charlie Chan übernimmt den Fall. Gemeinsam mit der Reisegruppe begibt er sich auf die letzte Etappe der Fahrt, die zugleich für alle die gefährlichste wird."

Audiobook

Seven Keys to Baldpate

"Dime-store novelist William Magee has gone to Baldpate Inn to do a little soul-searching in an attempt to write a serious work. Thinking he will be alone and uninterrupted, Magee arrives at the inn in the dead of winter. But he discovers that there are six other keys to Baldpate Inn, and the holders of those keys enliven his stay with bribery, shootings and plenty of mystery. (Summary by Susan Umpleby & TriciaG)"

Earl Derr Biggers (Author), LibriVox Volunteers (Narrator)

Audiobook