Charlie Chan in the House Without a Key

On January 24, 1925, The Saturday Evening Post began its serialization of the book that would make Earl Derr Biggers famous: The House Without a Key, the first of the Charlie Chan series. Chan, the first Chinese detective in literature, was modeled after Chang Apana, a real-life police detective in Honolulu.

The House Without a Key is the first novel in the Charlie Chan series by Earl Derr Biggers, published in 1925. The story introduces the Chinese-American detective Charlie Chan, who works for the Honolulu Police Department. The novel is set in the exotic locale of Hawaii and follows the investigation of the murder of a wealthy and prominent Bostonian named Dan Winterslip. Winterslip is found dead in his home, and suspicion falls on various members of his family and household, each with their own secrets and potential motives.

Earl Derr Biggers ultimately wrote six Charlie Chan mystery novels: The House Without A Key, The Chinese Parrot, Behind That Curtain, The Black Camel, Charlie Chan Carries On, and Keeper of the Keys. Each of these books is wonderfully told, and through the later films, radio shows, comics, and television series, Charlie Chan became an enduring popular figure.