Charlie Chan #9

Detective Charlie Chan guards a seemingly priceless Egyptian artifact—actually a clever cover for secret government microfilm—but an audacious theft at the museum sets off a race against time. With his Number One Son at his side, Chan must outwit the criminals holding the vital intelligence before they can deliver it to enemy hands, all while working to recover the hidden evidence before a deadly deadline expires.

When a diner discovers a collar button, toothpick, and thumbtacks in his breakfast, he demands answers from the hapless waiter Wilbur—who responds with a cheerfully twisted take on customer satisfaction that lands him in hot water. This 1956 humor tale from Charlie Chan #9 proves that sometimes the best comeback is the worst possible defense.

When Charlie Chan accepts uranium mining stock as payment for his services, he journeys to the remote hills with his son and chauffeur to verify the investment's worth, guided by the grizzled old prospector Pete Ross. But a murder and a seemingly obvious culprit force the detective to look beyond the surface—where a forged signature and a suspicious deed reveal a far more cunning scheme than a simple robbery. Chan's careful eye for detail uncovers the truth behind Pete's death and the true architect of this deadly deception.

Detective Charlie Chan faces a particularly audacious pair of thieves in this 1956 crime tale—Artie Flanagan and Rosie Moore strike the Farmer's Trust Company, grab their haul, and then make the bold decision to return just hours later for the cash the teller concealed. As the two crooks execute their second brazen robbery, the police close in, leading to a desperate chase through the city streets that ends in a spectacular collision neither Flanagan nor Moore could have planned for.

When the great acrobat Baro falls to his death at the circus during his performance, Charlie Chan suspects murder—and his observations about the peculiarity of the fall prove correct when the coroner confirms poisoning. As Chan investigates the tight-knit circus community, suspicion falls on Baro's brother Steve, especially when a vial of prussic acid is discovered in his quarters, but Chan's instincts tell him the evidence has been planted to frame an innocent man. Working to expose the real killer before another tragedy strikes, Chan must uncover who among those closest to Baro had the darkest motive for his death.