Death, I Said
A Charlie Chan Mystery
By John L. Swann
Trade Paperback
Cover Price: $13.95
Charlie Chan, one of detective fiction’s most celebrated creations, returns to entertain old and new fans alike.
Based on the Earl Derr Biggers novels, with a nod to their countless film adaptations, Death, I Said: A Charlie Chan Mystery finds the Honolulu police inspector and internationally renowned detective on the case when an old friend’s plea for help turns into a mystery as thick as its fog-shrouded San Francisco setting.
Years after their first meeting in the midst of a Hawaiian murder case, John Quincy Winterslip appeals to Chan to discreetly delve into the secrets of a respected San Francisco university, where his daughter Rose has recently found employment.
Not as challenging a case, Chan thinks, as those which brought him professional satisfaction and worldwide celebrity. Still, it’s an opportunity to see Rose and other family—and to help the young Winterslip.
But something is amiss in the academic community, and Chan’s powers are put to the test as violence and death visit the quiet campus. Who is threatening one professor after another with blackmail and death? With wit, wisdom, and intuitive intellect—and the help of Winterslip and daughter Rose—Chan will crack the case and unmask the guilty.
Excerpt
The detective’s hand was on the doorknob when a sharp cry penetrated the office walls. Charlie Chan and the others rushed from the room in the direction of a second inarticulate sound, a muffled scream followed by silence. It was clear that the noises had come from a room just down the hall from the provost’s office, its door ajar. Chan arrived first, with the others close behind. Pushing the door open, he could see enough to caution the rest to come no further. He entered the room and closed the door behind him.
A woman lay on her side, facing the wall, on a long runner rug with a red floral pattern that camouflaged some, if not all, of the blood from a head wound—the cause of which was all too apparent. An ornate academic mace, its decorative metal head dented and marred by a small, dull-red stain, rested nearby. Treading lightly around a tableau of rug, body, desk and chair, Chan felt for a pulse and found none.
About The Author
John L. Swann has worked as a broadcast journalist, both in radio and television, and in public relations and marketing. His communications career has included stints as news director and anchor at WUTR-TV and anchor, reporter and talk show host at WIBX radio.
After leaving broadcasting, he served as chief of staff to the president of the State University of New York Institute of Technology and authored From the Mills to Marcy, a history of the college. His work has been recognized by the Associated Press and the New York State Broadcasters Association, and he holds degrees in communication and information design and technology.
A native of the Midwest (he grew up on a farm and could still milk a cow if the occasion arises), Swann lives in Utica, New York, with his wife, Patricia, whose years of encouragement resulted in the publication of Death, I Said, his first work of fiction and the first in a series of Charlie Chan mysteries that will coincide with the approaching centennial of the character’s 1925 debut.
Book Details
- Publisher: Nicholas K. Burns Publishing (November 2023)
- Trim Size: 5 ¼ x 8
- Paperback: 150 pages
- ISBN #978-0-9755224-5-5
- Fiction / Mystery & Detective / Private Investigators
Reviews
“Finally, a true Charlie Chan Pastiche! I have been reading a recent flare up of Charlie Chan books, most made by AI or following the films. Now, John L. Swann has written a novella that stays true to Biggers novels. No son’s number 1, 2, or three. no black chauffeur, and no silly aphorisms we find in the films. The aphorisms are few, and I’m not sure they are actually aphorisms, but they are sincere or meaningful ‘sayings’ as Biggers had intended.
“Several of the characters from Biggers’ first three novels, now in the public domain, make an appearance or brief mention. I’d say this is in line with the myriad of Sherlock Holmes, Jesse Stone, or other Pastiches that we’ve seen/read. Hats off to Mr. Swann for finally giving us another true Chan story.” Honolulou, Amazon, February 20, 2024, 5 stars
“True to form. A well written mystery precisely in the manner and style of Biggers. I only wish it were longer. Looking forward to Mr Swanns next effort.” Amazon Customer, 5 stars.
