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| Plot Summary of The Black Camel |
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"Movie star Sheila Fane arrives in Honolulu to shoot the few remaining sequences of a movie. She rents a house on the beach. When Sheila throws a big party, she is found murdered in the pavilion just before she is scheduled to make her grand entrance. Charlie Chan is assigned to the case. Tarneverro, a fortuneteller and former friend of the deceased, offers to help Charlie solve the murder. Charlie and Tarneverro arrive at the scene before the guests depart.
Leading the parade of suspects is Bob Fife, Sheila's first husband whom she had contacted again only recently. Chan is also very interested in Alan Jaynes whom Sheila had rejected as a suitor on the day of her murder.
The only serious suspect not at the party is an alcoholic beachcomber named Bob Smith who was near the house at the time of the crime. As Charlie's investigation approaches its conclusion, however, he has to admit that too much evidence points to the enigmatic Tarneverro himself-except that the seer seems to be the only one with an airtight alibi."
Peter Kenney, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of The Black Camel |
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Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Composition of Book
descript. of violence and chases - 10%
Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 50%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 20%
How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 20%
Tone of story
- very upbeat
How difficult to spot villain?
- Difficult, but some clues given
Time/era of story:
- 1900-1920's
What % of story relates directly
to the mystery, not the subplot?
- 60%
Special suspect?
- lover
Murder of certain profession?
- actors/producers/directors
Misc. Murder Plotlets
- Proving innocence of very obvious suspect
Kind of investigator
- police procedural, American
Kid or adult book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Crime Thriller
Yes
Murder Mystery (killer unknown)
Yes
Main Character
Gender
- Male
Profession/status:
- police/lawman
How much violence does he/she use?
- a little
Ethnicity/Race
- Chinese
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence
- Very much smarter than other characters
Physique
- quite fatty
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Profession/status:
- mastermind
Has special powers?
Yes
Magical/mental powers of main antagonist:
- can see into the future
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- an above average amount
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence
- Very much smarter than other characters
Physique
- average physique
Setting
Asia/Pacific
Yes
Asian country:
- Pacific Islands
City?
Yes
Style
Part of a series?
Yes
Person
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- moderately detailed references to deaths
How many deaths?
- 2
Amount of dialog
- significantly more dialog than descript
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Click here for more information about this book
Earl Derr Biggers Resident Scholar Profiles
TOP SCHOLAR:
 Peter Kenney
SCHOLARS:
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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