Books › Seven keys to Baldpate
Seven keys to Baldpate
430 pages
A snowbound writer's retreat turns into a chaotic, door-slamming farce of spies, thieves, and unexpected romance.
What it feels like
Reading this classic mystery feels like watching a brilliantly choreographed stage play unfold in a snow globe. You are immediately swept into the freezing, isolated atmosphere of a shuttered summer hotel in the dead of winter, only to have that quiet shattered by a relentless, farcical parade of eccentric trespassers. The pace is brisk and theatrical, driven by sharp, witty dialogue and a delightfully convoluted plot that never takes itself too seriously. It balances the cozy appeal of a locked-room puzzle with the chaotic energy of a screwball comedy. Perfect for readers who love vintage mysteries where the stakes are high but the tone remains playfully wry, offering a charming escape into a world of secret plots, midnight encounters, and winking melodrama.
- Mood
- snowbound
- chaotic
- cozy-yet-tense
- Tone
- playful
- theatrical
- wry
- melodramatic
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- the illusion of solitude · blurring of fiction and reality · absurdity of human plotting · unexpected romance
- The writing
- Breezy, dialogue-heavy, and laced with a gentle, winking irony that reflects its era.
- The arc
- Begins with a craving for quiet isolation, quickly spirals into bewildered amusement, and resolves in a satisfying, romantic twist.
- Who it's for
- Fans of classic locked-room mysteries and door-slamming farces who enjoy a snowy setting and a cast of eccentric interlopers.
Content notes
- mild gun violence
- outdated language
About the book
Geo. M. Cohan's Grand Opera House, Cohan & Harris, managers, Harry J. Ridings, business manager, Cohan & Harris present the mystery farce in two acts with prologue and epilogue "Seven Keys to Baldpate," by Geo. M. Cohan, founded on the story of that name by Earl Derr Biggers.
George M. Cohan's Grand Opera House [Chicago, Ill.], week beginning Sunday evening, April 19, 1914.
Title devised by Library staff.
Cast: Cyril Scott, John D. O'Hara, Marie Taylor...
LC copy imperfect: [2] p. only of program with most of cast list wanting.
In: American theater programs of the late 19th and 20th centuries (Library of Congress).
Description from Open Library.
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