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Charlie Chan
Charlie Chan in The Temple of the Golden Horde
Charlie Chan, visiting San Francisco to make a speech, finds himself swept into one of his most puzzling--and dangerous--cases! A cult known as the Golden Horde is running a spiritual retreat, helping the disturbed and the depressed find inner peace. Benny Chan, who worked for the Golden Horde, is dead ... but the priceless treasure he carried has been recovered. Benny's sister is searching for the truth, and Chan agrees to help her. Ancient scrolls, shadowy villains, and an ancient organization with modern ties to organized crime are just the start. For this case will take Chan across the Pacific in search of answers ... and to the edges of the human psyche!
89 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 1, 1974
12 people are currently reading
31 people want to read
About the author
Michael Collins
35 books6 followersMichael Collins was a Pseudonym of Dennis Lynds (1924–2005), a renowned author of mystery fiction. Raised in New York City, he earned a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart during World War II, before returning to New York to become a magazine editor. He published his first book, a war novel called Combat Soldier, in 1962, before moving to California to write for television.
Two years later Collins published the Edgar Award–winning Act of Fear (1967), which introduced his best-known character: the one-armed private detective Dan Fortune. The Fortune series would last for more than a dozen novels, spanning three decades, and is credited with marking a more politically aware era in private-eye fiction. Besides the Fortune novels, the incredibly prolific Collins wrote science fiction, literary fiction, and several other mystery series. He died in Santa Barbara in 2005.
Two years later Collins published the Edgar Award–winning Act of Fear (1967), which introduced his best-known character: the one-armed private detective Dan Fortune. The Fortune series would last for more than a dozen novels, spanning three decades, and is credited with marking a more politically aware era in private-eye fiction. Besides the Fortune novels, the incredibly prolific Collins wrote science fiction, literary fiction, and several other mystery series. He died in Santa Barbara in 2005.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
September 18, 2024
I first met Charlie Chan in the b/w movies which were fun little mysteries and made the character an Icon.
This short novella was written as a favor to a friend who wanted to start a Charlie Chan mystery magazine. Which somehow never appeared so this story finaly reached print. I do not mind continuation writers especially as the movies always hsd more traction with me than the original books whom are overdue a visit.
Charlie Chan is visiting a congress when het gets a visit from somebody who might or might not be family . She needs detective Chan to help her as her brother is killed she claims. When Charlie Chan looks into the matter hé sees the woman followed and so is hé. Soon enough there is more that makes no sense.
It is a funny little mystery that has too few characters to make it actually difficult mystery. . It is a fun short read.
This short novella was written as a favor to a friend who wanted to start a Charlie Chan mystery magazine. Which somehow never appeared so this story finaly reached print. I do not mind continuation writers especially as the movies always hsd more traction with me than the original books whom are overdue a visit.
Charlie Chan is visiting a congress when het gets a visit from somebody who might or might not be family . She needs detective Chan to help her as her brother is killed she claims. When Charlie Chan looks into the matter hé sees the woman followed and so is hé. Soon enough there is more that makes no sense.
It is a funny little mystery that has too few characters to make it actually difficult mystery. . It is a fun short read.
August 9, 2017
This book was loaned to me from my mother, who got it at a library book sale. She really enjoyed it and since we have similar tastes with love of Agatha Christie, I decided to read this novella.
The story deals with Chan investigating a murder after the sister of the deceased comes to Chan and convinces him that his death was not accidental like the police determined. A mentally disabled man is found dead near a beach after trying to deliver some ancient scrolls to a temple which is determined to have cult-like tendencies. However, the scrolls and the chest were still in the chest that was being delivered, along with the fact the man was scared of water. So why (and how) was he killed, what do the scrolls have to do with the mystery? It is up to Chan to figure it out.
The book is a short read (only 126 pages), with short chapters, which is another plus. It is a novella, so there is no room for filler in the story. This was a great read, although I thought the ending was a little bit of a let down, but the build up was exciting. Fans of mysteries, and the Chan character, would enjoy this reading. It is also a good study for want to be writers on how shorter tales can be written.
The story deals with Chan investigating a murder after the sister of the deceased comes to Chan and convinces him that his death was not accidental like the police determined. A mentally disabled man is found dead near a beach after trying to deliver some ancient scrolls to a temple which is determined to have cult-like tendencies. However, the scrolls and the chest were still in the chest that was being delivered, along with the fact the man was scared of water. So why (and how) was he killed, what do the scrolls have to do with the mystery? It is up to Chan to figure it out.
The book is a short read (only 126 pages), with short chapters, which is another plus. It is a novella, so there is no room for filler in the story. This was a great read, although I thought the ending was a little bit of a let down, but the build up was exciting. Fans of mysteries, and the Chan character, would enjoy this reading. It is also a good study for want to be writers on how shorter tales can be written.
May 3, 2022
Don't understand the positive reviews for this one. It's utter drivel.
Boring plot, simple mystery - guessed the villain so easily! The characters are so poorly defined, and the prose is just repetitive, that it felt like a chore to complete this book and I very nearly gave up on it several times.
Chan doesn't jump off the page and feels like a far weaker and "smaller" character than he ever did in the movies and not a single other character had any real depth.
It's not exciting, not dramatic, not funny, not mysterious, not thrilling,not character driven, not worth reading!
Boring plot, simple mystery - guessed the villain so easily! The characters are so poorly defined, and the prose is just repetitive, that it felt like a chore to complete this book and I very nearly gave up on it several times.
Chan doesn't jump off the page and feels like a far weaker and "smaller" character than he ever did in the movies and not a single other character had any real depth.
It's not exciting, not dramatic, not funny, not mysterious, not thrilling,not character driven, not worth reading!
January 27, 2026
Temple of the golden horde
This book was very well written. Good storyline interesting descriptive landscape dialog. I would suggest as a good book to read and enjoy.
This book was very well written. Good storyline interesting descriptive landscape dialog. I would suggest as a good book to read and enjoy.
August 23, 2015
Just Okay
Though an interesting story, the author's attempt at politically correcting the character of Charlie Chan has left him with a dry, boring personality. Besides, since the 1970's when this work was written, some of it is still politically incorrect. Mr. Collins should have left the famous detective to be himself and continued with the tradition of Earl Derr Biggers' original inspector from Honolulu.
Though an interesting story, the author's attempt at politically correcting the character of Charlie Chan has left him with a dry, boring personality. Besides, since the 1970's when this work was written, some of it is still politically incorrect. Mr. Collins should have left the famous detective to be himself and continued with the tradition of Earl Derr Biggers' original inspector from Honolulu.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews