Dime-store novelist William Magee has gone to Baldpate Inn to do a little soul-searching in an attempt to write a serious work. Thinking he will be alone and uninterrupted, Magee arrives at the inn in the dead of winter. But he discovers that there are six other keys to Baldpate Inn, and the holders of those keys enliven his stay with bribery, shootings and plenty of mystery.

A young man came to Lloyds of London. He knew they took out policies on unusual risks... And what he wanted was love insurance. What follows is a comic novel, by the creator of the Chinese detective - Charlie Chan!

On duty with Lloyds of London in NYC, young Richard Minot is sent to the St Augustine-ish town of San Marco to ensure that a wealthy young lady, Cynthia Meyrick marry his firm's client, Lord Harrowby. Then, in a meet-cute on a slow-moving train, Minot meets the very enticing Miss Meyrick and... reconsiders his duty. - Summary by Matt Pierard

As World War I commences, a plucky young American woman in Europe on a business trip begins to realize that she may have remained too long. She and others anxious to leave for home are caught up in events swirling about them. A mysterious British officer becomes involved. This romance-tinged spy thriller begins on a train in Calais bound for Paris and ends in Gibraltar. Based on a 1915 play of the same name, the novel was adapted for the screen in a 1918 silent version and again as a “talky” in 1930. This was the third novel written by Biggers, who went on to write six Charlie Chan novels in the 1920’s and 1930’s. -- Lee Smalley