Maybe the best of the first three Sidney Toler Chans. Here, Chan investigates the killing of an author who was writing a mystery novel that exposed a fake psychic. Taking place at the San Francisco World's Fair at Treasure Island in 1939, Charlie and son Jimmy become assisted by a show magician named Rhadini (Cesar Romero), who himself has been trying put the finger on phony psychics, and who has been attempting to get a suspected Dr. Zodiac on his stage to try and unmask him. This effort benefits from the usual strong pairing of Toler and Yung, but also an added element of spookiness and the macabre through the séance and mind reading sequences featuring Dr. Zodiac. The wrap-up at the end is particularly well-realized and the killer's reveal is one of the most satisfactory surprises of the series. *** out of ****
Review of Charlie Chan at Treasure Island
