DEAD MEN TELL is a Charlie Chan mystery centering on a treasure hunt for $60 million. The humble detective investigates the death of an eccentric old woman who was murdered just before she was to set out on a schooner to find a hidden family treasure. Chan decides the woman died of fright, brought on by one of her enemies posing as a ghost. Chan continues on with the treasure hunt, while his Number Two Son Jimmy stays at harbor seeking suspects.