# Amos Winterslip — The House Without a Key character guide

> Amos Winterslip in The House Without a Key by Earl Derr Biggers.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Amos, Mr. Amos Winterslip, Uncle Amos, Cousin Amos

**First appearance:** 0001-the-house-without-a-key

## Snapshot

A retired sea captain who never speaks to his brother Dan, Amos embodies the New England conscience in a white duck suit, cold and watchful.

## Who they are

Amos Winterslip is the estranged brother of the murdered Dan, a man who made avoiding beauty the first rule of his life and who knows more about Dan's secrets than he ever let on. He carries the Winterslip gypsy strain under a Puritan's rigid surface, and his cold, precise knowledge of Dan's affairs—including the Compton woman and the South Seas jewelry—makes him a quiet but essential witness. His refusal to speak to Dan while alive haunts the investigation into how Dan died.

## Relationships

### [John Quincy Winterslip](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_without_a_key_se/characters/john_quincy_winterslip)

_family_

Amos is John Quincy's uncle, a mysterious figure whose actions deeply affect the family.

### [Charlie Chan](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_without_a_key_se/characters/charlie_chan)

_professional_

Amos Winterslip is a person of interest in the investigation, interacting with Charlie Chan as a suspect.

### [Miss Minerva Winterslip](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_without_a_key_se/characters/miss_minerva_winterslip)

_family_

Amos and Miss Minerva are siblings, with a relationship marked by conflict and concern.

### [John Quincy Winterslip](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_without_a_key_se/characters/john_quincy_winterslip)

_family_

Amos is John Quincy's uncle, a mysterious figure whose actions deeply affect the family.

### [Miss Minerva Winterslip](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_without_a_key_se/characters/miss_minerva_winterslip)

_family_

Amos and Miss Minerva are siblings, with a relationship marked by conflict and concern.

### [Charlie Chan](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_without_a_key_se/characters/charlie_chan)

_professional_

Amos Winterslip is a person of interest in the investigation, interacting with Charlie Chan as a suspect.

### [Charlie Chan](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_without_a_key_se/characters/charlie_chan)

_professional_

Amos Winterslip is a person of interest in the investigation, interacting with Charlie Chan as a suspect.

### [John Quincy Winterslip](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_without_a_key_se/characters/john_quincy_winterslip)

_family_

Amos is John Quincy's uncle, a mysterious figure whose actions deeply affect the family.

### [Miss Minerva Winterslip](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_without_a_key_se/characters/miss_minerva_winterslip)

_family_

Amos and Miss Minerva are siblings, with a relationship marked by conflict and concern.

## In the story

### [I: Kona Weather](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_without_a_key_se/chapters/i-kona-weather)

Walks with Miss Minerva on the beach, expresses bitterness toward his brother Dan, and refuses to reconcile after thirty-one years of estrangement.

### [VII: Enter Charlie Chan](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_without_a_key_se/chapters/vii-enter-charlie-chan)

Summoned by Miss Minerva after the murder; arrives and is questioned by Hallet.

### [XI: The Tree of Jewels](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_without_a_key_se/chapters/xi-the-tree-of-jewels)

Attends the family conference, confirms Dan's involvement with Arlene Compton and the brooch, and notes Dan's resentment of Leatherbee.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_without_a_key_se/characters/amos_winterslip
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_without_a_key_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_without_a_key_se/characters