The Return of Dr. Fu Manchu (Fu Manchu #2) by Sax Rohmer

The second Fu-Manchu novel, originally published in 1916 by Sax Rohmer (Arthur Henry Ward) continues the tales of the “most diabolical evil genius of all time”. Published in the UK under the name, “The Devil Doctor”, the story is told once again from the first-person perspective of Dr. Petrie who acts as a sort of Watson to the more adventuresome Nayland Smith, a colonial police commissioner in Burma who has been granted a roving commission that allows him to utilize any group that can help him in his mission. When this book was written the western world was in the midst of the “Yellow Peril” and thus a diabolical mastermind intent on subjugating the West was a well-received idea.

Just as in the first book, this one is filled with the sort of idealized adventure often found in the pulps and it never lets up on the accelerator. It is sort of episodic in nature, reflecting the way in which the stories were first published so we bounce from one adventure to the next. Smith and Petrie come very close to catching their nemesis, but this is matched by the number of times they are themselves captured and must escape the clutches of Dr. Fu Manchu. 

A prominent character and one of Dr. Fu Manchu's primary agents is the "seductively lovely" Kâramanèh, a former slave to Egyptian flesh peddlers. A major question running through this book is whether or not Kâramanèh is really working for Fu Manchu or is trying to sabotage his efforts and assist Dr. Petrie whom she seems to be falling for. There are also some supernatural aspects to parts of the book (at least the main characters think so) including a jaunt through a haunted house as well as a visitation by a mummy!

As always with pulp books from that era, today’s readers will have to accept the inherent racism that dwells within these pages. If that can be done, there is a lot of fun adventure to be had.

Eagle Sage (Lon Tobyn Chronicles #3) by David B. Coe

David Coe does an excellent job of completing the Lon Tobyn Chronicle trilogy, begun in "Children of Amarid", followed by "The Outlanders". I had expected this final volume to bring war between the two parts of the known world: Tobyn-Ser and Lon-Ser. After all, the first two volumes of the trilogy seemed to be setting that up. And indeed, war seems to be coming as the plot details the arrival of an Eagle, binding to a mage which historically has only occurred when a war leader is required. But no. Coe masterfully takes us in an altogether different direction, capitalizing on major events from the first book which I had believed to be resolved.

Taken as a whole, this trilogy has truly been a hidden gem. It’s traditional fantasy to be sure but original in concept and well executed. There are no elves or dwarves, no plots derived from D&D game systems. David Coe holds a PhD in History, a background that I can’t help but feel was valuable in the world building. The social and political structures are realistic despite this being a fantasy world. The characters are well developed and engaging and even though there are a lot of them they are all genuine and memorable. I still find it difficult to believe these books were the debut novels by this author. As I noted on a previous review of book one, the version I read shows a copyright date of 2000 (mass market paperback published in 2001). Since that time, per the author, all three of the the books in the Lon Tobyn Chronicles have been re-released from Lore Seekers Press and include a thorough edit with improvements to prose, syntax, etc. However, none of the story or character development was altered.

As a fan of the author’s "Thieftaker" novels and stories under the pen name D.B. Jackson I had wanted to try his traditional fantasy.  Frankly, I was skeptical because the covers look like most of the other ‘80’s and 90’s fantasy tomes and I have struggled with many of those in recent years. But there is something to be said for this sort of fantasy. It’s not grimdark or dystopian fantasy and you’ll not find much in the way of foul language littering the pages. Just an excellent fantasy story that you could read aloud to your 10-year-old or your grandmother.

Very glad I took this chance. I’ll be reading more from Mr. Coe.

The Enemy by Wirt Williams

The year is 1943 and Lieutenant (j.g.) Peter Taylor serves as the Communications officer aboard the Destroyer U.S.S. Dee whose mission is to hunt for and destroy German subs in the Atlantic. The novel is told from his first-person perspective and chock full of shipboard life over a two-month mission.  As they hunt the elusive enemy subs, readers learn a lot about the way the ship operates, about the key members of the crew and above all what it means to wait. Indeed, a major theme of the novel is what it’s like to wait interminably for military action and the toll it takes on a person. Fortunately, the author is adept at demonstrating the effects of this without subjecting readers to it. He avoids lengthy info dumps of technobabble in favor of having the characters interact in interesting ways. That and the first person perspective serves to make an interesting story about the long boring periods of Navy ship life.

This is the author’s first novel and given the amount of accurate details, it’s not surprising to discover that he served on a similar ship with a similar mission himself, specifically as an Ensign aboard the USS Decatur, hunting German subs in the North Atlantic. Write what you know. The novel was first published in 1951, so the experience was fairly fresh for him. Some readers will prefer to have more action in the form of actual sub battles but considering that the real drama and apprehension lies in a potential contact with a sub or group of subs and then not knowing what will happen next. Is the "Enemy" really just the German subs or is it also perhaps the men themselves, fighting against the survival instinct, fear, or the nature of the hunt?

I was pleasantly surprised by this one and I certainly learned a lot. I experienced the impact of that “I was there” feeling I always hope for in a book like this. I’m glad I took a chance on it.

The Shrinking Island by Mickey Spillane

Mickey Spillane is an absolute icon of hard-boiled crime/mystery of the 20th century. His Mike Hammer character is truly one for the ages. But it’s doubtful that very many readers know he also wrote fiction of other stripes, including westerns and Young Adult novels. This volume collects all three of the “Larry and Josh” YA novels including one that has never seen print before. Max Allan Collins provides an insightful introduction describing the origins of these novels as well as a focused biography of Spillane himself.

Larry and Josh are young lads around the ages of 12-14 or so, having adventures among the Caribbean islands. Larry is from the Miami area while Josh is an “Islander” and together they are a formidable pair. Their divergent backgrounds and educations are an effective combination. Their fathers allow their various pursuits, but while they try to keep an eye on them, the boys manage to find themselves in dangerous situations all the same. Their quests take them in search of lost treasures, sunken ships, and strange phenomena that can hint at a bit of the supernatural.

In many ways, these stories remind me of the old Saturday morning cartoon series, “Johnny Quest”. The boys are very intelligent and quite competent while the adult antagonists can lean toward the bumbling and sinister side. I was happy to see that Spillane doesn’t “write down” to a young audience but rather unleashes his full story-telling mojo to keep the reader turning the pages. 

I loved these kinds of adventure stories when I was a young reader and I still love them today. Who doesn’t like a good treasure hunting story complete with old legends, infamous shipwrecks, mysterious ancient longboats, dangerous storms at sea, and nefarious salvage hunters?

Kudos to Rough Edges Press for putting this collection together in such a high-quality product with astounding cover art. A most worthy reawakening to the Spillane cannon.

The Last Gunfight - The Real Story of the Shootout at the O.K. Corral by Jeff Guinn

The Gunfight at the OK Corral is easily the most famous gunfight in American history. It has long since ascended into the ranks of mythology. Its participants, particularly Wyatt Earp, have been similarly elevated into the upper echelons of human consciousness…so much so that separating fact from fiction is surely a daunting task.

While I have long been a fan of this historical event, it was not the subject itself that first drew me to this book. In fact, it was the author, Jeff Guinn. I had read his book, "Go Down Together: The True, Untold Story of Bonnie and Clyde" about another great American myth, steeped in actual history. I was so impressed with the author’s ability to pierce the veil of the legend and tell the real story while simultaneously delivering an excellent, enjoyable read, that I knew I would be searching out more of his work.

This book presents the “facts” of the infamous gunfight in a fairly linear order. Jeff Guinn invests some time with the backgrounds of the major players, including the Earp brothers, Doc Holliday, the Clantons, the McLaurys, Johhny Ringo, Curly Bill, and a number of important but much lesser-known people who had an impact on what occurred that fateful day in October, 1881. It is clear from early on that the Earps and Doc Holliday were no saints themselves. Interestingly, Guinn also depicts the history of Tombstone itself, treating it (by design, I think) as its own character. 

The issue of just how to separate the facts from the fiction is surely a formidable task for any chronicler of such an event, especially considering the official record (court documents, eyewitness statements, etc.) are hugely tainted with bias depending on which faction one supported. As the book progresses, the time scale slows as we get closer to the gunfight, going into an almost hour by hour and then minute by minute account. The aftermath is also thoroughly explored, including the various court cases that resulted, the back-and-forth opinion of the townspeople, the murder of Morgan Earp, and the infamous “Vendetta Ride” by Wyatt and friends. A final chapter, entitled “Legends” provides an interesting summation of what happened to each of the participants and where they ended up. This section also includes an examination of Wyatt’s later-in-life attempts to ensure his own legacy as well as how books, television, and movies have transformed the event into the near-myth that it is today. I was especially interested in how it became known as the “Gunfight at the OK Corral”, considering it didn’t actually happen there. But “The Shootout at the Vacant Lot Next to Fremont Street” just doesn’t have that same ring to it.

This is not simply another biography of Wyatt Earp. The author tries (and I think succeeds) to blend all the available information in order to provide a proper context to the entire event. Even today, historians argue the various circumstances of what exactly happened. Was Tom McLaury armed or not? Did Wyatt kill Curly Bill at the end of his Vendetta Ride or did he live? Where was the exact location of the Benson Stage Robbery which played so importantly in the growing rivalry? Where necessary, the author lets us know of the conflicting theories.

I really enjoyed this book. I chose to read it over a couple of weeks rather than just sit down and plow through from cover to cover. Somehow, that seemed appropriate for the subject matter and made the reading experience a little more epic. Mythological, you might say.

Highly recommended.

The Case of the Lucky Legs (Perry Mason) by Erle Stanley Gardner

Marjorie Clune is one lucky lady. Or so she thinks. She’s won a contest that has judged her legs to be the “best in show” and now she’s set upon a fine modeling and movie career. Unfortunately, it doesn’t play out that way due to the shenanigans of movie promoter Frank Patton who turns out to be a con man. Famous lawyer Perry Mason is hired to defend Marjorie, a job which gets much more difficult when he decides to visit Patton in his apartment and discovers his dead body.

This is the fifth Perry Mason novel I’ve read so I am by no means an expert considering there were 82 novels and 4 short stories penned by Mr. Gardner. However, I’ve sampled them throughout the series and it now seems evident that Perry Mason evolved quite a bit throughout the run. This is only the third novel published and, like the first two (which I also read), it depicts a much harder Perry Mason than the character we usually think of. He is a forceful and direct man, given to barking orders to everybody around him and expecting instant compliance. Even his utterly loyal secretary, Della Street, isn’t immune to his commanding nature. Often, soon after issuing a curt command to an associate, he follows up with “And make it snappy!”

This behavior can be a little off-putting for those who come to these novels only after absorbing the TV series starring Raymond Burr. However, it is consistent with the times in which they were written and with other series characters being published. He absolutely matches his own description as described in the very first book, "The Case of the Velvet Claws": “You'll find that I'm a lawyer who has specialized in trial work, and in a lot of criminal work...I'm a specialist on getting people out of trouble. They come to me when they're in all sorts of trouble, and I work them out.” In this novel he proves his mettle and even risks putting himself in severe legal peril. If his hunch is wrong he will be indicted for accessory after the fact…for murder.

But one thing does certainly remain consistent throughout the long run of the series: Perry Mason’s unerring ability to get to the heart of the crime, no matter how convoluted the scheme. These early books in the series don’t even include a courtroom scene. The case never gets that far. Perry acts more like a ferocious PI than a lawyer but his profound understanding of the law (thanks to the author’s extensive experience with more than 20 years as a practicing attorney) gives him a leg up on other PIs and police.

I enjoyed this one just fine, but I am hoping for the more traditional Perry Mason novels in my future reading. The best ones always include exposing the truth through piercing cross-examination on the witness stand after all seems lost. While this one didn’t include such a scene, the reveal of whodunnit at the end was expertly crafted and as fulfilling as I’d hoped for.

Paperback Fantastic - Volume 1 - Sci-Fi by Justin Marriott (ed)

Once again, Justin Marriott has produced a slick ‘zine, with a cover designed by Bill Cunningham, that takes a good look at a specific genre of paperbacks and comics. This is actually the first of three related products, all devoted to speculative fiction. Here we have a focus on science fiction while the second will tackle fantasy and the third will examine horror paperbacks.

This volume is laser focused (see what I did there?) on the science fiction field. The bulk of the book is allocated to reviews of sci-fi through the ages, covering a wide variety of authors, eras, and styles. Many of the authors represented here are house-hold science fiction names like Silverberg, Asimov, Niven, Moorcock, Norton, Zelazny, etc. but many are names you may be less familiar with. Who knew Don Pendleton wrote "The Guns of Terra 10" before developing a whole new genre with "The Executioner novels"? We get reviews from every kind of sci-fi story out there, from David Brin’s “Startide Rising” to Jean-Claude Forrest’s “Barbarella”, from “Flash Gordon” to “Planet of the Apes”. Hard science fiction is found alongside humorous sci-fi and comics, swashbuckling planetary adventure, and end-of-the world scenarios. Nine different reviewers offer their opinions in thoughtful reviews (Full Disclosure: I’m one of them), but always with an eye for being informative. 

Along with the insightful reviews are a number of “Fantastic Factoids”. These are two-page spreads that spotlight themes or cover artists. These include subjects such as “Moorcock on Mars”, “Andre Norton and Ken Barr” and “Unknown Worlds of Science Fiction”.

A real bonus in this volume (and the next two) is the full color artwork. Almost every review is accompanied by a full color depiction of the cover. Often the covers chosen aren’t necessarily the ones you’ve seen and known from the bookstore shelves, offering a full mix of UK and US covers and even some from other countries. Sometimes, several covers are presented representing different styles and artists for the same book/comic. Additionally, each cover presented includes details of the artist and other facts about the book’s history.

As always, these products offer a great way to get a sampling of a specific genre. Sci-fi fans will soak this up while those who’ve only ever wondered about what this genre is all about will find plenty to whet their appetites. 

Highly recommended.

Fury From the Tomb by S.A. Sidor

Romulus “Rom” Hardy is a young Egyptologist in 1886, working out of New York, and has just received an endowment to lead a team of discovery to the Valley of the Kings in Egypt.  Once there, the team makes a startling discovery including five coffins and an over-large sarcophagus.  But upon returning to the US, it is clear that a fabled curse is all too real.

Thus begins this first-in-a-series novel that strives to blend the best of Indiana Jones, the writings of H.P. Lovecraft, the weird-west genre, and classic Universal monster movies.  And, for the most part, it succeeds.  I love all these sorts of adventure fiction themes and styles so I may be a bit prejudice towards liking this book.  Throw in cursed Egyptian mummies, Mexican banditos, Chinese vampires, bloated slickened worms the size of silos, asps, killer train wrecks, horseback-riding grave eaters – one with a flamenco guitar! and much more and you start to get the idea of what a mash-up story this is.  About the only thing missing is a gang of undead Caribbean pirates.  Perhaps in book two…

One might think this was all just too much to cram into a single novel but I didn’t feel that way at all.  It’s written in a style that reminds me a lot of Lovecraft, especially the horror aspects, and I thought it all held together quite well.  But the addition of three other main characters really brings out the emotional humanity of the plot.  A pretty occultist librarian, a gun-toting rebel of the old west, and an orphaned Chinese busboy round out the cast and their teamwork is fun to watch develop.

I recognize this sort of over-the-top adventure novel is not for everyone.  But if you want to take a chance on a pulpy throwback to the classics of yesteryear, this would be a good one to try.  The main story does conclude in this volume but it is easy to see how other books could flow forth. 

I’m looking forward to number two in the series. 

Dick Tracy - The Secret Files by Max Allan Collins & Martin H. Greenberg (ed)

In 1990, the film “Dick Tracy” was released. It starred Warren Beatty, Al Pacino, Dustin Hoffman, Madonna, and a bunch of other big-name stars. I have no evidence to support this, but it seems likely that this anthology, also published in 1990, was commissioned as a way to help market the film. Regardless, the choice of Max Allan Collins to edit the collection, along with prolific anthologist Martin H. Greenberg, could not have been a better one. Collins had taken over the writing of the Dick Tracy comic strip in 1977 when Chester Gould retired and had been at it for the 13 years prior to this book’s appearance. As a life-long fan of Dick Tracy, there can’t be many humans out there with a better understanding of what makes the world of Dick Tracy what it is.

Rarely have I read an anthology that I have enjoyed more than this one. Usually, they include some fine stories, some mediocre, and some best left on the cutting room floor. Not so with this one. I can honestly say I thoroughly enjoyed all but one of the stories included here and that one is by an author that is often troublesome for me anyway. But even then, it wasn’t “bad”. Hats off to Max Allan Collins and Martin Greenberg for their selections. The order in which the stories are presented is also well thought out. The very first story is entitled, “Origins” and written by Mike Resnick. It’s actually told from the point of view of a young, struggling writer named Chester Gould who meets a real-life detective who ultimately becomes a model for his new idea for a comic strip.

From there we have stories from the early Dick Tracy years in the 30s and 40s but also including more contemporary versions in a more modern age. We get to revisit villains from the strips such as Mumbles, Blowtop, B.O. Plenty, Gravel Gerty, Vitamin Flintheart, and Putty Puss but also read about brand new villains created just for this anthology. Some are written from some POV character other than Tracy himself. In addition to the aforementioned opening story featuring Chester Gould there is also one from the viewpoint of his wife, Tess Trueheart Tracy, and one from son "Junior".

The authors here are a real who’s who of speculative fiction and include Ed Gorman, F. Paul Wilson, Wayne D. Dundee, Barry N. Malzberg, Ric Myers, Stephen Mertz, Edward D. Hoch, Rex Miller, Mike Resnick, Ron Goulart, Barbara Collins, Henry Slesar, John Lutz, Terry Beatty, Wendi Lee, Francis M. Nevins Jr., Josh Pachter, and Max Allan Collins himself.

For fans of the original Dick Tracy comic strips or for those new to the character and just want a flavor for what it was all about, this collection is an ideal read. Highly recommended.

Steel's Treasure by Nick Auclair

Japanese general Tomoyuki Yamashita is known today for many heralded accomplishments during World War II. He conquered Malaya within 70 days from the British, earning him the moniker "The Tiger of Malaya". In October of 1944, when the war situation was critical for Japan, he assumed command of the Fourteenth Area Army to defend the occupied Philippines. But he is perhaps best known today for “Yamashita’s Treasure” or “Yamashita’s Gold” which is the alleged war loot stolen from Southeast Asia by Imperial Japanese forces and supposedly hidden in caves, tunnels, or underground complexes in different cities in the Philippines.

In this novel, US Air Force Captain William Steel is an intelligence officer stationed at Clark Air Base in the Philippines in 1985. He’s excellent at his intel job but he’s not exactly a by-the-book officer. In his spare time, he searches for Yamashita’s treasure, utilizing his network of locals that he’s accumulated over the past three years. He’s been called a “problem officer” more than once because he has a tendency to cut corners to achieve his goals.

This novel, the first in a series, is a dynamic story of Steel’s hunt for the treasure. But it’s also much more than that. Part mystery, part historical, and part men’s action adventure, it also has a nice bit of romance. Steel is a complex character, balancing his duty to the USAF with his own personal desires and goals which lead to several conflicting choices, often landing him in hot water. A healthy cadre of supporting characters round out the story and provide a real page-turning read.

Perhaps my favorite aspect of the novel is its realism. The author, himself, served as a USAF Intel officer for five years in the Philippines in the 1980s. As a retired USAF officer, myself, I can attest to the accuracy of the day-to-day activities of an overseas air base that we find here. The interactions of the Airmen, NCOs, and officers is so spot-on that it really brought back some memories for me. The lingo is perfect, not overdone like you see in the movies and on TV, but absolutely the way it is. And the setting of Clark Air Base and the surrounding territory, including Angeles City couldn’t be better.

I also enjoyed the flashback sequences showing the war effort from various points of view, including Yamashita himself. It added a nice touch of history without bogging down the plot.

Don’t go into this one expecting an over-the-top Indian Jones type of treasure hunting adventure. Sure, it has plenty of action including gun battles and a daring rescue of an American General. But there is no nuke-the-fridge kind of action here. This is a realistic, albeit dangerous approach to a treasure hunt. The author ought to know since he also spent his spare time in the Philippines searching for this same treasure.

I really enjoyed this one. Thankfully, there is a sequel out called, "Steel's Gold".

I'll Kill You Next! by Adam Knight (Lawrence Lariar)

Steve Conacher is a private investigator. He’s been hired by Luke Yorke, an aging cartoonist and well known as the man behind the famous “Caleb Straight” comic strip. Yorke has hired Conacher to locate Mike Smith, an up-and-coming cartoonist and Yorke’s protégé. Conacher is a good choice given his own friendship with Smith. But Conacher knows there is more to the story than just a missing persons case. Yorke is getting old, and he's ill. He needs somebody to take over the reigns of the comic strip and thinks Mike Smith has the talent to do so. Of greater concern to Conacher, however, is that Yorke’s spoiled brat of a nephew will take over unless Smith can be found.

The stakes grow higher when Mike Smith is found dead. It looks to be suicide, but Conacher knows better. The discovery of a new rival comic strip being readied for launch gives a prime motive for Smith to be cleared out of the way. But who is behind this new strip? Who has the talent? It seems likely that it’s one of three dames orbiting Luke Yorke’s world.

The author of this novel is Lawrence Lariar, writing under the pen name “Adam Knight”. He also wrote crime novels under the names Michael Stark and Marston la France. Lariar, however, was not only a novelist. He is perhaps better known in the world of comics where he worked as a cartoonist, a cartoon editor and as the compiler of the “Best Cartoons of the Year” series. He definitely knew the mid-20th century carton business and this novel reflects that expertise. At one point he couldn't resist having his main character, PI Conacher find a copy of “Best Cartoons of the Year” while searching a room.

So it seems the world of 1950s cartooning can be just as cut-throat as any other business, especially when three beautiful women are involved, each with their own agenda. Conacher gets beat up quite a lot over the course of the story, walking into ambushes, being clobbered over the head and waking up on some couch somewhere. But in the end, he proves his cerebral acuity, figuring out what’s been happening, and resolving the crime.

I should also mention the teaser quote on the back of the book: "She got what she wanted. She was an eye-catching dish with a low, throaty voice, and she purred like a caged tiger. As she slowly rose from the couch, she pointed the gun right at my stomach and whispered, “I got rid of him and now…I’ll Kill You Next!” Like many similar paperbacks of the 1950s, this quote and the title itself have little to do with the story. It’s pure marketing designed to get their readers (young men) to plunk down a quarter and buy the book. No such quote, or scene, appears in the novel.

While this wasn’t a remarkable reading experience for me, it was entertaining and kept me interested to see what happened next. Given the opportunity, I would read more of Lawrence Lariar’s crime fiction…and maybe check out his work in the comic industry as well.