Fu-Manchu - The Hand of Fu-Manchu [Paperback]

Sax Rohmer - The Hand of Fu-Manchu {Reviewed by Mallory @ Hearts On Fire Reviews}

Readers of my reviews will know that I have been a confirmed aficionado of the wily Oriental villain Dr. Fu Manchu and his determined British adversary Sir Denis Nayland Smith since tiny childhood. I've always found Smith and sidekick Dr. Petrie more appealing than Holmes and Watson (shocker), perhaps because Sax Rohmer's illustrious duo are less aloof, more intelligent (Dr. Petrie is definitely a notch above Dr. Watson in the intellectual realm). In a sense, Nayland Smith is a "sexier" hero meaning I find him far more appealing than the very reserved Holmes. None of this, of course, is meant in any way to denigrate Holmes, whom I do admire; but only to say that if exiled to a remote locale with the choice of novels, Nayland Smith and his elusive target Fu-Manchu would be among the first choices to keep.

"The Hand of Fu-Manchu" begins with a bang: Dr. Petrie has been suddenly recalled from his pleasurable travels in Egypt, back to London to meet up with Smith. A British emissary who is considered the world's expert on the secretive land of Tibet (remember, original publication was in 1917) has returned inexplicably to London and gone into hiding, concealing a bizarre engraved chest. Unfortunately, the man dies mysteriously before he can reveal any information to Smith, who confiscates the chest and becomes himself the target of the deadly Si-Fan, a secret Eastern society which surpasses even those of which conspiracy theorists today surmise.

Despite the fact that Sax Rohmer published nearly a century ago, his writing is still superb, still enchanting, and really a speedy read, because the reader becomes so caught up in the plotting and characterizations that the end is reached all unthinkingly. Do yourself a favour and pick up "The Hand of Fu-Manchu," and then get on with the rest of the series. You'll be ecstatic that you did. I applaud Titan Books for their foresight in bringing Sax Rohmer, and Fu Manchu, back into ready availability.

Sax Rohmer in his book, "The Hand of Fu-Manchu" Book Three in the Dr. Fu-Manchu series published by Titan Books brings us new adventures of Sir Denis Nayland Smith, Dr. Petrie and, of course, the evil Dr. Fu-Manchu.

From the Back Cover: "Imagine a person, tall, lean, and feline, high-shouldered, with a brow like Shakespeare and a face like Satan..."

London, 1913--the era of Sherlock Holmes, Dracula, and the Invisible Man. A time of shadows, secret societies, and dens filled with opium addicts. Into this world comes the most fantastic emissary of evil society has ever known... Fu-Manchu.

A sealed box and murder most foul call Nayland Smith and Dr. Petrie back from distant Egypt to the fog-enshrouded streets of London. There they discover that Dr. Fu-Manchu is an agent of a vast and deadly organization-one which will stop at nothing to achieve its ruthless goals.

Afterword by Leslie S. Kilnger

He's back! Dr. Fu-Manchu returns and this time the danger is even greater for Sir Denis Nayland Smith and his partner, Dr. Petrie than their previous run in with him. Now they are the target of the deadly Si-Fan, Secret Oriental society intent on world domination. Dealing with this tricky Doctor is like playing a high level chess game. Move, counter move, first Fu-Manchu is on the offensive and it takes all the skills of our heroic duo to keep up with him. Then Smith and Petrie take on the offensive and just when you think they have him he escapes to keep the game going. "The Hand of Fu-Manchu" is a thriller, no doubt about it. Smith and Petrie's lives are in great danger from page one and the danger grows with the body count. Just when you think you might know where the story is heading Mr. Rohmer tosses in another turn which you take at high-speed on two wheels. Mr. Rohmer writes in a breathless style that will keep you on the edge of your seat, flipping pages as fast as you can read them just trying to keep up with runaway roller coaster ride story. Yes, this book was originally written in 1917 and the characterization of Dr. Fu-Manchu is completely racist but fits perfectly with the atmosphere at the time they were written. If you can put that aside "The Hand of Fu-Manchu" is the perfect read to get your adrenalin going and root for the good guys to conquer a menace that is almost supremely evil. This is a wild ride read and I recommend it highly. This is a high-octane series and I am so glad that Titan Books is bringing the whole series back. I am really looking forward to reading the next book in this series.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Titan Books. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."