The Insidious Dr. Fu Manchu (Forgotten Books) Book

The Insidious Dr Fu Manchu (1913) (USA title), also known as The Mystery of Dr Fu Manchu (UK title), is the first novel in the Dr Fu Manchu (sometimes "Fu-Manchu") series by Sax Rohmer. It collates various short stories published the preceding year.We meet first Dr Petrie who is immediately surprised by a late night visitor, "a tall, lean ... square cut ... sun baked" man who turns out to be his good friend (Commissioner Sir Denis) Nayland Smith of Burma, formerly of Scotland Yard, who has come directly from Burma. We then learn that various men associated with India are the target of assassination by the Chinese Dr Fu Manchu, who seems to have been active in Burma (as distinct from India), in places such as Rangoon, Prome, Moulmein and the "Upper Irrawaddy", and who comes to England with dacoits and thuggees.Fu Manchu is pursued from the opium dens of Limehouse in the East End of London to various country estates. We learn that Dr Fu Manchu is a leading member not of "old China", the Mandarin class of the Manchu dynasty, or "young China", a new generation of "youthful and unbalanced reformers" with "western polish" - but a "Third Party". Nayland Smith is outwitted several times by Fu Manchu, and thus he reflects more the narrow escapes of the later Bulldog Drummond rather than the "logical" superior approach of the earlier Sherlock Holmes. (Quote from wikipedia.org)About the AuthorSax Rohmer (1883 - 1959)Arthur Henry Sarsfield Ward (February 15, 1883 - June 1, 1959), better known as Sax Rohmer, was a prolific English novelist. He is most remembered for his series of novels featuring the master criminal Dr. Fu Manchu.Born in Birmingham he had an entirely working class education and early career before beginning to write. HRead More