The Terror of Fu Manchu (2009) by William
Patrick Maynard, Black Coat Press
REVIEW BY BRAD MENGEL
REVIEW BY BRAD MENGEL
Fu Manchu is a character that has been
around for a century now (the original stories first appeared in magazines in
1912 before they were collected in 1913).
Over the years the character has been subject to controversy with
charges of racism.
William Patrick Maynard has some big shoes
to fill writing the first authorised Fu Manchu novel in over twenty years,
taking over from Sax Rohmer and his protégé Cay Van Ash. But I am really
pleased that he does a great job with this novel. It’s been some time since I last read any of the Rohmer or
Van Ash novels so I can’t comment how close to the style Maynard got but this
is a rattling good adventure,
The story revolves around John Daniel
Eltham, a former missionary in China during the Boxer Rebellion about to
publish his memoirs which are initially thought might reveal something about
the history of Fu Manchu. I was
quite impressed by Maynard’s recreation of the Boxer Rebellion and I was
pleasantly reminded of Moonraker’s Bride by Madeline Brent (Peter O’Donnell),
that is both Maynard and O’Donnell manage to evoke similar experiences for
people in the same situation at the same time.
While Fu Manchu and the Si Fan want the
manuscript there is another group The Brotherhood of the Magi who also want it. What secrets does the manuscript hold
the key to? Who is responsible for the snowmen containing dead bodies found on
various lawns? And who is responsible for the series of Abominable Snowmen
attacks on several locations? These two new and exotic threats fit beautifully
with the various threats that have been included in the series before now.
It’s interesting to see the Si-Fan fighting
against a rival group. It
highlights something of Petrie and Smith’s tunnel vision that Fu Manchu
initially gets the blame for everything.
Surprisingly Fu Manchu’s archenemy Denis
Nayland Smith disappears in the middle portion of the book as he sends Dr
Petrie to Paris to follow several leads.
Not to fear Petrie meets Gaston Max another Rohmer detective who works
with Petrie during his time in Paris.
Maynard has created a really good adventure
with Petrie in real danger on several occasions. The Brotherhood of the Magi are strong enough villains that
they could have carried the book on their own but they make worthwhile rivals
to Fu Manchu.
Maynard has another Fu Manchu novel The
Destiny of Fu Manchu now available that looks just as good.
