The Mask of Fu Manchu

Rating:
Summary: FU FIGHTERS!!!
Review: This book, #5 of 14 in the Fu Manchu series, is a direct continuation of the previous entry, "The Daughter of Fu Manchu." Thus, a reading of that earlier story is fairly essential when going into this one. Shan Greville again narrates, and all our old friends are back: Nayland Smith, Dr. Petrie, Orientalist Lionel Barton and his niece, Rima. Comm. Weymouth and Karameneh make only token appearances in this work. Thanks to the essential oil of a rare Burmese orchid, Dr. Fu has attained a new lease on life in this book, and is both stronger and more active than ever. You might call him a brand-new Fu! Fah Lo Suee, his evil but hot-blooded daughter, makes some nice eerie appearances in this tale, as well.
The story this time concerns Fu's attempts to steal the so-called relics of El Mokanna from Sir Lionel. These relics will enable him to foster an Islamic uprising that will sweep the world. The action jumps from Persia to Cairo, to adventure on the high seas and then back to jolly old London. Mixed in with the usual fast pace we are treated to Ogboni killers, mind-control drugs, dervishes, metal dissolvers, a "ghost mosque," and amnesia. One of the high points of the novel is a midnight ransom meeting with Dr. Fu Manchu in the heart of the Great Pyramid; a very memorable sequence indeed. Rohmer even manages to throw in a nice sentimental ending of sorts to this story, in which Fu gets to show what a classy dude he is capable of being. I am docking the book a star because several of the events are not explained (how did Fu get out of the Great Pyramid, anyway?), and because the writing in one or two scenes was a bit fuzzy (I still can't figure out that Ogboni spider-thread pendulum trick). Still, these are minor quibbles. This is essentially a mighty fun read, and a worthy addition to the Fu saga.