The Return of Dr. Fu-Manchu

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... Dr. Fu-Manchu.

The insidious doctor returns to Great Britain with his league of assassins, the dreaded Si-Fan. He seeks to subvert the realm at the highest levels, but Fu-Manchu has his own secrets—which he will protect by any means. 

The Return of Dr. Fu Manchu (UK title, The Devil Doctor) continues the battle between Good and Evil as embodied by (for Good) Colonial Police Commissioner (with a Royal Roving License) Denis Nayland Smith and his friend and associate (and narrator), Dr. Petrie and (as Evil as can be) Doctor Fu Manchu and his various henchmen, dacoits, creatures, and, of course, the alluring, enchanting, and bewitching beauty Karamaneh.

The terribly evil Dr. Fu-Manchu returns to London and completely baffles the entertainingly racist British detectives pursuing him. This is the second book in the series, and a lot of fun for two reasons. On one hand it is exciting and melodramatic, and on the other it is a glimpse into the mindset of the author, writing at a time when the "Yellow Peril" was seen as a scientifically proven reality. Reading this book is both an absorbing diversion and an interesting comparison to the hidden racism in our own time.