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Sumuru #4
Return of Sumuru
Adventure
160 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1954
33 people want to read
About the author
Sax Rohmer
488 books124 followersAKA Arthur Sarsfield Ward (real name); Michael Furey.
Arthur Henry Sarsfield Ward (15 February 1883 - 1 June 1959), better known as Sax Rohmer, was a prolific English novelist. He is best remembered for his series of novels featuring the master criminal Dr. Fu Manchu.
Born in Birmingham to a working class family, Rohmer initially pursued a career as a civil servant before concentrating on writing full-time.
He worked as a poet, songwriter, and comedy sketch writer in Music Hall before creating the Sax Rohmer persona and pursuing a career writing weird fiction.
Like his contemporaries Algernon Blackwood and Arthur Machen, Rohmer claimed membership to one of the factions of the qabbalistic Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. Rohmer also claimed ties to the Rosicrucians, but the validity of his claims has been questioned. His physician and family friend, Dr. R. Watson Councell may have been his only legitimate connection to such organizations. It is believed that Rohmer may have exaggerated his association in order to boost his literary reputation as an occult writer.
His first published work came in 1903, when the short story The Mysterious Mummy was sold to Pearson's Weekly. He gradually transitioned from writing for Music Hall performers to concentrating on short stories and serials for magazine publication. In 1909 he married Rose Elizabeth Knox.
He published his first novel Pause! anonymously in 1910. After penning Little Tich in 1911 (as ghostwriter for the Music Hall entertainer) he issued the first Fu Manchu novel, The Mystery of Dr. Fu-Manchu, was serialized from October 1912 - June 1913. It was an immediate success with its fast-paced story of Denis Nayland Smith and Dr. Petrie facing the worldwide conspiracy of the 'Yellow Peril'. The Fu Manchu stories, together with his more conventional detective series characters—Paul Harley, Gaston Max, Red Kerry, Morris Klaw, and The Crime Magnet—made Rohmer one of the most successful and well-paid authors of the 1920s and 1930s.
Rohmer also wrote several novels of supernatural horror, including Brood of the Witch-Queen. Rohmer was very poor at managing his wealth, however, and made several disastrous business decisions that hampered him throughout his career. His final success came with a series of novels featuring a female variation on Fu Manchu, Sumuru.
After World War II, the Rohmers moved to New York only returning to London shortly before his death. Rohmer died in 1959 due to an outbreak of influenza ("Asian Flu").
There were thirteen books in the Fu Manchu series in all (not counting the posthumous The Wrath of Fu Manchu. The Sumuru series consist of five books.
His wife published her own mystery novel, Bianca in Black in 1954 under the pen name, Elizabeth Sax Rohmer. Some editions of the book mistakenly credit her as Rohmer's daughter. Elizabeth Sax Rohmer and Cay Van Ash, her husband's former assistant, wrote a biography of the author, Master of Villainy, published in 1972.
Arthur Henry Sarsfield Ward (15 February 1883 - 1 June 1959), better known as Sax Rohmer, was a prolific English novelist. He is best remembered for his series of novels featuring the master criminal Dr. Fu Manchu.
Born in Birmingham to a working class family, Rohmer initially pursued a career as a civil servant before concentrating on writing full-time.
He worked as a poet, songwriter, and comedy sketch writer in Music Hall before creating the Sax Rohmer persona and pursuing a career writing weird fiction.
Like his contemporaries Algernon Blackwood and Arthur Machen, Rohmer claimed membership to one of the factions of the qabbalistic Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. Rohmer also claimed ties to the Rosicrucians, but the validity of his claims has been questioned. His physician and family friend, Dr. R. Watson Councell may have been his only legitimate connection to such organizations. It is believed that Rohmer may have exaggerated his association in order to boost his literary reputation as an occult writer.
His first published work came in 1903, when the short story The Mysterious Mummy was sold to Pearson's Weekly. He gradually transitioned from writing for Music Hall performers to concentrating on short stories and serials for magazine publication. In 1909 he married Rose Elizabeth Knox.
He published his first novel Pause! anonymously in 1910. After penning Little Tich in 1911 (as ghostwriter for the Music Hall entertainer) he issued the first Fu Manchu novel, The Mystery of Dr. Fu-Manchu, was serialized from October 1912 - June 1913. It was an immediate success with its fast-paced story of Denis Nayland Smith and Dr. Petrie facing the worldwide conspiracy of the 'Yellow Peril'. The Fu Manchu stories, together with his more conventional detective series characters—Paul Harley, Gaston Max, Red Kerry, Morris Klaw, and The Crime Magnet—made Rohmer one of the most successful and well-paid authors of the 1920s and 1930s.
Rohmer also wrote several novels of supernatural horror, including Brood of the Witch-Queen. Rohmer was very poor at managing his wealth, however, and made several disastrous business decisions that hampered him throughout his career. His final success came with a series of novels featuring a female variation on Fu Manchu, Sumuru.
After World War II, the Rohmers moved to New York only returning to London shortly before his death. Rohmer died in 1959 due to an outbreak of influenza ("Asian Flu").
There were thirteen books in the Fu Manchu series in all (not counting the posthumous The Wrath of Fu Manchu. The Sumuru series consist of five books.
His wife published her own mystery novel, Bianca in Black in 1954 under the pen name, Elizabeth Sax Rohmer. Some editions of the book mistakenly credit her as Rohmer's daughter. Elizabeth Sax Rohmer and Cay Van Ash, her husband's former assistant, wrote a biography of the author, Master of Villainy, published in 1972.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
August 22, 2016
Sax Rohmer (pen name of Arthur Sarsfield Ward) wrote five Sumuru novels during the 1950s with Return of Sumuru (published in Britain as “Sand and Satin”) being the fourth. I always mention that he is more famous for his Fu Manchu novels but I think his Sumuru character is equally as important in the history of the genre. If Fu Manchu represented the Yellow Peril, the terrifying latent power of the East, then Sumuru represented the equally immense power of woman.
The novel does include a brief cameo appearance by Detective Gilligan who has been chasing after Sumuru for the first three books but this time the new protagonist is Dick Carteret who allies with American private detective, Drake Roscoe. Roscoe has a personal interest in this struggle since he was previously one of Sumuru’s victims. The two men work together to try to rescue two women from Sumuru’s formidable and persuasive cult. They are also drawn into another of Sumuru’s current projects, her attempt to gain the enormous wealth of a prominent and powerful member of Egyptian’s ruling regime. It’s all part of Sumuru’s master strategy for world domination.
For those who enjoy reading 1950’s-era novels of mastermind criminals, I urge the reading of the Sumuru novels.
The novel does include a brief cameo appearance by Detective Gilligan who has been chasing after Sumuru for the first three books but this time the new protagonist is Dick Carteret who allies with American private detective, Drake Roscoe. Roscoe has a personal interest in this struggle since he was previously one of Sumuru’s victims. The two men work together to try to rescue two women from Sumuru’s formidable and persuasive cult. They are also drawn into another of Sumuru’s current projects, her attempt to gain the enormous wealth of a prominent and powerful member of Egyptian’s ruling regime. It’s all part of Sumuru’s master strategy for world domination.
For those who enjoy reading 1950’s-era novels of mastermind criminals, I urge the reading of the Sumuru novels.
April 24, 2019
It's Sax Rohmer's London which means two things: There's a lot of fog and and some guy is going to be accosted by a beautiful young girl in need of help. This is what happens to Dick Carteret, who is literally just driving down the street when a gorgeous girl jumps in the car and begs him for help. Then she disappears. Naturally this romance of 17.3 seconds leads Dick to fall completely in love. Going to the police introduces him to Drake Roscoe, disgraced former government agent and now private detective on the trail of a rich beautiful debutante who has disappeared. She has become thoroughly mixed up with the Order of Our Lady, run by Sumuru. Sumuru's master plan is to rid the world of ugliness so that only the pretty people are left. Exactly how this plan is supposed to be accomplished and how it is supposed to work only Sumuru knows, and she's not telling.
The setup leads to a chase down the Nile, with camels and snakes and slave traders and underpowered Fords. Dick and Drake get drugged and beat up and drugged some more, while Sumuru goes for a swim and eats some fruit and plays with her cat. It goes like that for quite a while and then it ends. The ending is actually quite exciting, but if the Fu-Manchu novels ended unsatisfactorily then the Sumuru novels endings are completely aggravating.
All of this series are well written as far as the language goes, but the plot is a bit thin and there is not much action. This can probably be explained by the fact that the Sumuru novels were originally radio plays, so there's a lot more suspenseful talking and not so much shoot-em-up bang bang. And there is a lot of 1950's style sex, which means no actual touching except for kissy kissy, and a lot of diaphanous veils and bare shoulders. Real racey stuff for Richie Cunningham to read late at night. Or in the back yard under a shade tree with a Newcastle and a Corona Gorda like I did.
The setup leads to a chase down the Nile, with camels and snakes and slave traders and underpowered Fords. Dick and Drake get drugged and beat up and drugged some more, while Sumuru goes for a swim and eats some fruit and plays with her cat. It goes like that for quite a while and then it ends. The ending is actually quite exciting, but if the Fu-Manchu novels ended unsatisfactorily then the Sumuru novels endings are completely aggravating.
All of this series are well written as far as the language goes, but the plot is a bit thin and there is not much action. This can probably be explained by the fact that the Sumuru novels were originally radio plays, so there's a lot more suspenseful talking and not so much shoot-em-up bang bang. And there is a lot of 1950's style sex, which means no actual touching except for kissy kissy, and a lot of diaphanous veils and bare shoulders. Real racey stuff for Richie Cunningham to read late at night. Or in the back yard under a shade tree with a Newcastle and a Corona Gorda like I did.
November 6, 2023
The approximate plot is evident from the beginning. Sumuru advances her schemes by manipulating and destroying her benefactor/lover/sucker and the "A Plot" of Dick, Roscoe, Dolores, and Coral revolve slowly around this. Having read this fourth book and no others, I wonder if the earlier ones followed the same pattern: the benefactor/sucker is a victim of his own vice and impropriety.
Based on his other writings, Rohmer is something of a button-pusher, finding just the right pulpish fear-mongering as the engine for the story, and it's not clear here what he's going for here, and whether in 2023 the button he's mashing still does something. Sumuru represents the ultimate liberated woman with no compunctions about using any trait or gift to her advantage, whether it be her body or her brain. Does she represent fears that a woman may turn the tables on the existing power structure, or that women would work together to turn those tables?
And of course Rohmer makes Sumuru and her organization look good through the contrast of her idiot outsourced henchmen, who draw Dick Cartaret into things by simple virtue of making unforced mistakes and being memorable.
The most intriguing element of plotting that Rohmer toys with is Sumuru's ability to force choices such that she always gets what she wants, but this is seen most in what she hands Roscoe Drake and how she binds him to service. So on one hand there is the supervillain business of killing rich men and taking their stuff, and on the other there is the excellent employee retention strategies.
Based on his other writings, Rohmer is something of a button-pusher, finding just the right pulpish fear-mongering as the engine for the story, and it's not clear here what he's going for here, and whether in 2023 the button he's mashing still does something. Sumuru represents the ultimate liberated woman with no compunctions about using any trait or gift to her advantage, whether it be her body or her brain. Does she represent fears that a woman may turn the tables on the existing power structure, or that women would work together to turn those tables?
And of course Rohmer makes Sumuru and her organization look good through the contrast of her idiot outsourced henchmen, who draw Dick Cartaret into things by simple virtue of making unforced mistakes and being memorable.
The most intriguing element of plotting that Rohmer toys with is Sumuru's ability to force choices such that she always gets what she wants, but this is seen most in what she hands Roscoe Drake and how she binds him to service. So on one hand there is the supervillain business of killing rich men and taking their stuff, and on the other there is the excellent employee retention strategies.
December 17, 2022
I cannot remember where this fits into the Rohmer ‘Sumuru’ series although it scarcely matters as the plot is pretty much the same as all his other books in that we have some glamorous women in trouble and it needs our heroes to sort it out.
Much of the action is set in Egypt as Sumuru (vastly wealthy as she is) is plotting to acquire even greater riches from an Egyptian playboy to help her plan of world domination.
This is the best section of the novel as our heroes get to grips with the local terrain and populace even though, by Rohmer standards, it is largely devoid of ‘action’ proper. Things get more exciting in the latter stages of the book when everything (the ladies, Sumuru, our heroes and some white slavers) all converge in the desert. Its enjoyable tosh and definitely one of the better/odder/more sedate Rohmer books.
Much of the action is set in Egypt as Sumuru (vastly wealthy as she is) is plotting to acquire even greater riches from an Egyptian playboy to help her plan of world domination.
This is the best section of the novel as our heroes get to grips with the local terrain and populace even though, by Rohmer standards, it is largely devoid of ‘action’ proper. Things get more exciting in the latter stages of the book when everything (the ladies, Sumuru, our heroes and some white slavers) all converge in the desert. Its enjoyable tosh and definitely one of the better/odder/more sedate Rohmer books.
June 30, 2025
Rohmer, Sax - Satin And Sand
Dick Cartaret slows his vehicle to a crawl, so thick is the London fog that night. Without warning, a girl throws herself into his car; she is the most beautiful, most exquisite girl Dick has ever seen. “Hurry!” she begs, “Don’t let them catch me!”
At that point, Dick is drawn into the inescapable web of Sumuru.
Sumuru is Rohmer’s femme fatale version of Fu Manchu. She is seemingly all powerful, unstoppable, the control behind a wide ranging organization.
She is hardly an original, however. A decade earlier, L. T. Meade hurled Madame Koluchy, than Madame Sara against decent society. Each was more wicked, and more human. A decade before those two was Ayesha, H, Rider Haggard’s ageless queen. Peer further, Cleopatra, Asherah, Lilith.
Satin And Sand is a fun read, brisk page turner, although Sumuru, in comparison with the earlier females, strikes me as omnipotent. Resistance is futile.
Dick Cartaret slows his vehicle to a crawl, so thick is the London fog that night. Without warning, a girl throws herself into his car; she is the most beautiful, most exquisite girl Dick has ever seen. “Hurry!” she begs, “Don’t let them catch me!”
At that point, Dick is drawn into the inescapable web of Sumuru.
Sumuru is Rohmer’s femme fatale version of Fu Manchu. She is seemingly all powerful, unstoppable, the control behind a wide ranging organization.
She is hardly an original, however. A decade earlier, L. T. Meade hurled Madame Koluchy, than Madame Sara against decent society. Each was more wicked, and more human. A decade before those two was Ayesha, H, Rider Haggard’s ageless queen. Peer further, Cleopatra, Asherah, Lilith.
Satin And Sand is a fun read, brisk page turner, although Sumuru, in comparison with the earlier females, strikes me as omnipotent. Resistance is futile.
November 24, 2014
A reasonable Sumuru book, but not one of the best, I found the first half harder to get into, although things picked up later on.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews