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Doc Savage (Bantam) #73
The Seven Agate Devils
Murder on an international scale was being committed by a sinister mastermind. His method--an unusual inescapable form of death. His trademark-- a small statuette next to the corpse. The Man of Bronze and his fearless friends do battle with the thieving, murderous spawn from Hell-- and become marked men themselves!
134 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published May 1, 1936
4 people are currently reading
103 people want to read
About the author
Kenneth Robeson
917 books134 followersKenneth Robeson was the house name used by Street and Smith Publications as the author of their popular character Doc Savage and later The Avenger. Though most Doc Savage stories were written by the author Lester Dent, there were many others who contributed to the series, including:
William G. Bogart
Evelyn Coulson
Harold A. Davis
Lawrence Donovan
Alan Hathway
W. Ryerson Johnson
Lester Dent is usually considered to be the creator of Doc Savage. In the 1990s Philip José Farmer wrote a new Doc Savage adventure, but it was published under his own name and not by Robeson. Will Murray has since taken up the pseudonym and continued writing Doc Savage books as Robeson.
All 24 of the original stories featuring The Avenger were written by Paul Ernst, using the Robeson house name. In order to encourage sales Kenneth Robeson was credited on the cover of The Avenger magazine as "the creator of Doc Savage" even though Lester Dent had nothing to do with The Avenger series. In the 1970s, when the series was extended with 12 additional novels, Ron Goulart was hired to become Robeson.
William G. Bogart
Evelyn Coulson
Harold A. Davis
Lawrence Donovan
Alan Hathway
W. Ryerson Johnson
Lester Dent is usually considered to be the creator of Doc Savage. In the 1990s Philip José Farmer wrote a new Doc Savage adventure, but it was published under his own name and not by Robeson. Will Murray has since taken up the pseudonym and continued writing Doc Savage books as Robeson.
All 24 of the original stories featuring The Avenger were written by Paul Ernst, using the Robeson house name. In order to encourage sales Kenneth Robeson was credited on the cover of The Avenger magazine as "the creator of Doc Savage" even though Lester Dent had nothing to do with The Avenger series. In the 1970s, when the series was extended with 12 additional novels, Ron Goulart was hired to become Robeson.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
April 25, 2024
A madman is killing people and leaving little statues behind.
Not really one of Doc's best.
Not really one of Doc's best.
April 25, 2015
I’ve been reading Doc Savage books since I was about 10 years old but took a long vacation from them for no particular reason. As I get older, perhaps, I am becoming more nostalgic, but whatever the reason, I’m happy to be reading these treasures once again.
This one was fairly typical of the middle to later Doc Savage books wherein Doc's adventure includes only two of his five assistants: Monk and Ham. It seemed Lester Dent (under the pen name Kenneth Robeson) preferred this pair of companions for some reason in his later books. Perhaps he enjoyed writing them more due to their constant verbal sniping at each other or perhaps it was easier to write books with fewer good guys to have to bring into the fray.
Regardless, I always enjoy Doc Savage books and this was no exception. The entire plot this time takes place in Los Angeles. Most of the expected tropes are here including Doc’s trilling, his black light contraptions, his knock-out gas, Habeas Corpus and Chemistry, and Doc speaking ancient Mayan to his companions to prevent unwanted eavesdropping. All in all, a pretty good action-oriented mystery from the 1930s.
This one was fairly typical of the middle to later Doc Savage books wherein Doc's adventure includes only two of his five assistants: Monk and Ham. It seemed Lester Dent (under the pen name Kenneth Robeson) preferred this pair of companions for some reason in his later books. Perhaps he enjoyed writing them more due to their constant verbal sniping at each other or perhaps it was easier to write books with fewer good guys to have to bring into the fray.
Regardless, I always enjoy Doc Savage books and this was no exception. The entire plot this time takes place in Los Angeles. Most of the expected tropes are here including Doc’s trilling, his black light contraptions, his knock-out gas, Habeas Corpus and Chemistry, and Doc speaking ancient Mayan to his companions to prevent unwanted eavesdropping. All in all, a pretty good action-oriented mystery from the 1930s.
December 9, 2023
One of Dent's "ghost" novels, written by him and assistant Martin Baker. Mostly by Dent, as the essay by Will Murray notes how Dent had to rewrite some of the ghostwritten novels he commissioned he attempted to stockpile for Street & Smith.
Didn't notice the inconsistency when I first read it years ago when Bantam originally reprinted the novel; it was just another Doc Savage adventure, this time with little "devil" statuettes left at the scene of murders. Sanctum's edition restores missing material, so the story seems more cohesive. Some really good scenes with Monk, investigating the mystery at a remote film location.
Didn't notice the inconsistency when I first read it years ago when Bantam originally reprinted the novel; it was just another Doc Savage adventure, this time with little "devil" statuettes left at the scene of murders. Sanctum's edition restores missing material, so the story seems more cohesive. Some really good scenes with Monk, investigating the mystery at a remote film location.
September 27, 2014
People keep dropping over dead after a blinding flash of light. Beside every corpse, Doc and his team find a little devil figurine carved with the victim's face. The adventure isn't as spectacular as the mode of death, but it's still a good read.
October 13, 2024
Another quick Doc Savage adventure and as with all of them, this one supplied us with some literary gems, like - - - - - -
The newsboy howled, "Doc Savage making mystery trip!" (If you're yelling it to everyone it's not much of a mystery now is it?)
It might have been a big swarm of metal bumble-bees in the distance. (Yeah, yeah! That's gotta be it! It's so obvious! It makes so much sense... HEY! Wait a minute...)
Sinews of the neck, almost startling in size, indicated tremendous physical strength. (Yes, he could beat you at arm wrestling with just his neck alone!)
The man behind the weapon had the face of a beet and the neck of a turkey. (But I'll be Damned if he didn't have a heart of gold)
The girl's head was absolutely bald! (Quick, call the hair club for men!)
"Detect that odor?" Doc queried. (Someone Doc Savagely farted in my space suit)
It had a reddish quality--or was it yellowish? (How the hell would I know? You're the author, you tell me!)
It was a man, a corpse. (A corpse man or a 'Marpse' or 'corpan' if you like)
"Boy, for thirty cents, I'd faint, too!" (here's a dollar, now will you tell me what the hell is going on?)
He had elephantine ears, a tremendous inquisitive nose, a body of no consequence, and legs of amazing length. (OK, so he has huge ears, a big nose, the body of Kate Moss and the legs of Tina Turner?)
Ordinary aspirin has it, among other substances. (And 2 regular aspirin can get rid of the toughest headache, and discover invisible writing with ultra-violet light)
then made an entry in a book, and said, "Sign, please." (Could you sign it 'To my biggest fan Officer Jones, love Doc Savage? Boy, the guys back at the precinct will never believe this!)
"The vault door!" Monk bawled. "We're locked in here!" (And the radio is tuned to the 24 hour Taylor Swift station! WE'RE GONNA DIE!!)
"That," Monk growled, "sinks us!" It did. (Wow, thanks for cheering me up)
The genuine bank guards had been locked in a vice president's office. (wait, so they kidnapped the guards by taking them to the white house in Washington DC?)
"Her partner is along!" Ham echoed. (Along? Is that the guys name? Is he bald too?)
"What we need is a joint that's soundproof," Monk offered. (Nows not the time to be thinking about weed!)
Kateen MacRoy pointed at a cabaña directly below. "There!" she said. (So he's been hiding out in a Jimmy Buffets Margaritaville this whole time?)
It was still night--very black night. (Yep, that is the nightiest night that ever nighted)
BLACK HOURS of time dragged on. (Yeah, that's how night works)
"Shoot," Monk directed. (If you're sitting where they just shot another guy, that might not be the best word to use)
His stomach felt as if it were full of green persimmons. (He probably shouldn't have had those green persimmons for lunch)
IT also gave us a few 'Insert your own joke here' lines, like----------------
"What I mean, it's queer! The whole thing is queer!"
Doc held the limp form erect.
He jerked the fellow erect. He slapped the man briskly.
Here's the running count for this adventure:------
12 things or situations were deemed queer.
They insulted that guys turkey neck 34 times.
And they had to mention that the girl was bad-headed 23 times
Oh well, on to the next one......
The newsboy howled, "Doc Savage making mystery trip!" (If you're yelling it to everyone it's not much of a mystery now is it?)
It might have been a big swarm of metal bumble-bees in the distance. (Yeah, yeah! That's gotta be it! It's so obvious! It makes so much sense... HEY! Wait a minute...)
Sinews of the neck, almost startling in size, indicated tremendous physical strength. (Yes, he could beat you at arm wrestling with just his neck alone!)
The man behind the weapon had the face of a beet and the neck of a turkey. (But I'll be Damned if he didn't have a heart of gold)
The girl's head was absolutely bald! (Quick, call the hair club for men!)
"Detect that odor?" Doc queried. (Someone Doc Savagely farted in my space suit)
It had a reddish quality--or was it yellowish? (How the hell would I know? You're the author, you tell me!)
It was a man, a corpse. (A corpse man or a 'Marpse' or 'corpan' if you like)
"Boy, for thirty cents, I'd faint, too!" (here's a dollar, now will you tell me what the hell is going on?)
He had elephantine ears, a tremendous inquisitive nose, a body of no consequence, and legs of amazing length. (OK, so he has huge ears, a big nose, the body of Kate Moss and the legs of Tina Turner?)
Ordinary aspirin has it, among other substances. (And 2 regular aspirin can get rid of the toughest headache, and discover invisible writing with ultra-violet light)
then made an entry in a book, and said, "Sign, please." (Could you sign it 'To my biggest fan Officer Jones, love Doc Savage? Boy, the guys back at the precinct will never believe this!)
"The vault door!" Monk bawled. "We're locked in here!" (And the radio is tuned to the 24 hour Taylor Swift station! WE'RE GONNA DIE!!)
"That," Monk growled, "sinks us!" It did. (Wow, thanks for cheering me up)
The genuine bank guards had been locked in a vice president's office. (wait, so they kidnapped the guards by taking them to the white house in Washington DC?)
"Her partner is along!" Ham echoed. (Along? Is that the guys name? Is he bald too?)
"What we need is a joint that's soundproof," Monk offered. (Nows not the time to be thinking about weed!)
Kateen MacRoy pointed at a cabaña directly below. "There!" she said. (So he's been hiding out in a Jimmy Buffets Margaritaville this whole time?)
It was still night--very black night. (Yep, that is the nightiest night that ever nighted)
BLACK HOURS of time dragged on. (Yeah, that's how night works)
"Shoot," Monk directed. (If you're sitting where they just shot another guy, that might not be the best word to use)
His stomach felt as if it were full of green persimmons. (He probably shouldn't have had those green persimmons for lunch)
IT also gave us a few 'Insert your own joke here' lines, like----------------
"What I mean, it's queer! The whole thing is queer!"
Doc held the limp form erect.
He jerked the fellow erect. He slapped the man briskly.
Here's the running count for this adventure:------
12 things or situations were deemed queer.
They insulted that guys turkey neck 34 times.
And they had to mention that the girl was bad-headed 23 times
Oh well, on to the next one......
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 2, 2025
The Seven Agate Devils was published in the May, 1936 issue of Doc Savage Magazine; it was probably written by Lawrence Donovan, but the “boss” wasn’t too happy with the final draft; he probably did some heavy editing to bring it up to par, but the majority of the story is definitely not the work of Lester Dent. A “seasoned reader” of these Doc Savage adventures can spot a pinch hitting author every time.
The story opens in the middle of the action with Doc and two of the guys arriving in LA on an experimental dirigible during an around the world flight. The fledgling aircraft industry was just coming into its own during the early 1930’s and the pulp fiction stories of the day were incorporating this new exotic means of travel into their plots; the Doc Savage adventures were no exception as all of them included airplanes and some referenced the helium-filled dirigibles and the forerunner of the helicopter, an aircraft called the gyro. Getting back to the story …a few minutes after Doc and the guys land, they find themselves in the middle of a heinous murder plot. There are several clues to each murder such as a brilliant white light, the victim has a huge hole in their chest, and the main clue is a small devil statue made of agate beside each victim One strange aspect of the little devil statue is its face matches the face of its current victim.
The characters, including the mastermind are introduced early in the story; Doc is shorthanded in this one as Renny, Long Tom and Johnny are away “practicing their various professions in other parts of the world,” … even world traveling adventurers have to pay their bills; Monk and Ham along with their pets, Habeas and Chemistry accompany Doc to sunny California. The man who has requested Doc’s help, a lawyer named Montgomery Medwig Pell (Lester’s characters all had colorful names) seems to be as mysterious as the criminal mastermind, a man named Camphor Wraith who is apparently responsible for the murders. So, The Seven Agate Devils, seems to be shaping up as a murder mystery that will test Doc's detective skills; he had better be up on his game as two local cracker jack detectives could give him a run for his money … Philip Marlowe and Sam Spade are both well known in Los Angeles and specialize in mysterious murder cases; The Seven Agate Devils would be right up their allies. Obviously, Lester or his pinch-hitting author were fans of Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett.
The story is a sequence of one murder after the other, as we learn an elaborate scheme of international espionage is the reason for the murders. This is a typical murder mystery with a completely different ending that would only be found in a Doc Savage adventure. Doc and his guys solve the mystery of the miniature devils and the reason for the heinous murders; the mastermind and his henchmen are revealed and, of course, pay the ultimate price for their crimes. The Seven Agate Devils is somewhat complicated, but it had to be as the private eye murder mystery stories were all the rage back in 1936; the competition was quite stiff during the heyday of the pulp fiction era and the “hard-boiled detective” had to be up on his game to hold his reading audience. Doc and his guys did indeed prove they could hold their own against Mr. Spade and Mr. Marlowe as they solved the mystery of The Seven Agate Devils. *****
The story opens in the middle of the action with Doc and two of the guys arriving in LA on an experimental dirigible during an around the world flight. The fledgling aircraft industry was just coming into its own during the early 1930’s and the pulp fiction stories of the day were incorporating this new exotic means of travel into their plots; the Doc Savage adventures were no exception as all of them included airplanes and some referenced the helium-filled dirigibles and the forerunner of the helicopter, an aircraft called the gyro. Getting back to the story …a few minutes after Doc and the guys land, they find themselves in the middle of a heinous murder plot. There are several clues to each murder such as a brilliant white light, the victim has a huge hole in their chest, and the main clue is a small devil statue made of agate beside each victim One strange aspect of the little devil statue is its face matches the face of its current victim.
The characters, including the mastermind are introduced early in the story; Doc is shorthanded in this one as Renny, Long Tom and Johnny are away “practicing their various professions in other parts of the world,” … even world traveling adventurers have to pay their bills; Monk and Ham along with their pets, Habeas and Chemistry accompany Doc to sunny California. The man who has requested Doc’s help, a lawyer named Montgomery Medwig Pell (Lester’s characters all had colorful names) seems to be as mysterious as the criminal mastermind, a man named Camphor Wraith who is apparently responsible for the murders. So, The Seven Agate Devils, seems to be shaping up as a murder mystery that will test Doc's detective skills; he had better be up on his game as two local cracker jack detectives could give him a run for his money … Philip Marlowe and Sam Spade are both well known in Los Angeles and specialize in mysterious murder cases; The Seven Agate Devils would be right up their allies. Obviously, Lester or his pinch-hitting author were fans of Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett.
The story is a sequence of one murder after the other, as we learn an elaborate scheme of international espionage is the reason for the murders. This is a typical murder mystery with a completely different ending that would only be found in a Doc Savage adventure. Doc and his guys solve the mystery of the miniature devils and the reason for the heinous murders; the mastermind and his henchmen are revealed and, of course, pay the ultimate price for their crimes. The Seven Agate Devils is somewhat complicated, but it had to be as the private eye murder mystery stories were all the rage back in 1936; the competition was quite stiff during the heyday of the pulp fiction era and the “hard-boiled detective” had to be up on his game to hold his reading audience. Doc and his guys did indeed prove they could hold their own against Mr. Spade and Mr. Marlowe as they solved the mystery of The Seven Agate Devils. *****
March 7, 2022
The Seven Agate Devils is a "Doc Savage" novel by Kenneth Robeson. Kenneth Robeson was the house name used by Street and Smith Publications as the author of their popular Doc Savage novels. Though most Doc Savage stories were written by the author Lester Dent, there were many others who contributed to the series, including:
William G. Bogart
Evelyn Coulson
Harold A. Davis
Lawrence Donovan
Alan Hathway
W. Ryerson Johnson
I love reading these old pulp novels from time to time. I recently came across several of them in a used book store and snapped them up. I read about 80%+ of the Doc Savage novels when I was a teenager but that was a very long time ago.
In this one, Doc Savage and two of his men, Monk and Ham, are in the thick of it again. I will have to say that the plot is very weak in this one but the action is classic Doc Savage. All in all a good read in this classic series of books despite the weak plot.
William G. Bogart
Evelyn Coulson
Harold A. Davis
Lawrence Donovan
Alan Hathway
W. Ryerson Johnson
I love reading these old pulp novels from time to time. I recently came across several of them in a used book store and snapped them up. I read about 80%+ of the Doc Savage novels when I was a teenager but that was a very long time ago.
In this one, Doc Savage and two of his men, Monk and Ham, are in the thick of it again. I will have to say that the plot is very weak in this one but the action is classic Doc Savage. All in all a good read in this classic series of books despite the weak plot.
February 20, 2024
It was this close to being three stars. Then Monk got knocked out for the fourth time, after being unable to remember any of his education, training, or experience in chemistry. Ham was treated barely any better. Seriously, Doc could have shown up with two completely new characters and the story could have gone exactly the same. Then again, Doc was barely here but showed up just in time to confide in a total stranger but leave his assistants swinging in the wind.
The mystery of the book and how the victims were killed was interesting. There is a bit of pseudo science (what's a good Doc Savage story without it), but it does not overwhelm the tale. That's about all the writer got right (for me anyway).
Recommended for Doc Savage or Pulp completists.
find it. buy it. read it.
The mystery of the book and how the victims were killed was interesting. There is a bit of pseudo science (what's a good Doc Savage story without it), but it does not overwhelm the tale. That's about all the writer got right (for me anyway).
Recommended for Doc Savage or Pulp completists.
find it. buy it. read it.
May 9, 2024
A pulp novel featuring Doc Savage. Random assassinations are occurring worldwide. Much chaos ensues.
January 28, 2025
I just re-read this.
These Docs are a fun, quick read.
This one was formula but a couple of mild surprises.
These Docs are a fun, quick read.
This one was formula but a couple of mild surprises.
March 11, 2017
It was a good book.Well written adventure of Doc Savage!
June 6, 2022
This Doc Savage adventure/mystery takes place in the Los Angelos, CA area. Monk and Ham along with each of their pets are along for the adventure. People are dying of grisly deaths with holes bored through their chests and agate devil figurines left beside them. This is once again a who is the mystery mastermind behind the whole affair. It must have been typical for pulp fiction of the time. After a while, though, it starts to get old. Scenes in the book take place in a bank, a hotel room and a desert film studio lot among others.
Martin E. Baker and Lester Dent collaborated on this adventure out west.
Martin E. Baker and Lester Dent collaborated on this adventure out west.
November 2, 2021
Not one of the better ones.
Starts out strong, like moving Doc from New York to the west coast and the mystery is suitably weird and creepy, but the explanation feels slapped on, like the writer had two story ideas and just jammed them together and it's an awkward fit.
Both ideas are good, but don't quite work together.
Lots of interesting ideas and good buts, but as a whole, doesn't quite work.
Starts out strong, like moving Doc from New York to the west coast and the mystery is suitably weird and creepy, but the explanation feels slapped on, like the writer had two story ideas and just jammed them together and it's an awkward fit.
Both ideas are good, but don't quite work together.
Lots of interesting ideas and good buts, but as a whole, doesn't quite work.
October 15, 2016
The first Doc Savage story appeared in 1933 and the series ran in pulp and later digest format into 1949. Bantam reprinted the entire series in paperback with wonderful, iconic covers starting in the 1960's. Doc was arguably the first great modern superhero with a rich background, continuity, and mythos. The characterizations were far richer than was common for the pulps; his five associates and their sometimes-auxiliary, Doc's cousin Pat, and the pets Chemistry and Habeas Corpus, all had very distinctive characteristics and their byplay was frequently more entertaining that the current adventure-of-the-month. The settings were also fascinating: Doc's Fortress of Solitude, the Hidalgo Trading Company (which served as a front for his armada of vehicles), and especially the mysterious 86th floor headquarters all became familiar haunts to the reader, and the far-flung adventures took the intrepid band to exotic and richly-described locations all over the world. The adventures were always fast-paced and exciting, from the early apocalyptic world-saving extravaganzas of the early days to the latter scientific-detective style shorter works of the post-World War Two years. There were always a few points that it was difficult to believe along the way, but there were always more ups than downs, and there was never, ever a dull moment. The Doc Savage books have always been my favorite entertainments... I was always, as Johnny would say, superamalgamated!
February 26, 2016
Of all the pulp era heroes few stand out above the crowd, Doc Savage is one of these. With his 5 aides and cousin he adventures across the world. Fighting weird menaces, master criminals and evil scientists Doc and the Fab 5 never let you down for a great read. These stories have all you need; fast paced action, weird mystery, and some humor as the aides spat with each other. My highest recommendation.
December 18, 2019
A very mediocre effort. A "novel" of set pieces interrupted by a vehicle of some sort showing up to provoke chaos and provide escape, and for all the set up lives by "the rule of cool" the denoument is weak and ... yeah, I'll say it ... silly.
I love Doc Savage, but some of them could be stinkers. This is one of them.
I love Doc Savage, but some of them could be stinkers. This is one of them.
June 25, 2007
I have an addiction for old Doc Savage books that I indulge when I'm in Florida because a shop has them for a ridiculous price but the old books are so hard to find. Doc Savage is always right, Ham and Monk are always fighting and the rest can help ave the world at the drop of a hat.
December 27, 2007
read 06.11.85
July 27, 2010
A little better than the average Doc story.
March 8, 2013
Not as good as some of the others ... but far better than most fiction being written now.
November 17, 2018
read some time in 1986
September 15, 2016
Good entry in the Doc Savage series.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews