Mystery on Happy Bones

Doc Savage (Bantam) #96

by Lester Dent

Happy Bones — sinister island in the Caribbean that harbors a secret wealth vital to the success of World War II. The Man of Bronze exposes the Germans and undergoes one of the most shattering confrontations of the war. And Doc encounters the beautiful and savage Hannah, the last descendant of a lusty line of pirate marauders.

Sanctum Books edition includes historical essay by Will Murray.

Genres: Pulp, Adventure, Fiction, Mystery, Pulp Adventure

52 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1979

About the author

Lester Dent (1904–1959) was born in La Plata, Missouri. In his mid-twenties, he began publishing pulp fiction stories, and moved to New York City, where he developed the successful Doc Savage Magazine with Henry Ralston, head of Street and Smith, a leading pulp publisher. The magazine ran from 1933 until 1949 and included 181 novel-length stories, of which Dent wrote the vast majority under the house name Kenneth Robeson. He also published mystery novels in a variety of genres, including the Chance Molloy series about a self-made airline owner. Dent’s own life was quite adventurous; he prospected for gold in the Southwest, lived aboard a schooner for a few years, hunted treasure in the Caribbean, launched an aerial photography company, and was a member of the Explorer’s Club.

Reviews

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mystery on Happy Bones is a "Doc Savage" novel by Kenneth Robeson. Kenneth Robeson was the house name Street and Smith Publications used 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, and W. Ryerson Johnson.
I love reading these old pulp novels from time to time. I read about 80%+ of the Doc Savage novels when I was a teenager but that was a very long time ago. I have been trying to find them again in the Bantam editions I read in my youth. I have found several of them in used bookstores and have bought several from online aftermarket bookstores.
In this one, Doc Savage and his men are in the thick of it again. The action is classic Doc Savage, filled with good old-fashioned adventure and gadgets that always seem to be there when the hero needs them. You can relax and escape for a little while. A good read in the Doc Savage series.

[Mark Desrosiers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a big fan of the later issues of the Doc Savage books, but this one was semi enjoyable. Plot was interesting.

[Stormcrow Hayes · Rating 3 out of 5]

The last of the single edition Bantam books, I recently acquired a mint condition copy and I think that's why I grabbed it. Though usually not as big a fan of the later adventures, this one had a few interesting aspects including Hannah, the female lead who is no damsel in distress, but quite a capable brawler. Doc even seems to look upon her admirably and one could almost imagine them on further adventures if the series had ever been allowed to grow outside its normal formula.

This adventure takes place in 1943 and it one of the first ones that I've read involving the war effort. Doc tries to unravel the mystery of Happy Bones, an island in the Caribbean where the U.S. military wishes to build an airfield. But strange things are afoot as Doc and his crew investigate.

Being one of the later adventures, Doc isn't as infallible as he is in the early part of the series and he's seen making several mistakes. They're mostly minor and he regains control fairly easily, but it's almost a little refreshing to see them take place.

There's also an amusing ruse by Monk and Ham in the first part of the story when they try to fool a messenger boy who they think is an assassin and end up being outwitted.

Overall, a fun, but mostly typical adventure in the series.

[Derek · Rating 3 out of 5]

Page one:

"It was raining, so the messenger wore a raincoat. Like most raincoats, this one pretty much enveloped the wearer. The messenger did have a young face."

Kind of reads like some AI output, doesn't it.

There's been a deliberate shift to restrain Doc Savage's apparently unlimited abilities and allow him to make mistakes and acknowledge ignorance. The story can develop in far more interesting ways, and information can be doled out to the reader with a sense of pacing, instead of Savage pulling it all out of a hat at the last second.

It also takes the risk of introducing Hannah, who is independently capable and starts the story with her own agenda, instead of being a piece of decoration.

[Fraser Sherman · Rating 3 out of 5]

The adventure here is fairly mundane. Something sinister is going on regarding two islands, one of them the eponymous Happy Bones. It turns out, though, that the McGuffin is quite mundane (Nazis want to mine materials from Happy Bones for their war effort). What gets it three stars is Hannah, a two fisted female private eye who like several women earlier in the series can hold her own with the protagonists. Having her able to hold her own in a fight with Doc is a stretch, but Dent's toning down's abilities a lot in this period.

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lester Dent writes Doc as a more introspective character here, which was common in the WWII and later stories. But Mystery on Happy Bones<\i> is better for it as Dent doesn’t go overboard making Doc “human” and vulnerable as he does in the later adventures. It’s not one the super sagas as there isn’t as much complexity and mystery (despite the title) as say you have with squeaking goblins or thousand-headed men or butterfly deaths in a land of always night. So only three stars because it’s too straightforward for me despite the good writing. Almost four, but I wanted more.

[Frank · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this Doc adventure in the 80s

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

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!

[Little Timmy · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Ronald · Rating 3 out of 5]

read some time in 1980