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Gaston Max #2
The Golden Scorpion
Four brilliant men have died mysteriously -- and the only clue is the carved tail of a golden scorpion, left beside their bodies. The man behind the horror calls himself The Scorpion, and he clearly is a man of superior cunning. When the finest detectives of France and England join forces to stop The Scorpion before he can add a fifth victim to his list, the twisting trail takes them through the haunts of London's underworld to the seamy opium dens of Chinatown -- and from there into the Lair of the Scorpion.
156 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1919
32 people are currently reading
162 people want to read
About the author
Sax Rohmer
494 books125 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 - 20 of 20 reviews
February 6, 2023
Nice early Pulp era adventure/mystery read. Recommended
April 11, 2017
An old mystery novel that is certainly the product of it's time. Unfortunately, that includes a fair bit of racism in the story (despite the fact even the characters refute that this is a "Yellow Peril" story). If can get past the old writing style and all that comes with it, it isn't a bad read. My only real complaint is that the final act seemed rather rushed, and the ending is, in a word, abrupt. I flipped the page expecting to see a little more, only to find that it was the last page.
December 31, 2014
The review from afar – No. 19
Re-revised forward to these overseas reviews:
Since emulating a yo-yo, I continue to rely on the old-style Kindle 3G for any non-technical reading. I tip my hat to the fine folks at Project Gutenberg: virtually every title I have or will be reading in the near future comes from them.
The Golden Scorpion is a novel that starts two investigators from opposite sides of the English Channel; Detective Inspector Dunbar of Scotland Yard and Gaston Max of the Paris Police force. This is their second outing together. Somehow I managed to skip over reading their first adventure, “The Yellow Claw”. (I think I misread a note that indicated it was one of the Fu Manchu stories with an American title. Yikes that’s a criminal mistake.)
In this story, several leading scientific men have been dying, and the timing and coincidence makes Scotland Yard suspect foul play even though all of the deaths appear to be natural. They ask the help of Dr. Stuart to test to see if the deaths are really natural of possibly from a rare or unknown poison. Stuart himself was previously aware of a mysterious and powerful personage known only as “The Scorpion.”
Although the main story begins in merry old England, a body fished out of the Thames is identified as that of Gaston Max. This dismays Dunbar because he was not aware that his former associate was in London and his loss is painful. (Max is known to be the greatest criminal investigator in Europe.)
The evil stems from Chinese (as it did in many of Sax Rohmer’s works) and while the predecessor novel is not part of the Fu Manchu canon, this one has a cameo appearance of what every assumes is Fu Manchu (it helps to bridge a couple of the Fu novels.)
Eventually, like a Deus ex Machina, Max arises from never having been dead and reveals himself to Dunbar. Dunbar is both pleased and surprised to learn that Max is still alive (and disguised as a coachman.) Max then takes over as the central character. (Many people feel this is the best part of the book.)
Since I did inexplicably miss the prior novel (written four years earlier in 1915), I can’t tell if the author and characters grew during the interval or if they were fixed in time and space. The fact that the first novel was one of those written in the first few years of his career makes me suspect that the writing was tightened up if nothing else. (The lengthy interval may have occurred because of the intervening concentration on Fu Manchu and other characters. Fu’s last of the initial three novels was published in 1917 and the similarity between series may have been another reason why the Golden Scorpion was so long delayed.) I’ll definitely have to go back and read the first novel.
Three and one-half (3.5) pulpy Stars.
You can get this book for free from the Gutenberg Project site.
May 5, 2012
The Golden Scorpion by Sax Rohmer is one of many "Yellow Peril"-type adventure/mystery stories from the early 20th Century. Trading heavily on Western fears and the "mysteries of the Orient," super-villains from the East like Rohmer's Dr. Fu Manchu and the titular Scorpion of this story were presented as evil Chinese master criminals out to destroy Western Civilization. If you want your mysteries politically correct or sanitzed, then these stories are not for you. If you want a peek at the mind-set of the time period, then this will show you Western prejudices in full flower. It is obvious that Scotland Yard and the master detective from France (who have joined forces in this story) should look for the villain among the inhabitants of the Chinatown area of London. There is evil abroad--therefore it must be of Chinese origins. Any hint of the exotic is bad...and those hints point directly at China.
In this story, Dr. Koeppel Stuart first encounters The Scorpion many years ago in the East. He is crossing a bridge by rickshaw when suddenly the man pulling him along drops face down on the ground, exclaiming, "Hide your eyes! The Scorpion comes." Bewildered and indignant, Stuart refuses to avert his gaze and watches a forbidding figure with piercing eyes and a face covered by a green veil pass by. Now, back in England, events force him back in contact with the mysterious figure. Prominent scientific men are suddenly dying--apparently of natural causes--and Scotland Yard asks Stuart, an expert on little known poisons, to become involved and try to detect foul play. There is also a famous French detective on the trail--but before long it looks as though he too has fallen victim to the villain and his henchmen. Throw in a mysterious, beautiful woman who crosses Stuart's path--is she friend or foe? Will she reveal her secrets to him or betray him to The Scorpion? It all ends in a slam-bang finish in a mansion full of secret entrances and a death device never before seen by Western eyes.
This is a decent example of the genre. Exciting action, lots of secrets...very little character development, but with all that adventure you might not notice much. As long as you're prepared for the obvious racism inherent to the genre, then the story itself can be a nice escape. I enjoyed it for what it is and actually look forward to The Insidious Dr. Fu Manchu by Rohmer (due up for another challenge or two). Three stars.
{This review is mine and was first posted on my blog at http://myreadersblock.blogspot.com/20.... Please request permission to repost any portion. Thanks.}
In this story, Dr. Koeppel Stuart first encounters The Scorpion many years ago in the East. He is crossing a bridge by rickshaw when suddenly the man pulling him along drops face down on the ground, exclaiming, "Hide your eyes! The Scorpion comes." Bewildered and indignant, Stuart refuses to avert his gaze and watches a forbidding figure with piercing eyes and a face covered by a green veil pass by. Now, back in England, events force him back in contact with the mysterious figure. Prominent scientific men are suddenly dying--apparently of natural causes--and Scotland Yard asks Stuart, an expert on little known poisons, to become involved and try to detect foul play. There is also a famous French detective on the trail--but before long it looks as though he too has fallen victim to the villain and his henchmen. Throw in a mysterious, beautiful woman who crosses Stuart's path--is she friend or foe? Will she reveal her secrets to him or betray him to The Scorpion? It all ends in a slam-bang finish in a mansion full of secret entrances and a death device never before seen by Western eyes.
This is a decent example of the genre. Exciting action, lots of secrets...very little character development, but with all that adventure you might not notice much. As long as you're prepared for the obvious racism inherent to the genre, then the story itself can be a nice escape. I enjoyed it for what it is and actually look forward to The Insidious Dr. Fu Manchu by Rohmer (due up for another challenge or two). Three stars.
{This review is mine and was first posted on my blog at http://myreadersblock.blogspot.com/20.... Please request permission to repost any portion. Thanks.}
October 8, 2013
It's a shame that people get hung up on the racism in this book as it's a thumping good read. Guys you need to remember that this is of its time and therefore will use language and mores of its time.
If you take that into consideration there are some really high-concept ideas in there and the Gaston Max section of the book is worthy of the read in itself. Miska is an almost well-rounded character and excellent avatar for the nascent women's emancipation movement at that time
If you take that into consideration there are some really high-concept ideas in there and the Gaston Max section of the book is worthy of the read in itself. Miska is an almost well-rounded character and excellent avatar for the nascent women's emancipation movement at that time
February 18, 2014
Like most of his works, it pulls you right in and is a fun ride. It's pretty much a Fu Manchu story, without directly involving that character. I found that a little disappointing, because I was hoping for something different, like Brood of the Witch King(Clearly they're set in the same Fu Manchuniverse, but I was not aware of that when I grabbed the e-book)However, if you enjoy the formula of the Fu Manchu books, you'll enjoy The Golden Scorpion.
October 28, 2013
This book is not only a sequel to "The Yellow Claw" featuring again French detective Gaston Max and Inspector Dunbar of Scotland Yard, but also fits into the Fu Manchu sequence between "The Hand of Fu Manchu" and "The daughter of Fu Manchu" Fu Manchu himself briefly appears but is unnamed. One of Rohmer's best, the delightfully far-fetched story never flags.
August 7, 2018
Dr. Keppel Stuart is having problems with break-ins at his flat. A strange hooded man is skulking about. Luckily, Dr. Stuart is friends with Detective Inspector Dunbar of New Scotland Yard who happens to drop by and consult him on a case, as Stuart is an expert on exotic poisons. Together they learn that Europe's greatest professional detective, M. Gaston Max of the Sûreté, has been found dead in the Thames. Max was working on a case involving a man called "The Scorpion", and Dunbar has brought a piece of Eastern jewelry which Stuart identifies as part of a scorpion's tale. Yet another attempted robbery leads Stuart to suspect his newest patient, a beautiful exotic woman, may be involved. He is also nearly killed by a laser.
Gaston Max, less dead than he first appeared, shows up and tells the entire story over again from a different point of view. He reveals that a hooded man known only as "The Scorpion" is running a huge opium ring, that a beautiful exotic woman is involved, and they are complicit in the death of a foreign diplomat, among others. Max disguises himself in various ways and infiltrates an opium den, where he is killed again.
The book is divided into three parts. The first follows Dr. Stuart and a lot of clues appear. In the second part Gaston Max tells the story and reveals what many of the clues mean, including the ones he left himself. The third part is the tracking down of the Scorpion.
The readers of any of Sax Rohmer's Fu-Manchu novels will recognize the Si Fan at work. The Order of the Scorpion is clearly a subset of the Si Fan, continuing their policy or world domination, with The Scorpion himself being head of European operations. This story takes place during one of the times that Fu-Manchu is on the outs with the Si Fan , and is the only Rohmer story which shows any member of the Si Fan as being anywhere close to rivaling Dr. Fu-Manchu. Fu-Manchu is referred to by the Scorpion many times as "my illustrious predecessor" and a Chinese man with striking green eyes is seen twice. And Inspector Dunbar talks about the big case that took place last year with the Chinese in Limehouse. Clearly Gaston Max travels in the same universe as Dr. Fu-Manchu.
It's good that Rohmer placed Max in his Fu-Manchu universe, because otherwise this would be nothing but a poorly disguised Fu-Manchu novel. Dr. Stuart is an expert doctor who immediately falls for the first woman he meets, just like Dr. Petrie. Mlle. Dorian is an exotic beauty under the control of an evil master and she immediately falls in love with the first Englishman she meets, just like Karamaneh. The Scorpion has yellow eyes and always wears a hood; Dr. Fu-Manchu has green eyes and wears a black skull cap, otherwise they are the same. And Gaston Max is a French Nayland Smith, just more personable and better at explaining things, though when in action they use the same methods. Since I like the Fu-Manchu novels I'm OK with all that, and it's entertaining to be in the rare position of knowing more about the world they live in than the people in the book do. It's also one of the few Rohmer books where there is a definite ending with all the characters accounted for. 4 stars.
Gaston Max, less dead than he first appeared, shows up and tells the entire story over again from a different point of view. He reveals that a hooded man known only as "The Scorpion" is running a huge opium ring, that a beautiful exotic woman is involved, and they are complicit in the death of a foreign diplomat, among others. Max disguises himself in various ways and infiltrates an opium den, where he is killed again.
The book is divided into three parts. The first follows Dr. Stuart and a lot of clues appear. In the second part Gaston Max tells the story and reveals what many of the clues mean, including the ones he left himself. The third part is the tracking down of the Scorpion.
The readers of any of Sax Rohmer's Fu-Manchu novels will recognize the Si Fan at work. The Order of the Scorpion is clearly a subset of the Si Fan, continuing their policy or world domination, with The Scorpion himself being head of European operations. This story takes place during one of the times that Fu-Manchu is on the outs with the Si Fan , and is the only Rohmer story which shows any member of the Si Fan as being anywhere close to rivaling Dr. Fu-Manchu. Fu-Manchu is referred to by the Scorpion many times as "my illustrious predecessor" and a Chinese man with striking green eyes is seen twice. And Inspector Dunbar talks about the big case that took place last year with the Chinese in Limehouse. Clearly Gaston Max travels in the same universe as Dr. Fu-Manchu.
It's good that Rohmer placed Max in his Fu-Manchu universe, because otherwise this would be nothing but a poorly disguised Fu-Manchu novel. Dr. Stuart is an expert doctor who immediately falls for the first woman he meets, just like Dr. Petrie. Mlle. Dorian is an exotic beauty under the control of an evil master and she immediately falls in love with the first Englishman she meets, just like Karamaneh. The Scorpion has yellow eyes and always wears a hood; Dr. Fu-Manchu has green eyes and wears a black skull cap, otherwise they are the same. And Gaston Max is a French Nayland Smith, just more personable and better at explaining things, though when in action they use the same methods. Since I like the Fu-Manchu novels I'm OK with all that, and it's entertaining to be in the rare position of knowing more about the world they live in than the people in the book do. It's also one of the few Rohmer books where there is a definite ending with all the characters accounted for. 4 stars.
August 5, 2022
Sax Rohmer era especialista nos romances sobre o perigo amarelo, onde obscuras organizações secretas vindas da China conspiram para dominar o mundo. Sempre coordenadas por sombrios génios do crime, misteriosos e implacáveis super-criminosos orientais capazes de manipular o sub-mundo londrino para destruir a Inglaterra e controlar o planeta. Legou-nos Fu-Manchu, talvez o seu mais icónico vilão.
Fu-Manchu não entra nesta aventura, mas o perigo amarelo continua o mesmo. Um pacato médico inglês vê-se envolvido numa conspiração mundial, que levou à morte destacados cientistas e estrategos militares. Os indícios dos assassinatos apontam para a influência da misteriosa ordem do escorpião dourado, encabeçada por um temível mandarim que se oculta sob uma máscara verde. O pacato médico descobre-se num turbilhão de luta contra o crime, ajudando um circunspecto inspetor da Scotland Yard e um irreverente detetive francês a desvendar o mistério e a travar a conspiração. Terá de enfrentar o temível chinês, e acabará por encontrar o amor numa jovem de ascendência oriental, agente forçada da terrível organização.
Rohmer tinha o seu nicho, que explorava bem, com romances frenéticos que hoje nos parecem muito datados. Em parte, porque a nossa sensibilidade evoluiu, e imagens invocadoras do terrível perigo civilizacional trazido pelos homens amarelos são obviamente racistas. O romance em si é puro policial pulp, cheio de peripécias que no final se resolvem pelo melhor. Datado, mas merece ser lido como referência de literatura fantástica de época.
Fu-Manchu não entra nesta aventura, mas o perigo amarelo continua o mesmo. Um pacato médico inglês vê-se envolvido numa conspiração mundial, que levou à morte destacados cientistas e estrategos militares. Os indícios dos assassinatos apontam para a influência da misteriosa ordem do escorpião dourado, encabeçada por um temível mandarim que se oculta sob uma máscara verde. O pacato médico descobre-se num turbilhão de luta contra o crime, ajudando um circunspecto inspetor da Scotland Yard e um irreverente detetive francês a desvendar o mistério e a travar a conspiração. Terá de enfrentar o temível chinês, e acabará por encontrar o amor numa jovem de ascendência oriental, agente forçada da terrível organização.
Rohmer tinha o seu nicho, que explorava bem, com romances frenéticos que hoje nos parecem muito datados. Em parte, porque a nossa sensibilidade evoluiu, e imagens invocadoras do terrível perigo civilizacional trazido pelos homens amarelos são obviamente racistas. O romance em si é puro policial pulp, cheio de peripécias que no final se resolvem pelo melhor. Datado, mas merece ser lido como referência de literatura fantástica de época.
February 2, 2020
As always, there is a beautiful multiethnic woman and an Englishman who loses his head over her, and at the end despite enormous obstacles, etc., etc. Oh, and also a bunch of devil doctor stuff involving beakers and spiders, an opium den that is more than it seems and the de rigeur secret escape route via the wharves.
June 27, 2020
Perhaps progressive for its time, touching on mystery, far away places, opium dens and women being sold, this work abounds with intrigue and mystery.
Read
February 4, 2009Again, tough to star this effectively. A thrilling adventure tale full of cliffhanging suspense and good old fashioned racism. Lots of "mystery of the Orient" stuff, and a mysterious Chinese villain--we know he's evil, 'cause he's a "Chinaman"! Ugh. Finally, someone survives a rather severe blow to the head, and another character remarks, "you must have a skull like a Negro!" So it's that kind of book. Probably not worth reading in this day and age.
February 11, 2016
Three stars is probably a bit generous for this book as it is basically the same story as The Yellow Claw (which I reviewed earlier) with just a few changes.
Not a bad page turner but with a rather abrupt and unsatisfactory ending.
Not a bad page turner but with a rather abrupt and unsatisfactory ending.
February 18, 2008
Wow, this was a really really bad book. Yet I read it anyway....
February 26, 2014
Classic mystery featuring the author's usual characters - amateur sleuth, Scotland Yard man, oriental villain involved in a fiendish plot to take on the world, and an exotic beauty.
June 26, 2016
The middle part, where Gaston Max takes center stage, is the best section of the novel.
For more adventure reviews, see http://www.skjam.com/tag/adventure/
For more adventure reviews, see http://www.skjam.com/tag/adventure/
July 10, 2016
A magnificent adventure, capturing elements of the orient, mingled with science, with evil, with torture, with passion... I enjoyed this...
July 26, 2016
I do love a good Sax Rohmer novel!
September 29, 2016
dread some time in spring 1969
Read
March 18, 2011Well! That was...certainly racist.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews