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The Complete Tales of Jules de Grandin #2
The Devil's Rosary
The second of five volumes collecting the stories of Jules de Grandin, the supernatural detective made famous in the classic pulp magazine Weird Tales.
Today the names of H. P. Lovecraft, Robert E. Howard, August Derleth, and Clark Ashton Smith, all regular contributors to the pulp magazine Weird Tales during the first half of the twentieth century, are recognizable even to casual readers of the bizarre and fantastic. And yet despite being more popular than them all during the golden era of genre pulp fiction, there is another author whose name and work have fallen into obscurity: Seabury Quinn.
Quinn's short stories were featured in well more than half of Weird Tales's original publication run. His most famous character, the supernatural French detective Dr. Jules de Grandin, investigated cases involving monsters, devil worshippers, serial killers, and spirits from beyond the grave, often set in the small town of Harrisonville, New Jersey. In de Grandin there are familiar shades of both Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes and Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot, and alongside his assistant, Dr. Samuel Trowbridge, de Grandin's knack for solving mysteries—and his outbursts of peculiar French-isms (grand Dieu!)—captivated readers for nearly three decades.
Collected for the first time in trade editions, The Complete Tales of Jules de Grandin, edited by George Vanderburgh, presents all ninety-three published works featuring the supernatural detective. Presented in chronological order over five volumes, this is the definitive collection of an iconic pulp hero.
The second volume, The Devil's Rosary, includes all of the Jules de Grandin stories from "The Black Master" (1929) to "The Wolf of St. Bonnot" (1930), as well as a foreword by Stefan Dziemianowicz.
Today the names of H. P. Lovecraft, Robert E. Howard, August Derleth, and Clark Ashton Smith, all regular contributors to the pulp magazine Weird Tales during the first half of the twentieth century, are recognizable even to casual readers of the bizarre and fantastic. And yet despite being more popular than them all during the golden era of genre pulp fiction, there is another author whose name and work have fallen into obscurity: Seabury Quinn.
Quinn's short stories were featured in well more than half of Weird Tales's original publication run. His most famous character, the supernatural French detective Dr. Jules de Grandin, investigated cases involving monsters, devil worshippers, serial killers, and spirits from beyond the grave, often set in the small town of Harrisonville, New Jersey. In de Grandin there are familiar shades of both Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes and Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot, and alongside his assistant, Dr. Samuel Trowbridge, de Grandin's knack for solving mysteries—and his outbursts of peculiar French-isms (grand Dieu!)—captivated readers for nearly three decades.
Collected for the first time in trade editions, The Complete Tales of Jules de Grandin, edited by George Vanderburgh, presents all ninety-three published works featuring the supernatural detective. Presented in chronological order over five volumes, this is the definitive collection of an iconic pulp hero.
The second volume, The Devil's Rosary, includes all of the Jules de Grandin stories from "The Black Master" (1929) to "The Wolf of St. Bonnot" (1930), as well as a foreword by Stefan Dziemianowicz.
512 pages, Hardcover
First published September 12, 2017
190 people are currently reading
439 people want to read
About the author
Seabury Quinn
289 books55 followersBest know as an American pulp author for Weird Tales, for which he wrote a series of stories about occult detective Jules de Grandin. He was the author of non-fiction legal and medical texts and editor of Casket & Sunnyside, a trade journal for mortuary jurisprudence. He also published fiction for Embalming Magazine, another mortuary periodical.
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September 25, 2017Contents:
vi - Introduction—George A. Vanderburgh and Robert E. Weinberg
xiii - “Loved by Thousands of Readers”: The Popularity of Jules de Grandin—Stefan Dziemianowicz
1929
001 - "The Black Master" (Weird Tales, January 1929)
027 -"The Devil People" (Weird Tales, February 1929)
058 - The Devil’s Rosary" (Weird Tales, April 1929)
086 - "The House of Golden Masks" (Weird Tales, June 1929)
109 - "The Corpse Master" (Weird Tales, July 1929)
136 - "Trespassing Souls" (Weird Tales, September 1929)
151 - "The Silver Countess" (Weird Tales, October 1929)
172 - "The House Without a Mirror" (Weird Tales, November 1929)
199 - "Children of Ubasti" (Weird Tales, December 1929)
1930
222 - "The Curse of the House of Phipps" (Weird Tales, January 1930)
245 - "The Drums of Damballah" (Weird Tales, March 1930)
277 - "The Dust of Egypt" (Weird Tales, April 1930)
301 - "The Brain-Thief" (Weird Tales, May 1930)
326 - "The Priestess of the Ivory Feet" (Weird Tales, June 1930)
356 - "The Bride of Dewer" (Weird Tales, July 1930)
381 - "Daughter of the Moonlight" (Weird Tales, August 1930)
408 - "The Druid’s Shadow" (Weird Tales, October 1930)
434 - "Stealthy Death" (Weird Tales, November 1930)
465 - "The Wolf of St. Bonnot" (Weird Tales, December 1930)
491 - Titles in this Series
vi - Introduction—George A. Vanderburgh and Robert E. Weinberg
xiii - “Loved by Thousands of Readers”: The Popularity of Jules de Grandin—Stefan Dziemianowicz
1929
001 - "The Black Master" (Weird Tales, January 1929)
027 -"The Devil People" (Weird Tales, February 1929)
058 - The Devil’s Rosary" (Weird Tales, April 1929)
086 - "The House of Golden Masks" (Weird Tales, June 1929)
109 - "The Corpse Master" (Weird Tales, July 1929)
136 - "Trespassing Souls" (Weird Tales, September 1929)
151 - "The Silver Countess" (Weird Tales, October 1929)
172 - "The House Without a Mirror" (Weird Tales, November 1929)
199 - "Children of Ubasti" (Weird Tales, December 1929)
1930
222 - "The Curse of the House of Phipps" (Weird Tales, January 1930)
245 - "The Drums of Damballah" (Weird Tales, March 1930)
277 - "The Dust of Egypt" (Weird Tales, April 1930)
301 - "The Brain-Thief" (Weird Tales, May 1930)
326 - "The Priestess of the Ivory Feet" (Weird Tales, June 1930)
356 - "The Bride of Dewer" (Weird Tales, July 1930)
381 - "Daughter of the Moonlight" (Weird Tales, August 1930)
408 - "The Druid’s Shadow" (Weird Tales, October 1930)
434 - "Stealthy Death" (Weird Tales, November 1930)
465 - "The Wolf of St. Bonnot" (Weird Tales, December 1930)
491 - Titles in this Series
October 13, 2017
The Little blond Frenchman who has so much wisdom in the outré and the bizarre!
I try to just whet the appetite with my reviews, but some want a SPOILER WARNING, so here it is!
This volume collects the next nineteen stories from Weird Tales, published in 1929 and 1930. Jules de Grandin may be the most famous occult detective of all time. He has a wealth of knowledge that comes from his world travels. He was a physician, a hypnotist, an expert in the occult, and a former member of the French Sûreté.
Unlike Carnaki the Ghost Finder or John Silence, his skills are more universal, dealing with evil of all kinds, not just ghosts. Like Sherlock Holmes and other famous detectives, de Grandin works and lives with a companion, in this case, Doctor Trowbridge of Harrisonville, New Jersey. Doctor Trowbridge is often skeptical of the various supernatural creatures or very evil people they face. Like Doctor Watson, Trowbridge is often disparaged by his more knowledgeable partner.
In this volume alone, De Grandin and Doctor Trowbridge take on:
• Pirate treasure guarded by ghosts
• A half-demon woman
• A cursed Rosary
• White Slavery
• Zombies
• Reanimated dead
• The statue of a six-toed woman
• A disfigured young lady
• Catlike ghouls
• A family curse
• Voodoo
• An Egyptian curse
• A sinister mesmerizer
• A cult built around a supposed God
• A centuries-old curse
• A strange red-haired girl
• A series of inexplicable murders
• An historical werewolf (Really! Look up the name!)
There should be a note here that these stories appear just as they were published. Therefore they are sometimes politically incorrect. It isn’t a bad as it could have been, but some may find them distasteful. They are simply products of their time.
I give this latest volume five stars plus and look forward to the next volume, The Dark Angel, scheduled for release March of 2018.
Quoth the Raven…
I try to just whet the appetite with my reviews, but some want a SPOILER WARNING, so here it is!
This volume collects the next nineteen stories from Weird Tales, published in 1929 and 1930. Jules de Grandin may be the most famous occult detective of all time. He has a wealth of knowledge that comes from his world travels. He was a physician, a hypnotist, an expert in the occult, and a former member of the French Sûreté.
Unlike Carnaki the Ghost Finder or John Silence, his skills are more universal, dealing with evil of all kinds, not just ghosts. Like Sherlock Holmes and other famous detectives, de Grandin works and lives with a companion, in this case, Doctor Trowbridge of Harrisonville, New Jersey. Doctor Trowbridge is often skeptical of the various supernatural creatures or very evil people they face. Like Doctor Watson, Trowbridge is often disparaged by his more knowledgeable partner.
In this volume alone, De Grandin and Doctor Trowbridge take on:
• Pirate treasure guarded by ghosts
• A half-demon woman
• A cursed Rosary
• White Slavery
• Zombies
• Reanimated dead
• The statue of a six-toed woman
• A disfigured young lady
• Catlike ghouls
• A family curse
• Voodoo
• An Egyptian curse
• A sinister mesmerizer
• A cult built around a supposed God
• A centuries-old curse
• A strange red-haired girl
• A series of inexplicable murders
• An historical werewolf (Really! Look up the name!)
There should be a note here that these stories appear just as they were published. Therefore they are sometimes politically incorrect. It isn’t a bad as it could have been, but some may find them distasteful. They are simply products of their time.
I give this latest volume five stars plus and look forward to the next volume, The Dark Angel, scheduled for release March of 2018.
Quoth the Raven…
February 23, 2023
Much like volume 1, if you can get past the fact that these are some of the most racist and xenophobic pulp stories I have ever read then you will find some really good occult adventures (which is funny because Quinn has de Grandin, an immigrant himself, complain about how lax U.S. immigration laws are. I guess he's just the right color of immigrant).
It's funny that Jules de Grandin's "Watson", Dr. Trowbridge, has been on countless occult adventures with de Grandin and has seen sorcerers, monsters, curses, and other supernatural things with his own eyes and yet starts every single story as a hardcore skeptic that practically laughs at de Grandin every time he believes some supernatural shenanigans are going on.
It's funny that Jules de Grandin's "Watson", Dr. Trowbridge, has been on countless occult adventures with de Grandin and has seen sorcerers, monsters, curses, and other supernatural things with his own eyes and yet starts every single story as a hardcore skeptic that practically laughs at de Grandin every time he believes some supernatural shenanigans are going on.
March 2, 2018
Say, YES! More of Seabury Quinn's WEIRD TALES
If you have any doubts or questions whether to purchase this collection or not, cast them off! Just do it and jump in with both the book and Audible Narration.
Personally, I started with Volume One, HORROR ON THE LINKS, and as the stories progress chronologically, I found myself immensely entertained. They capture the 1920's (and early 30's) culture and reinvigorate the occult detective genre. Mulder and Scully, Holmes and Watson? Don't miss de Grandin and Trowbridge! Is Volume Three out yet????
If you have any doubts or questions whether to purchase this collection or not, cast them off! Just do it and jump in with both the book and Audible Narration.
Personally, I started with Volume One, HORROR ON THE LINKS, and as the stories progress chronologically, I found myself immensely entertained. They capture the 1920's (and early 30's) culture and reinvigorate the occult detective genre. Mulder and Scully, Holmes and Watson? Don't miss de Grandin and Trowbridge! Is Volume Three out yet????
Want to read
November 17, 2024PLACEHOLDER REVIEW
"Daughter of The Moonlight" - DeGrandin and Trowbridge are at a swanky, upper-crust party when a young man there suffers a hideous and mysterious mutilation. Afterwards, the wanton adopted daughter of a rich man dies of an epileptic fit, but only our peppery little Frenchman seems to know what it all has to do with gypsies and owls... Not a bad little outing for our redoubtable occult detectives (Jersey's own!), though a bit long-winded and muddled (and with the expected anti-gypsy racism of the time).
"The Wolf of Saint Bonnot" - An impromptu seance at an upper-crust hunting weekend leaves a newlywed wife incapacitated and seems to have unleashed the spirit of a great, ravening wolf. What follows are grave desecration and animalistic behavior on the part of the wife, but never fear, Jules De Grandin is here! Zut! While this story has a few glaring faults (the "mammy dialect" from the black maid is egregiously and insultingly indulged, and while the decision to have the seance suggested by a dabbling dilettante flapper-spiritualist is sound for the time period, making her the target of some fat jokes is just mean-spirited) I must say it's one of the better-written of these kinds of things, mostly because it leans a little more heavily into the "humorous exchanges" between Trowbridge and De Grandin. Plus we get some solid ceremonial magic.
"The Bride Of Dewer" - a bride and bridegroom are found in shock and mentally unhinged after their honeymoon night, and it's up to our redoubtable heroes to figure out why.... Well, this one is interesting as a piece of its time - Essentially, Quinn wants to use a Wild Huntsman/goblin-like/Pagan god figure as the villain, and builds an idea of a family curse visited on the newlyweds of the line, wherein the bride is ravished (unto insanity) by the villain (thus, also folding in the Incubus concept) if the male of the line marries. But this is 1930, so he has to be careful about what he says and how he says it. No explanation for why the event would be repeated (allowing for the figure's banishment) unless the supposed "interruption" that occurred was the cause (which I guess also allows us to believe the bride was not violated) and we get some legends that draw attention to the class conflicts of the past (peasants as chattel), not that Quinn cares all that much. Interesting but average.
"Daughter of The Moonlight" - DeGrandin and Trowbridge are at a swanky, upper-crust party when a young man there suffers a hideous and mysterious mutilation. Afterwards, the wanton adopted daughter of a rich man dies of an epileptic fit, but only our peppery little Frenchman seems to know what it all has to do with gypsies and owls... Not a bad little outing for our redoubtable occult detectives (Jersey's own!), though a bit long-winded and muddled (and with the expected anti-gypsy racism of the time).
"The Wolf of Saint Bonnot" - An impromptu seance at an upper-crust hunting weekend leaves a newlywed wife incapacitated and seems to have unleashed the spirit of a great, ravening wolf. What follows are grave desecration and animalistic behavior on the part of the wife, but never fear, Jules De Grandin is here! Zut! While this story has a few glaring faults (the "mammy dialect" from the black maid is egregiously and insultingly indulged, and while the decision to have the seance suggested by a dabbling dilettante flapper-spiritualist is sound for the time period, making her the target of some fat jokes is just mean-spirited) I must say it's one of the better-written of these kinds of things, mostly because it leans a little more heavily into the "humorous exchanges" between Trowbridge and De Grandin. Plus we get some solid ceremonial magic.
"The Bride Of Dewer" - a bride and bridegroom are found in shock and mentally unhinged after their honeymoon night, and it's up to our redoubtable heroes to figure out why.... Well, this one is interesting as a piece of its time - Essentially, Quinn wants to use a Wild Huntsman/goblin-like/Pagan god figure as the villain, and builds an idea of a family curse visited on the newlyweds of the line, wherein the bride is ravished (unto insanity) by the villain (thus, also folding in the Incubus concept) if the male of the line marries. But this is 1930, so he has to be careful about what he says and how he says it. No explanation for why the event would be repeated (allowing for the figure's banishment) unless the supposed "interruption" that occurred was the cause (which I guess also allows us to believe the bride was not violated) and we get some legends that draw attention to the class conflicts of the past (peasants as chattel), not that Quinn cares all that much. Interesting but average.
June 23, 2018
More of the Same Kind
When I reviewed the first book in this series I said that if I had more such stories I would go right on reading. After posting that review I looked on Amazon and lo and behold, there WERE more stories! I bought this book and the next one and went right on reading. The introduction says that the stories were written for money. So what? They may be potboilers, but they're such GOOD potboilers. If you like to read and don't mind supernatural stuff, you'll love these.
When I reviewed the first book in this series I said that if I had more such stories I would go right on reading. After posting that review I looked on Amazon and lo and behold, there WERE more stories! I bought this book and the next one and went right on reading. The introduction says that the stories were written for money. So what? They may be potboilers, but they're such GOOD potboilers. If you like to read and don't mind supernatural stuff, you'll love these.
June 3, 2021
Seabury Quinn was a bigger name during Weird Tales's run than H. P. Lovecraft or Robert E. Howard. His stories were in virtually every issue and graced Weird Tales covers more than any other writer. It's surprising he's virtually unknown today, because his prose and vivid descriptions are very good and his supernatural stories move at an exciting pace. And unlike Lovecraft and his extradimensional horrors, Quinn keeps his (albeit engaging and horrible) supernatural elements grounded on Earth and in terrestrial history, religion and mythology.
However, his stories have not aged well. The plots become very formulaic very quickly. His characters are barely caricatures, and his supernatural detective heroes de Grandin and Trowbridge are straight copies of Sherlock Holmes and Watson. Part of this reliance on recycled plots and thin characters can be chocked up to his prolific pace. But his stories also have racist and sexist themes, with many submissive females in distress in the plots of wicked Asian cults or other foreign foes. (Quinn definitely knew the kinds of stories his readers wanted, and the stories that would get magazine covers.) His dialogue is stereotypical and atrocious, though the atrocities are consistent. (Only de Grandin speaks like de Grandin, for example.)
Quinn is great in small bites and with a firm understanding of where he's writing from, but he gets old if you read story after story in quick succession. And it's clear why he hasn't retained popularity like his other Weird Tales alums. But he's still a good example of pulp horror at its core.
However, his stories have not aged well. The plots become very formulaic very quickly. His characters are barely caricatures, and his supernatural detective heroes de Grandin and Trowbridge are straight copies of Sherlock Holmes and Watson. Part of this reliance on recycled plots and thin characters can be chocked up to his prolific pace. But his stories also have racist and sexist themes, with many submissive females in distress in the plots of wicked Asian cults or other foreign foes. (Quinn definitely knew the kinds of stories his readers wanted, and the stories that would get magazine covers.) His dialogue is stereotypical and atrocious, though the atrocities are consistent. (Only de Grandin speaks like de Grandin, for example.)
Quinn is great in small bites and with a firm understanding of where he's writing from, but he gets old if you read story after story in quick succession. And it's clear why he hasn't retained popularity like his other Weird Tales alums. But he's still a good example of pulp horror at its core.
October 14, 2018
Once again, from a pulp-lover's perspective, this collection is one of the best things that could have happened. Rediscovering Jules De Grandin adventures, and presenting them in such a nicely edited volume, is just what the docto might order for those who would prefer those campy readers over the rather anemic stuff being churned out these days.
Containing all the stories that had graced Weird Tales during 1929 and 1930, these tales again cover a horde of supernatural as well as perfectly natural nasties. If you like this sort of thing, with hackneyed plot and tiringly florid style, please go ahead and have this one.
Containing all the stories that had graced Weird Tales during 1929 and 1930, these tales again cover a horde of supernatural as well as perfectly natural nasties. If you like this sort of thing, with hackneyed plot and tiringly florid style, please go ahead and have this one.
July 13, 2018
As Always Straight Up Pulp
As said before of the first volume, this is straight up pulp, and entertaining as always. May not be literary work of art, but what the hell? There's no pretentiousness with this one. It still rivals Lovecraft, Howard, and Clark Ashton Smith, despite Lovecraft himself not caring for it. So what? Read these anyway.
As said before of the first volume, this is straight up pulp, and entertaining as always. May not be literary work of art, but what the hell? There's no pretentiousness with this one. It still rivals Lovecraft, Howard, and Clark Ashton Smith, despite Lovecraft himself not caring for it. So what? Read these anyway.
January 19, 2018
Classic pulp tales that were previously very hard to find.
September 1, 2022
The supernatural Sherlock Holmes is back on the case in this mammoth collection. Formulaic, but entertaining if you don't read too many back to back.
November 2, 2021
The Black Master
https://archive.org/details/WeirdTale...
The Devil People
https://archive.org/details/Weird_Tal...
The Devil's Rosary
https://archive.org/details/Weird_Tal...
The House of Golden Masks
https://archive.org/details/Weird_Tal...
The Corpse-Master
https://archive.org/details/Weird_Tal...
Trespassing Souls
https://archive.org/details/Weird_Tal...
The Silver Countess
https://archive.org/details/WeirdTale...
The House Without a Mirror
https://archive.org/details/WeirdTale...
Children of Ubasti
https://archive.org/details/Weird_Tal...
The Curse of the House of Phipps
https://archive.org/details/Weird_Tal...
The Drums of Damballah
https://archive.org/details/Weird_Tal...
The Dust Of Egypt
https://archive.org/details/WeirdTale...
The Brain-Thief
https://archive.org/details/Weird_Tal...
The Priestess of the Ivory Feet
https://archive.org/details/WeirdTale...
The Bride of Dewer
https://archive.org/details/Weird_Tal...
Daughter of the Moonlight
https://archive.org/details/Weird_Tal...
The Druid's Shadow
https://archive.org/details/Weird_Tal...
Stealthy Death
https://archive.org/details/Weird_Tal...
The Wolf of St. Bonnot
https://archive.org/details/Weird_Tal...
https://archive.org/details/WeirdTale...
The Devil People
https://archive.org/details/Weird_Tal...
The Devil's Rosary
https://archive.org/details/Weird_Tal...
The House of Golden Masks
https://archive.org/details/Weird_Tal...
The Corpse-Master
https://archive.org/details/Weird_Tal...
Trespassing Souls
https://archive.org/details/Weird_Tal...
The Silver Countess
https://archive.org/details/WeirdTale...
The House Without a Mirror
https://archive.org/details/WeirdTale...
Children of Ubasti
https://archive.org/details/Weird_Tal...
The Curse of the House of Phipps
https://archive.org/details/Weird_Tal...
The Drums of Damballah
https://archive.org/details/Weird_Tal...
The Dust Of Egypt
https://archive.org/details/WeirdTale...
The Brain-Thief
https://archive.org/details/Weird_Tal...
The Priestess of the Ivory Feet
https://archive.org/details/WeirdTale...
The Bride of Dewer
https://archive.org/details/Weird_Tal...
Daughter of the Moonlight
https://archive.org/details/Weird_Tal...
The Druid's Shadow
https://archive.org/details/Weird_Tal...
Stealthy Death
https://archive.org/details/Weird_Tal...
The Wolf of St. Bonnot
https://archive.org/details/Weird_Tal...
February 28, 2019
One of the best things about this book is that the stories are presented in publication order, giving the reader a chance to see how they develop over time. But after a while they all begin to seem the same. I didn't abide by the editor's advice to read them about a week apart, and had I read them in their original magazine appearances I wouldn't've minded so much that they're similar.
Of coures, it's a continuing series featuring the same characters, and it's good that they retain some consistency, or they wouldn't be a series. De Grandin's French oaths become even more obscure, though I didn't find any to beat 'Nomme du fromage vert' in this volume.
One of the enterprising editors out there really should consider doing one of these things where modern authors contribute to the canon. The stories are too much fun to be just revived in these Kindle volumes.
Of coures, it's a continuing series featuring the same characters, and it's good that they retain some consistency, or they wouldn't be a series. De Grandin's French oaths become even more obscure, though I didn't find any to beat 'Nomme du fromage vert' in this volume.
One of the enterprising editors out there really should consider doing one of these things where modern authors contribute to the canon. The stories are too much fun to be just revived in these Kindle volumes.
March 28, 2018
This year I read the stories: The Black Master, The Devil's Rosary, The House of Golden Masks, Trespassing Souls, The House Without a Mirror, The Priestess of the Ivory Feet, The Druid's Shadow, Stealthy Death. The others I have read previously.
September 30, 2019
In this edition of the adventures of Jules de Grandin we handle witchdoctors, possessions, and the run of the mill crooks, kidnappers, and huge snake. All of them are great.
July 8, 2022
Well, I think that's enough Seabury Quinn for awhile. These seem to be getting progressively more racist and sexist as they go on, and he's starting to repeat himself already. This is only book 2!
Look, I read a lot of fiction from the 18th and 19th centuries, and a lot of pulps from the early part of the 20th. I'm not surprised by the casual bigotry that pops up, because I've seen a lot of it. And still, I was kind of wowed by Quinn. There were also a couple of stories that could have been written by Tim LaHaye, they were so evangelical and "everybody is going to hell."
Quinn does have a few themes that he likes to repeat, at least in the first two collections of stories:
Werewolves (or werecreatures)
Beautiful women tortured and mutilated by evil surgeons
Asian men, angry about how white men treat Asian women under colonialism, seek revenge
Beautiful innocent women who come under the influence of diabolical forces
The sins of the fathers befalling their descendants
Random observations:
Snakes are evil, and so are most cats. In fact, I don't know that Quinn likes any animals. Dogs get a few positive mentions.
A good 75% of his female characters have purple eyes, when eye color is mentioned. (Given that violet eyes are a mutation, one has to wonder if Harrisonville is some sort of superfund site, or if the city has produced any X-Men.)
de Grandin solves problems by hypnotizing people in something like half of the stories.
Trowbridge, 1400 pages worth of weird adventures in, still doesn't believe in the supernatural. This is annoying. It's always my biggest problem with series about dealing with the supernatural. Scully from the X-files is another person who does this. After every weird thing you've seen, and helped de Grandin with, you still don't believe in ghosts/werewolves/curses/demons/etc?
Look, I read a lot of fiction from the 18th and 19th centuries, and a lot of pulps from the early part of the 20th. I'm not surprised by the casual bigotry that pops up, because I've seen a lot of it. And still, I was kind of wowed by Quinn. There were also a couple of stories that could have been written by Tim LaHaye, they were so evangelical and "everybody is going to hell."
Quinn does have a few themes that he likes to repeat, at least in the first two collections of stories:
Werewolves (or werecreatures)
Beautiful women tortured and mutilated by evil surgeons
Asian men, angry about how white men treat Asian women under colonialism, seek revenge
Beautiful innocent women who come under the influence of diabolical forces
The sins of the fathers befalling their descendants
Random observations:
Snakes are evil, and so are most cats. In fact, I don't know that Quinn likes any animals. Dogs get a few positive mentions.
A good 75% of his female characters have purple eyes, when eye color is mentioned. (Given that violet eyes are a mutation, one has to wonder if Harrisonville is some sort of superfund site, or if the city has produced any X-Men.)
de Grandin solves problems by hypnotizing people in something like half of the stories.
Trowbridge, 1400 pages worth of weird adventures in, still doesn't believe in the supernatural. This is annoying. It's always my biggest problem with series about dealing with the supernatural. Scully from the X-files is another person who does this. After every weird thing you've seen, and helped de Grandin with, you still don't believe in ghosts/werewolves/curses/demons/etc?
October 13, 2022
This is a collection of short stories, though they are long as short stories go. The hero of our tales is Jules de Grandin who is a detective along the lines of Hercule Poirot, except that de Grandin deals with the supernatural and weird. Quinn has given us a charming and enjoyable cast. The stories are formulaic, but clever none the less. If you enjoy old school mysteries along the lines of Poirot or Holmes, and don't mind the supernatural, you'll enjoy this collection.
I have several warnings. I enjoy a good story and forgive the ignorance of past ages. When Holmes is sexist or Poirot politically incorrect, I don't drop the book and run from the room screaming, but Quinn goes beyond. Many of the stories feature "eastern devils", ancient curses manifest by tribesmen of the mysterious orient. He seems to have an issue with the sub-continent and Southeast Asians particularly and refers to them in the most horrifying terms. The little mysteries are amusing, but he is a racist even by the standards of his own day.
These stories were written as Pulp Fiction in its purest form. The original audience would have been the readers of magazines such as Weird Tales. Quinn clearly took liberties knowing the ignorance of his readers. Again, the stories are fine in format and de Grandin is charming the same way Poirot is, but somehow an alarming number of his demons and evil doers are Eastern. I enjoyed these stories, but the racism was alarming.
I have several warnings. I enjoy a good story and forgive the ignorance of past ages. When Holmes is sexist or Poirot politically incorrect, I don't drop the book and run from the room screaming, but Quinn goes beyond. Many of the stories feature "eastern devils", ancient curses manifest by tribesmen of the mysterious orient. He seems to have an issue with the sub-continent and Southeast Asians particularly and refers to them in the most horrifying terms. The little mysteries are amusing, but he is a racist even by the standards of his own day.
These stories were written as Pulp Fiction in its purest form. The original audience would have been the readers of magazines such as Weird Tales. Quinn clearly took liberties knowing the ignorance of his readers. Again, the stories are fine in format and de Grandin is charming the same way Poirot is, but somehow an alarming number of his demons and evil doers are Eastern. I enjoyed these stories, but the racism was alarming.
October 21, 2025
Like the first edition, this is a fun collection of horror pulp stories from a once popular author. Seabury Quinn may not have the lasting fame of Robert Howard of HP Lovecraft, but he knows how to write a good tale. The layout is familiar, basically a Holmes & Watson with Jules De Grandin as Holmes (And maybe a little Poirot?) and his friend/host Trowbridge as Watson. De Grandin specializes in supernatural occurrences, and more horrific human ones. This collection has a lot of familiar horror tropes (Zombies and Mummies of a sort make an appearance), as well as human traffickers, torturers, and mystical eastern brotherhoods. A lot of tropes you know (even in the 1930s when these we written), but Quinn knows how to make a good story despite the lack of groundbreaking originality. The stories are fun reads. Some are a little formulaic (young lovers in peril show up alot), and the Trowbridge character is not nearly as interesting as Watson is (He literally sees De Grandin fight supernatural evils time after time, yet refuses to believe...). So not perfect, but still very entertaining, especially for October and autumn reading.
December 3, 2023
While I am a fan of the de Grandin stories, this volume felt a lot more heavy handed on dealing with women. There's bondage, total mind control, maternity madness, ripped off clothing, etc. Of course there is also a heavy dose of eurocentrism. Unfortunately Audible chose a different narrator for this volume and he is really bad. It's one thing to have a bad French accent even though the main character is French, but he consistently mispronounced the English as well. On the positive side the book was free on Audible so it was worth it. If I had paid for it I would have had to return it. 2.5 stars
June 6, 2019
Hell of a romp
As with previous volumes, racism is abundantly present here. For those who ( rightly) criticise Lovecraft, they should turn their attention here. Only old white men are spared.
Once you get past that, if you can, you have some of the goofiest stories set to paper. The dialogue given deGrandin is an absolute hoot. And if you think Watson suffered abuse, he had nothing on Trowbridge.
Bottom line here is the stories are a lot of fun, but not for the easily offended.
As with previous volumes, racism is abundantly present here. For those who ( rightly) criticise Lovecraft, they should turn their attention here. Only old white men are spared.
Once you get past that, if you can, you have some of the goofiest stories set to paper. The dialogue given deGrandin is an absolute hoot. And if you think Watson suffered abuse, he had nothing on Trowbridge.
Bottom line here is the stories are a lot of fun, but not for the easily offended.
February 19, 2024
What are Jules Grandin's stories? A fairly well written copycat of Sherlock Holmes but with supernatural explanations, coupled with a character reminding us of the annoying Hercule Poirot. I understand that racism and sexism were rampant in this time period but at one point, I can only endure so much... I just couldn't finish this book because of it.
The editor wondered at the begining of the book why this author, so popular in his time, was so vastly forgotten today. But I believe the lack of originality of his characters the nauseating racist and sexist prejudices explain it all.
The editor wondered at the begining of the book why this author, so popular in his time, was so vastly forgotten today. But I believe the lack of originality of his characters the nauseating racist and sexist prejudices explain it all.
July 14, 2024
The Black Master - 2/10
The Devil-people - 2/10
The Devil's Rosary - 2/10
The House of Golden Masks - 4/10
The Corpse master - 3/10
Trespassing souls - 3/10
The Silver Countess - 4/10
The house without a mirror - 6/10
Children of Ubasti - 5/10
The Curse of the House of Phipps - 5/10
The drums of Damballah - 6/10
Dust of Egypt - 3/10
The Brain-Thief - 6/10
The priestess of the ivory feet - 4/10
The Bride of Dewer - 5/10
Daughter of the moonlight - 5/10
The Druid's shadow - 4/10
Stealthy Dead - 4/10
The Wolf of Saint Bonnot - 3/10
The Devil-people - 2/10
The Devil's Rosary - 2/10
The House of Golden Masks - 4/10
The Corpse master - 3/10
Trespassing souls - 3/10
The Silver Countess - 4/10
The house without a mirror - 6/10
Children of Ubasti - 5/10
The Curse of the House of Phipps - 5/10
The drums of Damballah - 6/10
Dust of Egypt - 3/10
The Brain-Thief - 6/10
The priestess of the ivory feet - 4/10
The Bride of Dewer - 5/10
Daughter of the moonlight - 5/10
The Druid's shadow - 4/10
Stealthy Dead - 4/10
The Wolf of Saint Bonnot - 3/10
June 12, 2019
This collection is not quite as good as the first collection. The adventures are still a ton of fun, have plenty of variety, and can be quite frightening. De Grandin, by this point, has lived in America for so long that he has lost some of his French character, which takes a little getting used to.
Bottom line: This is another collection of great horror adventures, but be sure to have read the first volume.
Bottom line: This is another collection of great horror adventures, but be sure to have read the first volume.
April 26, 2021
More Jules de Grandin mysteries...
See my review of volume one for the background, everything in that review applies to volume two. It seemed to me that Quinn's writing and story-telling skills improved a bit since the stories of volume one. I enjoyed these a bit more than the volume one stories. Recommended and I've ordered the third volume.
See my review of volume one for the background, everything in that review applies to volume two. It seemed to me that Quinn's writing and story-telling skills improved a bit since the stories of volume one. I enjoyed these a bit more than the volume one stories. Recommended and I've ordered the third volume.
January 27, 2020
A collection of pulp magazine stories from the 1920s-1940s about a Sherlock Holmes/Hercule Poirot-type who investigates supernatural crimes. I thought the later stories would be less racist and xenophobic than the earlier ones, but the reverse turned out to be true.
October 6, 2020
These are really well-written stories, especially considering the rate at which he produced them. Think Hercule Poirot investigating supernatural happenings and you'll have the feel of these tales. I will be looking for more of Quinn's writings and suggest you do as well.
March 4, 2021
Thankfully back in print
One of the most popular authors ever to publish in weird tales, and sadly neglected since. The stories may be formulaic at times, but the characters are superbly drawn and the glimpse of life in prohibition America fascinating.
One of the most popular authors ever to publish in weird tales, and sadly neglected since. The stories may be formulaic at times, but the characters are superbly drawn and the glimpse of life in prohibition America fascinating.
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June 4, 2021Fascinating
The stories are interesting and well told, but the prejudices of the period are unmistakably present in them, which may discomfort the readeer.
The stories are interesting and well told, but the prejudices of the period are unmistakably present in them, which may discomfort the readeer.
July 9, 2022
Period reading. Needs to be read by chapter (and listened to).
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