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Doc Savage (Bantam) #70
Spook Hole
The Man of Bronze and his trustworthy friends track a one-armed man of mystery to the far reaches of South America-- only to find their lives endangered when they discover the amazing secret that Hezemiah Law is guarding so carefully on Spook Hole!
138 pages, Paperback
First published August 17, 2012
3 people are currently reading
105 people want to read
About the author
Kenneth Robeson
918 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 - 21 of 21 reviews
October 27, 2021
Originally published in August 1935, this was the 30th Doc Savage story to be let loose upon the world. (Bantam has it as number 70 while the Sanctum reprints list it as number 43). Relatively speaking this falls much nearer the beginning of the series than the end and was written by the series’ creator, Lester Dent.
Overall, this is more of a straight mystery adventure without as many potentially supernatural occurrences (or even the perception of such), as most Doc novels. The real mystery throughout most of the book is, “What exactly is Spook Hole?” What is it? Where is it? Why are so many people interested enough to kill for it?
All but one of Doc’s crew makes an appearance in this one (another indicator of it falling in the first half of the series). Even Doc’s cousin Pat Savage gets in on the action, as if you could keep her out of the fray once she’s gotten a whiff of an adventure to be had. One of Doc’s aides spends most of the novel undercover, but I won’t spoil that by naming names.
The novel spends a bit too much time spinning its wheels in the first half, with various individuals or groups chasing after one another and trying to avoid Doc and friends. This is still fun reading because a lot of “Docisms” are on display such as various disguises, infiltrations, 86th floor lab break-ins, Monk/Ham insults, the upstate criminal college, and gadgets galore. However, it fails to advance the plot much. When we finally get around to Spook Hole, the plot develops nicely, and the guest character build-ups pay off. The final McGuffin reveal was a little under par but that’s OK. These books aren’t really about that anyway. The story does feature one of my favorite character names in the entire Doc Savage series: Hezemiah Law. Whether or not he is a good guy or a bad guy…well, you’ll have to read the book to find out.
Overall, this is more of a straight mystery adventure without as many potentially supernatural occurrences (or even the perception of such), as most Doc novels. The real mystery throughout most of the book is, “What exactly is Spook Hole?” What is it? Where is it? Why are so many people interested enough to kill for it?
All but one of Doc’s crew makes an appearance in this one (another indicator of it falling in the first half of the series). Even Doc’s cousin Pat Savage gets in on the action, as if you could keep her out of the fray once she’s gotten a whiff of an adventure to be had. One of Doc’s aides spends most of the novel undercover, but I won’t spoil that by naming names.
The novel spends a bit too much time spinning its wheels in the first half, with various individuals or groups chasing after one another and trying to avoid Doc and friends. This is still fun reading because a lot of “Docisms” are on display such as various disguises, infiltrations, 86th floor lab break-ins, Monk/Ham insults, the upstate criminal college, and gadgets galore. However, it fails to advance the plot much. When we finally get around to Spook Hole, the plot develops nicely, and the guest character build-ups pay off. The final McGuffin reveal was a little under par but that’s OK. These books aren’t really about that anyway. The story does feature one of my favorite character names in the entire Doc Savage series: Hezemiah Law. Whether or not he is a good guy or a bad guy…well, you’ll have to read the book to find out.
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 10, 2024
Spook Hole was previewed in Quest Of Qui; since I just finished reading “Quest” I thought I would read the next story offered in the upcoming edition of Doc Savage Magazine. I didn’t have to spend that “one thin dime” for the August, 1935 edition of the popular magazine, as I mentioned in my last review because I downloaded Spook Hole from The Faded Page and the cover from eBay; I put them together on Samsung Notes with my Galaxy smartphone, finally sending the finished product, via Bluetooth to my Amazon Fire Tablet. Using Readera, an excellent reader app, I was ready to read Doc's latest adventure, Spook Hole, as an e-book.
With that being said, it was obvious that Spook Hole was written by the creator of Doc Savage, Lester Dent. As I began reading this somewhat confusing story, I didn’t know what “Spook Hole” was, but neither did Doc and three of his associates. The reader is really in the dark because the story opens in the middle of the action, with Doc snooping around a whaling ship called the Harpoon that was moored at the docks along New York’s East River. Doc and his reduced crew appear to be batting zero in the early going, but Ham comes to the rescue at the end of Chapter III with an educated guess as to why they are involved in this adventure. Ham explained that, “Captain Wapp is seeking something in Spook Hole, belonging to the man they call ‘old Hezemiah Law.’ Braski is after the same thing, but does not know where Spook Hole is, and is trying to secure the information from Wapp by force. Since Nancy Law bears the same name, she is probably a relative of old Hezemiah Law, who apparently is not on the scene but is in Spook Hole. That explains things.” 1
It's difficult to figure out a story that starts in the middle of the action. Nevertheless, Lester uses Ham to, in effect, to “bring the reader up to speed,” and the Harvard educated lawyer's explanation seems to make sense … besides, Doc informs Monk, Ham and Johnny that he has a plan … and Doc’s plans always seem to be successful; so now that things have been clarified, it was on to Chapter IV and the rest of the story.
Doc went on to formulate several “plans” because several were required to finally solve the mystery of Spook Hole. We learned Hezemiah Law was engaged in producing a product that would make him millions of dollars, and that was the mystery hidden within the story; it was also the reason the bad guys, led by Braski and Captain Wapp, so desperately tried to obtain the scientist’s formula. Lester incorporated several plot twists in his story and as always, the bad guys reap what they have sewn in the most unorthodox of ways; the mystery is finally solved and Doc’s method of justice prevails once again.
Lester wrote a pretty good story as the secret of Spook Hole, to use the vernacular of the waterfront criminal element, is “kept under wraps” until the final paragraphs of this thrilling Doc Savage adventure. I'll admit that I didn’t know the nature of the mysterious product Hezekiah Law was producing, except it had something to do with marine life. With that being said, Doc Savage and his crew partake in another five star rated adventure that keeps the reader glued to the story, which takes place in yet another exotic location; this one is at the bottom of the world in Patagonia on an uncharted island with the strange name of Spook Hole, so named by an eccentric marine biologist, with the equally strange name of Hezemiah Law. Spook Hole is another five-star winner, courtesy of Lester Dent. *****
1. Spook Hole, Chapter III, pg. 29
With that being said, it was obvious that Spook Hole was written by the creator of Doc Savage, Lester Dent. As I began reading this somewhat confusing story, I didn’t know what “Spook Hole” was, but neither did Doc and three of his associates. The reader is really in the dark because the story opens in the middle of the action, with Doc snooping around a whaling ship called the Harpoon that was moored at the docks along New York’s East River. Doc and his reduced crew appear to be batting zero in the early going, but Ham comes to the rescue at the end of Chapter III with an educated guess as to why they are involved in this adventure. Ham explained that, “Captain Wapp is seeking something in Spook Hole, belonging to the man they call ‘old Hezemiah Law.’ Braski is after the same thing, but does not know where Spook Hole is, and is trying to secure the information from Wapp by force. Since Nancy Law bears the same name, she is probably a relative of old Hezemiah Law, who apparently is not on the scene but is in Spook Hole. That explains things.” 1
It's difficult to figure out a story that starts in the middle of the action. Nevertheless, Lester uses Ham to, in effect, to “bring the reader up to speed,” and the Harvard educated lawyer's explanation seems to make sense … besides, Doc informs Monk, Ham and Johnny that he has a plan … and Doc’s plans always seem to be successful; so now that things have been clarified, it was on to Chapter IV and the rest of the story.
Doc went on to formulate several “plans” because several were required to finally solve the mystery of Spook Hole. We learned Hezemiah Law was engaged in producing a product that would make him millions of dollars, and that was the mystery hidden within the story; it was also the reason the bad guys, led by Braski and Captain Wapp, so desperately tried to obtain the scientist’s formula. Lester incorporated several plot twists in his story and as always, the bad guys reap what they have sewn in the most unorthodox of ways; the mystery is finally solved and Doc’s method of justice prevails once again.
Lester wrote a pretty good story as the secret of Spook Hole, to use the vernacular of the waterfront criminal element, is “kept under wraps” until the final paragraphs of this thrilling Doc Savage adventure. I'll admit that I didn’t know the nature of the mysterious product Hezekiah Law was producing, except it had something to do with marine life. With that being said, Doc Savage and his crew partake in another five star rated adventure that keeps the reader glued to the story, which takes place in yet another exotic location; this one is at the bottom of the world in Patagonia on an uncharted island with the strange name of Spook Hole, so named by an eccentric marine biologist, with the equally strange name of Hezemiah Law. Spook Hole is another five-star winner, courtesy of Lester Dent. *****
1. Spook Hole, Chapter III, pg. 29
August 14, 2018
Wow. This is the first full-length Doc Savage story I've read after teaching Lester "Kenneth Robeson" Dent's Pulp Paper Master Fiction Plot in online courses and elsewhere. This is a great example of why contemporary genre authors should study the pulps--not just for what TO do, but just as much, if not more, for what NOT to do.
First of all, the book is tons of fun and will not be the last Doc Savage book I'll read. It was pure pulp action/adventure from beginning to end. You can see him following his own advice in terms of getting the action going throughout, pushing the story ever forward by throwing "grief" and "menace" at the hero, and wrapping it all up with a climactic battle in which (spoiler alert--not really) Doc wins the day by playing to his strengths.
Then there's the writing. Dent was tasked with filling pages, literally writing a new short novel every month. You don't have to be a professional editor, like me, to see him padding the ever loving crap out of this. Obviously using four or five words where one would suffice, often burying what he's trying to say in so many words that, like this example, he left me wondering what this even means:
Captain Wapp was in a growling good humor as he led the advance up the canyon. He rumbled and muttered and swore as if the entire world were wrong, his way of acting when he felt it was all to the right.
or:
Going back to his own plane, Doc Savage ran, covering the distance in time that would have surprised an expert on such matters, and reaching the ship with a remarkable control over his breathing.
You go, Doc Savage!
First of all, the book is tons of fun and will not be the last Doc Savage book I'll read. It was pure pulp action/adventure from beginning to end. You can see him following his own advice in terms of getting the action going throughout, pushing the story ever forward by throwing "grief" and "menace" at the hero, and wrapping it all up with a climactic battle in which (spoiler alert--not really) Doc wins the day by playing to his strengths.
Then there's the writing. Dent was tasked with filling pages, literally writing a new short novel every month. You don't have to be a professional editor, like me, to see him padding the ever loving crap out of this. Obviously using four or five words where one would suffice, often burying what he's trying to say in so many words that, like this example, he left me wondering what this even means:
Captain Wapp was in a growling good humor as he led the advance up the canyon. He rumbled and muttered and swore as if the entire world were wrong, his way of acting when he felt it was all to the right.
or:
Going back to his own plane, Doc Savage ran, covering the distance in time that would have surprised an expert on such matters, and reaching the ship with a remarkable control over his breathing.
You go, Doc Savage!
December 3, 2024
Spook Hole 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.
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.
August 7, 2023
It was fine. Typical adventure. About as good as any other Doc Savage novel.
The number of times Doc's men have been captured and held and allowed to escape has got to be a record, but it's that kind of story. You've just gotta let it go the way it's gonna go.
I finally found one of the books with Doc's cousin, Pat, and it was good to have more than one female character in the story. She didn't get to do much, but it was an improvement over other titles.
So, something's going down on the waterfront; different bad guys fight each other over some scheme; Doc's guys get caught; everybody ends up in Patagonia, on an island; there's something dangerous in the lagoon; then Doc does some stuff and things happen yadda yadda yadda and you know.
Short pulp novel. It does the exact thing it was made to do.
The number of times Doc's men have been captured and held and allowed to escape has got to be a record, but it's that kind of story. You've just gotta let it go the way it's gonna go.
I finally found one of the books with Doc's cousin, Pat, and it was good to have more than one female character in the story. She didn't get to do much, but it was an improvement over other titles.
So, something's going down on the waterfront; different bad guys fight each other over some scheme; Doc's guys get caught; everybody ends up in Patagonia, on an island; there's something dangerous in the lagoon; then Doc does some stuff and things happen yadda yadda yadda and you know.
Short pulp novel. It does the exact thing it was made to do.
April 6, 2021
An odd, decent romp.
First half is set in New York and has a nice noir feel to it.
The ending is set on a desolate island off the coast of South America.
Everyone is after the secret of Spook Hole!
Except no one is sure where it is or what's there that's worth millions.
Caught between two rival gangs, Doc and company have to solve a mystery where there are almost no clues, protect a young damsel, who is their only lead and figure out whose side the mysterious one armed man is on.
Lots going on, and Dent doesn't juggle it very well.
Pat Savage shows up and promptly gets kidnapped and disappears for most of the book.
The big reveal is interesting, but rushed.
Fun, but flawed.
First half is set in New York and has a nice noir feel to it.
The ending is set on a desolate island off the coast of South America.
Everyone is after the secret of Spook Hole!
Except no one is sure where it is or what's there that's worth millions.
Caught between two rival gangs, Doc and company have to solve a mystery where there are almost no clues, protect a young damsel, who is their only lead and figure out whose side the mysterious one armed man is on.
Lots going on, and Dent doesn't juggle it very well.
Pat Savage shows up and promptly gets kidnapped and disappears for most of the book.
The big reveal is interesting, but rushed.
Fun, but flawed.
December 20, 2023
It's been quite a while since I first read Spook Hole, which is one of the earlier Doc Savage adventures penned by Lester Dent. Hailing from August 1935, it pits Doc and most of his crew against two criminal groups seeking the mysterious Spook Hole and the treasure it hides. The story is mostly notable for the way Dent hides certain facts (detailing them would constitute spoilers) and that Pat Savage makes an appearance. This is not a Pat-centric story, but reading the aforementioned spoiler part makes up for that.
August 29, 2025
I've read some really fun Doc Savage adventures, and some not-so-much fun ones. I've read ones that were cringe-worthy due to racism or misogyny, and others that somehow steered clear of it. I've read a lot of Doc Savage adventures, but I've never read one as crappy as this.
A two-armed man who acts as though he only has one. Why? Reasons. A plot that goes round and round, but more like it's flushing down the tubes than progressing. The characters are cardboard cutouts, the action is rather dull, and the big secret? Ugh. Completely disappointing.
Yeah, this one was not good.
A two-armed man who acts as though he only has one. Why? Reasons. A plot that goes round and round, but more like it's flushing down the tubes than progressing. The characters are cardboard cutouts, the action is rather dull, and the big secret? Ugh. Completely disappointing.
Yeah, this one was not good.
December 31, 2018
5 for nostalgia! The first chapter could easily be the prototype for Batman and having come out years before the character it very well could have. Doc is in the black outfit decades though. Many have postulated Doc Savage was in part an inspiration (also for Superman... Doc had the original Fortress of Solitude).
Note: I read all the originals many years back
Note: I read all the originals many years back
October 8, 2017
Read this Doc adventure in the 70s
October 17, 2020
3.25 / 5
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!
August 16, 2023
This is one of my favorite Doc Savage stories. Doc and his men sans Renny, he’s away on business in Asia, are once again on the trail of a mystery. This time around, rather than people coming breathlessly to Doc for aid, the book begins with Doc already investigating. The first two chapters have Johnny in the spotlight. This is refreshing since most of the time, Monk and Ham get most of the print. Even Long Tom plays a significant role by going undercover. Also, Pat Savage shows up in the book, thankfully. She is a great but underutilized character throughout the Doc Savage series.
A good quarter of the saga takes place on the dark and rainy streets of NYC or on the pier and whaling boat. Doc’s “headquarters” isn’t accessed for a goodly length. Eventually, the adventure continues on to an island off the coast of Patagonia.
One aspect of this book that I enjoyed was that there really wasn’t a mystery evil mastermind this time around. There is a mysterious one-armed man, but the reader eventually figures out the identity before the author the big reveal. All in all, this was a satisfying yarn.
Written by Lester Dent and published August, 1935.
A good quarter of the saga takes place on the dark and rainy streets of NYC or on the pier and whaling boat. Doc’s “headquarters” isn’t accessed for a goodly length. Eventually, the adventure continues on to an island off the coast of Patagonia.
One aspect of this book that I enjoyed was that there really wasn’t a mystery evil mastermind this time around. There is a mysterious one-armed man, but the reader eventually figures out the identity before the author the big reveal. All in all, this was a satisfying yarn.
Written by Lester Dent and published August, 1935.
January 31, 2015
Unlike some of the other reviewers, this is one of my favorite Doc Savage books--although admittedly I read it as one of my first back when I was reading the series out of order. The fact that we don't know what the nature of the treasure is (instead of knowing we're going for diamonds or gold bullion or something)is fun. The mysterious one-armed man who we know has two arms was very intriguing. Pat Savage makes an appearance and, as usual, wants to be in the thick of things (but is fairly quickly dissuaded by Doc). There are plenty of kidnappings and lots of gadgets to make this a great adventure read. As usual there is a supernatural creature hinted at but a logical explanation. I felt truly in the dark until the end and was surprised at the "big reveal".
May 25, 2014
Not one of the best Doc Savage pulp novels, but entertaining enough. What I've found to be the most interesting about this one is that the McGuffin in this one is believable rather than a lost kingdom or super-science marvel.
June 23, 2015
An enjoyable romp with plenty of fights and a trip to South America. Who Sass was was not a particular surprise, and any story with Pat Savage is always enjoyable. Nice to see people other than Monk and Ham on deck.
March 26, 2014
Doc gets embroiled in a mystery involving a fabulous, secret treasure at the eponymous Patagonian island. Nothing particularly remarkable about it, but a solid pulp adventure.
May 17, 2014
I thought this book was great, amazing série 5/5
May 6, 2016
read SOMETIME in 2000
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May 5, 2009Spook Hole by Kenneth Robeson
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