The Golden Circle

The Story of the Phantom #5

by Lee Falk, Frank S. Shawn

For the first time ever, the Avon edition of The Phantom is back in print! Hermes Press is proud to announce that they will be publishing all fifteen pocket Avon books, starting in August 2016 and continuing until the conclusion of the series in Volume 15! This exciting installment, Volume 5 offers the "The Golden Circle!"Famed artist George Wilson (Dr. Solar, Magnus Robot Fighter, The Phantom) painted the cover for Volume #3 as he did with all of the covers used for the Avon series, and they are reproduced beautifully to keep all of the details from the original books intact for a new generation of Phans to enjoy!Accused of robbery and murder, The Phantom fights to find the real killers and solve the astounding secret of The Golden Circle! He also learns the truth in the old adage “The female is deadlier than the male.”

Genres: Comics, Fiction, Pulp

160 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published May 1, 1973

About the author

Lee Falk, born Leon Harrison Gross (April 28, 1911 - March 13, 1999), was an American writer, theater director and producer, best known as the creator of the popular comic strips The Phantom and Mandrake the Magician. At the height of their popularity, these strips attracted over 100 million readers every day. Falk also wrote short stories, and he contributed to a series of pulp novels about The Phantom

Reviews

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Golden Circle was the fifth book in Avon's fifteen volume series of Phantom prose novels, and the second (of six) that was written by the remarkably prolific Ron Goulart based on story lines from Lee Falk's iconic comic strip. Goulart wrote his Phantom books under the pseudonym of Frank S. Shawn, but Avon erred on this title and listed the author as "Shaw" on the title page. Kit becomes involved with yet another dangerous, beautiful blonde and must solve the secret of The Golden Circle. Much of the novel is set in the United States rather than in the Deep Woods of Bangalla, and one of the characters is named Goulet. Goulart's style of writing the Phantom was occasionally too whimsical for my taste, but this one is pure pulp fun.

[Shawn Deal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved everything about it. What pulp fiction and the phantom stories should be.

[Jeff · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm begging for an appearance of the jungles of Bangalla.... PLEASE God. Yes.....Bangalla and the Skull do Cave do make an appearance on the last two pages of the book.

[Quentin Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was definitely more of a "Men's Adventure Novel" than the previous Phantom novels. This could have easily been a Mack Bolan novel (although with less people getting shot.) This novel is firmly set in New York City as the Phantom tries to bust a group of female jewel thieves. It was interesting to read a Phantom story set in the city, rather than a jungle or some other exotic locale. I have read many of the early Mack Bolan novels, and this one just had a similar feel. (Although Bolan would almost surely have slept with at least one of the jewel thieves. The Phantom, of course, is a married man with high morals.)

This change of pace was nice. I'd rather read a variety of stories rather than just the Phantom in Africa all the time. Good read.

[ISMOTU · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very much of its time, this adventure has the Ghost Who Walks taking on a gang of female thieves several of whom are charmed by our hero. This story takes the Phantom out of his jungle home and into an American crime drama. Plenty of old-timey sexism and some bits of language that just wouldn’t be used today but overall an exiting tale.

[Brendan Mckillip · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s good pulp fun. Though overall I found the Phantom a bit too passive in this story. Maybe it was because he was working to take down a ring of jewel thieves made up of women. They couldn’t have the Phantom going around punching women. But within giving the Phantom someone to punch, it limited what they could have him do.

[Richard · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun, pulpy read.

[Terry Mulcahy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good Phantom story. I never knew these stories were told so well. I imagine there of aspects of the Phantom, his Deep Woods community, and the language and attitudes of the time, but it's worth the quick read.

[Greg Trosclair · Rating 3 out of 5]

I actually enjoyed this more than 3 stars but I cannot do half stars for some reason soooooo. I think that this was a fine meat and potatoes example of writing during this era of publishing. The story is short and to the point and might even be a novella today. I enjoyed the portrayal of the Phantom and the casual nature of the story. Reminded me a lot of the Doc Savage novels being re-published during the original publication of this book. I am really enjoying these reprints.