The Insidious Dr. Fu-Manchu

Catalog Note *The Insidious Dr. Fu-Manchu* is a mystery-thriller serialized in this 1913 edition of a pulp periodical. Authored by Sax Rohmer, the narrative follows Dr. John Petrie, a physician, who is unexpectedly visited by his old friend Nayland Smith, an official with a "roving commission" recently returned from Burma. Smith arrives bearing a mysterious scar inflicted by a hamadryad-venom-tipped arrow—a deliberate assassination attempt. He warns Petrie of a dangerous adversary now in London and enlists his aid. They immediately journey to warn Sir Crichton Davey, only to discover the man dead under mysterious circumstances. Despite locked windows and impossible access routes, Sir Crichton has been killed, his body bearing strange physical signs including a red mark on his hand and the cryptic last words "the red hand." Smith's investigation of Davey's study reveals a blank message scented with rare Eastern perfume. The mystery deepens as Smith warns Petrie that investigating the crime scene itself carries danger.