More pulpy, briskly-paced adventure from Sax Rohmer as Commissioner Nayland Smith and Dr. Petrie combat once again their most formidable nemesis in The Return of Dr. Fu-Manchu. The incidents in this second volume of the Fu-Manchu series draw upon and are, admittedly, sometimes similar to the incidents in the first book. Nonetheless, if you're in the mood for some good, chewy pulp, Rohmer is one of the best. His language is evocative and rich, his pacing is brisk, and he is quite good at evoking sensations of eerie otherness, as evidenced in the "Cragmire Tower" section of the novel. In these "Cragmire" chapters, an element of the occult is introduced into the story, and the mood and setting are shudderingly delectable. Wonderful book.