Rohmer, Sax "Fu Manchu and the Panama Canal."

Rohmer's rather strange take on the early years before official American entry into World War 2 finds the always-nefarious Dr. Fu Manchu engaged in a Panama Canal espionage plot against the U.S. Navy. The lengthy (12-part) serial commences in London with Manchu stealing a map of potential Allied submarine bases in the Caribbean approaches to the Canal and then moves on to the Caribbean itself. As in all Rohmer Fu Machu efforts there are a variety of confusing (and silly) subplots, including, this time around, a lovely woman enslaved by Manchu, voodoo worship (presided over by Manchu's daughter) and zombies galore. A trio of stalwart Englishmen tackle the evil doctor and these include "the great sleuth" Nayland Smith, bumbling Sir Lionel Barton (from whom the afore mentioned map was stolen) and "star reporter" (yes, Rohmer really wrote in such cliché-laden prose) Bart Kerrigan. By tale's end it has been revealed that Manchu has a fleet of submarines himself and had been planning on taking advantage of the War to attack America no matter "whatever happened to Europe and the rest of the world." He dismisses the Axis by noting "the methods pursued by the Nazis are a clumsy imitation of my own." Happily, our English threesome defeat the madman by destroying the secret submarined base which Manchu had constructed in the heart of an extinct volcano, and in the process save the lovely woman enslaved by the doctor. The serial was later published in book format under the title The Island of Fu Manchu (see following entry).

The Island of Fu Manchu. New York, N.Y.: Doubleday, Doran & Company, 1941. 299 p.