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Bat Wing Hardcover – February 1, 2007

by Sax Rohmer (Author)

4.0 63 ratings

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Paul Harley is sitting in his office chatting with his friend, Knox. Harvey is a private detective, but also a consultant to the politics of the British Empire. The two are chatting about what job Paul should take next when Colonel Juan Menendez walks through the office doors. He believes that someone is after him, something that Paul believes is simply paranoia. But Menendez is convinced that there is someone watching him even though all he's ever seen is a shadow of the person. Then Menendez produces the wing of a bat, something that was left for him. And suddenly, Harley is plunged into a world of voodoo, vampires and murder!

Sax Rohmer was a prolific author of early science fiction and fantasy. He was perhaps best known for creating the super-villian, Dr. Fu Manchu -- a character who went on the become the subject of many films and, in fact, much plundering. (Think about it for a moment: how many evil Chinese Mandarin masterminds have you heard tell of? Remember Ian Fleming's Dr. No? Remember Lo-Pan, from Big Trouble in Little China? Egg Fu, from Wonder Woman? Be careful. They're everywhere.)

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Alan Rodgers Books (February 1, 2007)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 220 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1603129375
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1603129374
Grade level ‏ : ‎ 7 - 9
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.02 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.63 x 9 inches

Customer Reviews:
4.0 63 ratings

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4 out of 5

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Fantasyman

A Wonderful Edwardian Mystery Novel

Reviewed in the United States on February 20, 2013

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This is a very well written mystery novel. When most Sax Rohmer fans think of his works they generally first touch upon such pulp fiction staples as his Dr. Fu Manchu series, fast paced, relentless tales of adventure, hair-breadth escapes, cunningly crafted murder, and above all, action. When the story starts off I was thinking that all the signs are here that we are in for another rip roaring Rohmer tale; what with voodoo, and mysterious dark secrets, all of the elements are in place for another romp. That being said, Bat Wing is nothing like most other Rohmer stories. Instead of an action/adventure story, this is a carefully crafted Edwardian "manor house" mystery, replete with deep, dark secrets, vivid memorable characters, with overtones of voodoo and the supernatural, all carefully held together, in an atmosphere of impending doom. The characters are developed in considerable depth, the story is layered with seemingly baffling clues and events, and then the whole thing is propelled along into an even deeper mystery with a truly surprising ending. It's a testament to the author's skill that he is able to keep this story flowing along in one direction, and then takes off on a wholly different tangent half way in, with no gun battles, fist fights, and only a single, solitary dead body. No matter what you may think you know of Sax Rohmer as a writer, you will be impressed with what he is able to do with this story.

For free on Kindle. It is well worth your time.

4 people found this helpful

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Douglas J. Bassett

Quite good, as long as you understand what this is

Reviewed in the United States on December 29, 2012

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Most people who stumble onto this are going to know something about Sax Rohmer, presumably through his excellent Fu Manchu books. There is a ton of other Rohmer about, though, of varying quality.

This is one of the better non-Fu Manchu books, but you'll better appreciate it if you understand, going in, that this is not the pulpy, semi-supernatural adventure one might associate with Rohmer. It is, rather, a straight-up murder mystery much in the mold of HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES or (I suspect this is the real influence) A.E.W. Mason's excellent Hannaud books (THE PRISONER OF THE OPAL, THE HOUSE OF THE ARROW, etc.) That is to say it has Gothic *elements*, but ultimately it's a Whodunit.

And as such it's not bad at all. Spanish Lord with Mysterious Past engages the Holmes/Watson substitutes to protect him because he feels his past is catching up with him -- in particular, a troubling period in Cuba where he angered Voodoo powers. And they come, and sure enough all sorts of spooky things start happening.

The solution genuinely caught me off guard, and I'm not one to be easily fooled by such things so that admission alone is high praise from me. I liked the creation of atmosphere, something Rohmer always knew how to do, and I was impressed that Rohmer gave the book an internal sense of tension, not always an easy thing to do in a traditional murder mystery. It's lurid in stages but c'mon, this is Sax Rohmer we're talking about.

I would go so far as to say this is rather underrated: anyone knowledgable enough about mystery fiction to get my Mason references would genuinely enjoy this, I think.

9 people found this helpful

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Bernard

Simple but enjoyable

Reviewed in the United States on February 21, 2014

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I enjoy these old Arthur Ward books, from Fu Manchu to Bat Wing. A dash of apparently supernatural spices, straight arrow detective bones of the era, some strange, untrustworthy, non-British immigrant noodles, and some real vegetables here and there and, voilá, a thin soup with a little flavor. But still I enjoy them. There's an undeniable atmosphere of the times Ward wrote as Sax Rohmer, and no little politically incorrect racial stereotypes. My favorites will be Brood of the Witch Queen, and Quest of the Sacred Slipper. Somewhat tastier porridge from the author.

3 people found this helpful

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Traceyck

Classic

Reviewed in the United States on February 23, 2014

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This was written in the very early 20th century. It has drama, intrigue, and mystery. It truly keeps you guessing what the heck is really going on until the very end. If you like it, you should also read his Dr. Fu Manchu series.

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Ruth M

Make sure you have time you will want to keep reading

Reviewed in the United States on March 20, 2018

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I found the story kept my attention throughout the book truly a good read

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Booklover

Sax Rohmer is amazing

Reviewed in the United States on February 7, 2012

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I have read all Sax novels and they are all fantastic ! Rohmer is one of the best classic authors ever. His Fu Manchu series had me hooked through every book. I could not stop reading any of Rohmers exciting , superbly written tales of mystery and adventure. Batwing was no exception. Fun, exciting fiction that is different from others in style and subjects . You will never be bored reading a Sax Rohmer novel!

One person found this helpful

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Jim Kalinowski

Dated

Reviewed in the United States on March 8, 2011

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This was interesting as a door into the past. It takes place approximately 90 years ago in the English countryside. It was a bit too predictable and the pacing was slow at times. The most interesting part, for me, was the manners and mores of a time gone by. The synopses of the story is available elsewhere.

Note: The ebook contains numerous formatting errors. If this type of thing bothers you, just remember it is free.

One person found this helpful

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Ian R Davidson

Great

Reviewed in the United States on October 4, 2017

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Great

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