This wildly
melodramatic thriller, originally published in the August 1933 issue of DIME
MYSTERY MAGAZINE, provided the template for countless pulp-hero novels
published during the Thirties. Depression-era readers craved outlandish menaces
to take their minds off their troubles, and The Purple Eye was at the top of
the list. The Eye, maniacal criminal mastermind and leader of the ancient death
cult known as the Brotherhood of Baktuun, terrorizes New York City with a
series of high-profile murders accomplished by mysterious means. Seven million
souls are at his mercy as his outrages mount in dizzying succession. The
police, constrained by legal niceties and endless red tape, seem powerless to
thwart his mad schemes. Enter Wayne Saxon, millionaire sportsman and world
traveler, who devotes his life to running the Eye to earth. He works within the
law when possible, but without it when necessary. Will he succeed? There's a
thrill on every page of this baffling mystery.
The
Purple Eye (Pulp Thrills)
By
William Corcoran
ISBN
#978-151764098
Price
$17.95
188
Pages
Rating
5-Stars
“Pulpy
Action, With Great Villain And Hero.”
Millionaire Wayne
Saxon has been away from New York for some time, on a mysterious trip overseas.
Upon his return he finds a visitor wishing to see him before he can unpack.
Young David Storm, the son of an old enemy, seeks his help. A new menace has
risen in Saxon’s absence, known as The Purple Eye. And David’s girlfriend,
Dolores has been threatened.
Saxon entertains the
couple, and promises protection while he investigates The Purple Eye. With his
manservant, the huge black man named Christophe, Saxon is quickly thrown
against the minions of The Purple Eye. There is also the mysterious Secret
Hundred, a group of cab drivers, who may also be fighting The Purple Eye, and
interferes with Saxon. This group is led by Martha Considine, the widow of Big
Mike Considine, a murder victim of The Purple Eye. But Saxon and The Secret
Hundred don’t immediately see eye-to-eye, and are at cross-purposes.
Typical of early pulp
stories, the villain isn’t difficult to unmask by the reader very early on, but
it’s all about the hero working his way to the end of the story and finding all
the answers. Although a topnotch story, I thought Saxon was a little weak as a
hero, and was more impressed with Martha Considine and The Secret Hundred.
Imagine a team of taxi drivers fighting crime, led by a fascinating beautiful
woman? We also see a black man as the hero’s aide, though there is a bit of
racial stereotyping in the story, which is also typical of the time period.
Still, for a quick, fun read, I highly recommend this book for readers who like
a good yarn in the old style of pulp thrills.
Tom
Johnson
Author
of CARNIVAL OF DEATH
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