Tales of Chinatown is a collection of short stories that are all, essentially, situated in London's Chinatown (Limehouse at the time they were written). Similar to Sax Rohmer's collections of Egyptian short stories, they do not all include the same cast of characters, and Fu Manchu is conspicuously absent. Chief Inspector Red Kerry (of "Dope" fame) is a major character in the first narrative two. The third story, which concerns Detective Sergeant Durham and his superior Chief Inspector Red Kerry, is told by a friend of Paul Harley (who is not there). Paul Harley is back in action in the fourth, fifth, and sixth stories. The seventh story is arguably Rohmer's most well-known and strongest work. Even though Kerry is only mentioned briefly, the eighth story is set in his home city of Limehouse. In the ninth narrative, a buddy of Paul Harley (who is once more out of town) is once more entangled in a plot involving intrigue and retribution. The last story has a femme fatale who captivates and seduces every man she encounters. Is it hypnotism, drugs, or pheromones?
Sax Rohmer was born on Feb. 15, 1883, in Birmingham, England, to William Ward and Margaret Mary. He was an internationally famous British writer who created the evil Chinese criminal Fu Manchu, the hero-villain of various books. The character Fu Manchu later appeared in films, radio, and TV.From childhood, Rohmer was fascinated by ancient Egypt, the Middle East, and witchcraft. Later on, working in brief in the financial district of London and as a Journalist, his developing interest in East Asia creates him more into fiction writing. He started using the middle name Sarsfield as a teenager and published his first stories under the name A. Sarsfield Ward. He began to publish only as Sax Rohmer in 1912, and he ultimately utilised this name professionally.
