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Behind the Scarlet Door
Shortly before the body of Cynthia Powell was found, the girl had run to the cops begging for help. She told them a wild tale about thirteen hooded weirdos carrying on sort of Black Mass orgy in a blue house with a red door. She said she'd been warned not to talk about it, but she was too scared to keep silent.
That was Monday. A couple of men were sent to check out the house. When they couldn't find it, they figured the girl was just having bad dreams.
So they forgot about her. Until she turned up again a few days later. Only this time she wasn't talking. She'd been murdered.
That was Monday. A couple of men were sent to check out the house. When they couldn't find it, they figured the girl was just having bad dreams.
So they forgot about her. Until she turned up again a few days later. Only this time she wasn't talking. She'd been murdered.
192 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1971
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Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review
February 3, 2013
For my full review, please visit Casual Debris.
Due to his knowledge of Cymraeg, a Welsh cop is recruited to help investigate an unusual case involving the occult. The autopsy of a recent corpse belonging to a dancer reveals it to be at least two weeks old, and yet police interviewed her only two days before. Later the body of a local witch is discovered, dead for well over a month, though our hero himself had just interviewed her. This is the nifty premise of this highly entertaining piece of pulp.
Lou Cameron was a prolific genre writer of primarily westerns. With Behind the Scarlet Door, however, he manages to weave a plot involving zombies, witches and warlocks, invisible cats, black roses, hallucinogenics, voodoo, Welsh folk tales, Moravian customs and the hint of time travel. Not to mention a love plot involving our Welsh hero and a small-town German widow.
The plot complication is far busier than the plots of your average pulp mystery, with various characters, locations and a mountain of unusual events. Our cops are pretty certain the occult is cultish fantasy and a ruse, and that there are rational explanations for all the odd events, and their investigative drive leads the reader to concur. It is clear early on that this is not a supernatural novel, but an unusual mystery.
Due to his knowledge of Cymraeg, a Welsh cop is recruited to help investigate an unusual case involving the occult. The autopsy of a recent corpse belonging to a dancer reveals it to be at least two weeks old, and yet police interviewed her only two days before. Later the body of a local witch is discovered, dead for well over a month, though our hero himself had just interviewed her. This is the nifty premise of this highly entertaining piece of pulp.
Lou Cameron was a prolific genre writer of primarily westerns. With Behind the Scarlet Door, however, he manages to weave a plot involving zombies, witches and warlocks, invisible cats, black roses, hallucinogenics, voodoo, Welsh folk tales, Moravian customs and the hint of time travel. Not to mention a love plot involving our Welsh hero and a small-town German widow.
The plot complication is far busier than the plots of your average pulp mystery, with various characters, locations and a mountain of unusual events. Our cops are pretty certain the occult is cultish fantasy and a ruse, and that there are rational explanations for all the odd events, and their investigative drive leads the reader to concur. It is clear early on that this is not a supernatural novel, but an unusual mystery.
Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review