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The Gray Mask
The Gray Mask is a mystery novel written by Wadsworth Camp and originally published in 1920. The story follows a group of wealthy young women who are being blackmailed by a mysterious figure known only as ""The Gray Mask"". The women turn to a private detective named Jimmie Dale for help, and together they work to uncover the identity of the elusive blackmailer.As the investigation unfolds, Jimmie Dale discovers that The Gray Mask is actually a former friend and colleague who has turned to a life of crime. The two men engage in a tense game of cat and mouse, with Jimmie Dale determined to bring his former friend to justice.The Gray Mask is a classic mystery novel that combines elements of suspense, intrigue, and romance. It is a fast-paced and engaging read that will keep readers guessing until the very end. With its vivid characters and intricate plot, it is a must-read for fans of the genre.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.
312 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1920
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
September 19, 2023
What a weird book! I feel like you can say that about a lot of this author's work. What a weird book...but what a good one!
With a title like The Gray Mask, I was expecting the first adventure to take up the entire book. But, instead, this is a series of little adventures starring detective Jim Garth and Nora, his not-exactly-girlfriend, who always managed to surprise me with her entrances.
Each mystery had the same strange sort of feel as the overarching mystery of The Abandoned Room and I enjoyed them all immensely. It was a great collection of tales (although they weren't really short stories, just a bunch of adventures that ran together) with the first and last (surrounding the gray mask) to be the most gripping. I was definitely on the edge of my seat!
I appreciated, too, how this book presents us with a definite strong female character who was competent without making the rest of the force look bad. She certainly pulled Garth out of hot water more than once, but it never felt like she overshadowed him. She was always there exactly when he needed her.
With a title like The Gray Mask, I was expecting the first adventure to take up the entire book. But, instead, this is a series of little adventures starring detective Jim Garth and Nora, his not-exactly-girlfriend, who always managed to surprise me with her entrances.
Each mystery had the same strange sort of feel as the overarching mystery of The Abandoned Room and I enjoyed them all immensely. It was a great collection of tales (although they weren't really short stories, just a bunch of adventures that ran together) with the first and last (surrounding the gray mask) to be the most gripping. I was definitely on the edge of my seat!
I appreciated, too, how this book presents us with a definite strong female character who was competent without making the rest of the force look bad. She certainly pulled Garth out of hot water more than once, but it never felt like she overshadowed him. She was always there exactly when he needed her.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 25, 2019
Disjointed yet Predictable
This novel follows Garth who is a new york detective in love with the chiefs daughter and is made up of episodic chapters of crimes that follow the same formula. Mr. Camp is quite good at horror writing when discussing the supernatural but he never actually comitts to it this gives his writing a Scooby Doo like pattern of setting up a bogey man and revealling it to be a crook taking advantage of said superstition. The only thing that connects the chapters is the chief's highly capable daughter Nora who usually saves Garth at the last second, and honestly should be the main character. The last two or thee chapters are quite good as is one of the earlier chapters but they follow the same course as the preceding adventures in the book too closely. The book reminds me a lot of Sax Rohmer's writing and contains his same racist tendencies if you enjoy Rohmer you will probably like the Gray Mask otherwise I wouldn't recommend it.
This novel follows Garth who is a new york detective in love with the chiefs daughter and is made up of episodic chapters of crimes that follow the same formula. Mr. Camp is quite good at horror writing when discussing the supernatural but he never actually comitts to it this gives his writing a Scooby Doo like pattern of setting up a bogey man and revealling it to be a crook taking advantage of said superstition. The only thing that connects the chapters is the chief's highly capable daughter Nora who usually saves Garth at the last second, and honestly should be the main character. The last two or thee chapters are quite good as is one of the earlier chapters but they follow the same course as the preceding adventures in the book too closely. The book reminds me a lot of Sax Rohmer's writing and contains his same racist tendencies if you enjoy Rohmer you will probably like the Gray Mask otherwise I wouldn't recommend it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 2, 2014
When I wrote an entry in "American Silent Horror, Science Fiction and Fantasy Feature Films, 1913-1929" on the 1915 film The Gray Mask, I had been aware of a fictionalization in Colliers Magazine (August 1915). More recently, I became aware of the later 1920 novelization (which I just read).
Since the novel really doesn't give any additional clues on the film and because the expanded exploits of Detective Jim Garth are pretty dull, I have to rate my new "find" pretty low.
Since the novel really doesn't give any additional clues on the film and because the expanded exploits of Detective Jim Garth are pretty dull, I have to rate my new "find" pretty low.
October 30, 2014
Stagey, a perfect pulp story to discard upon a train seat after a journey, preferably unread.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews