Martin Thomas - The Sorcerers of Set

[nightreader]

The Sorcerers of Set by Martin Thomas (Mayflower Dell 1966)

Pulphack said I'd probably enjoy this, and he was spot on. This was a great fun read, and being a Sexton Blake virgin I was pleasantly surprised.

Sexton Blake is approached by the mother of Myra Dent who wants the Baker Street detective and his sidekick Tinker to investigate Myra’s murder. To complicate things there is an inheritance involved. Myra’s late father left her a bundle of cash providing she had not been involved in any kind of scandal. Not much chance of that as Myra liked a drink, the company of strange men, and getting involved with a secret cult practicing the dark magic of Ancient Egypt.

Blake and Tinker’s investigations race along, with Blake’s other close ally Inspector Coutts doing his bit too. The cult of Set, the Egyptian god of darkness and evil, proceed to bump off another two men connected with Myra and the cult, striving to preserve their secret.

To his credit Blake doesn’t dismiss the psychic and occult aspects of the case. He’s quite open to them in fact. Which is good for Tinker who ends up in hospital after a car crash in dense fog. The Priest of Set hears of Tinker’s condition and tries to kill him using a psychic curse, but Blake fights back with his own adept of the Right Hand Path, Gideon Ashley who protects the young man and frees Blake to go after the baddies.

It’s not long before Blake is captured and taken to the Temple of Set, with it’s gathering of scantily clad worshippers, an underground chamber containing the ever hungry Sobek, a mummy case contaning the remains of the god’s Hierophant, and of course the living and thoroughly wicked Priest of Set, his identity concealed behind a mask depicting the god of darkness. His identity, as in all good murder mysteries, is revealed at the end and all is satisfyingly tied up.

Tinker is thankfully ok too.

On the strength of this I reckon I'll be looking out for more Blake novels. 'The Laird of Evil' also by Martin Thomas sounds up my alley

[Calenture]

Based partly on Pulphack's excellent article on the Press Ed writers in Paperback Fanatic, I've come to think of Martin Thomas as their token madman in the cellar.

I was going to suggest you looked for his Hand of Cain, but naturally you already have.

[andydecker]

Martin Thomas - The Sorcerers of Set (Mayflower/Dell 1966)

Cover found on the net. Thanks to the original scanner.