Dope

Dope, a Story of Chinatown is a non-Fu Manchu novel that marks the first appearance of Chief Inspector Red Kerry. Kerry is a smart cop who uses his brain as well as his brawn to outwit and capture the criminals that threaten his city and its people. He is a physically tough man with red hair (Rohmer plays up the description more than once during the book). He brooks very little BS from anyone including his fellow officers. Because he is incorruptible and gets results, he has the backing of his superiors. In this tale, we have society and wealthy people who become ensnared in the drug culture of the early 20th century. Although there was no prohibition in the UK, they lived the same glittery life as did Americans before the Great Depression. Alcohol and drugs helped fuel the boom and the people. Kerry is trying to solve a mystery that involves a mystic/drug dealer and embroils him in a web of deceit, Chinese merchants, and passions.