F/SF

The Red Skull
by Kenneth Robeson
I'll admit this is a reflection more than a review relying on the reader to have a sense of who Doc Savage is. The reflections are being made as I read the Doc Savage books in publishing order so there are references to other works.

New York City gun fight with a western flare
Fly out to Arizona for a fight if you dare
Death of Lea Astor is a possible scare
But Doc saves the day with all possible care

Opted for a little doggerel to start this reflection of The Red Skull. Action starts out in New York with some western characters trying to reach Doc and the boys. There is a little extra focus on Monk since his secretary Lea Astor is kidnapped in an attempt to dissuade Doc from interfering. Of course all it does is ensure Doc’s involvement. Eventually the action moves to Arizona where the building of a dam becomes the center of the mystery.
The story sticks with the more common Dent formula of the action happening in two distinct areas. Doc is still ruthless in dealing with criminals, some being sent to the “college” others being dispatched in a very quick manner. The adventure moved a little faster than Quest of Spider or Pirates of the Pacific but I must admit that the mastermind was easy to figure out. When the team arrives at the dam build, Dent highlights each of the members specialties. In a movie it would have been the montage showing Monk, Johnny, Renny and Long Tom working along the dam workers to complete the project and to identify the sabotage problems. Poor Ham would have been left watching from the sidelines. Aside from Man of Bronze, the most enjoyable of the adventures so far.

Aides involved (Monk, Ham, Renny, Long Tom, Johnny)
settings for action {New York, Arizona}