Arthur Sarsfield Ward – aka Sax Rohmer – is most famous for the insidious supercriminal Dr. Fu Manchu. He also created – originally for a BBC radio serial – the seductive supercriminal Sumuru. Fu Manchu and Sumuru have a lot in common; they are agents of a secret enterprise dedicated to controlling the world; they have a coterie of fanatically dedicated henchmen (and henchwomen, for Sumuru); they favor dealing with those out to hinder them by using exotic poisons; and they have doughty but not always terribly smart nemeses (Nayland Smith and Dr. Petrie for Fu Manchu; for Sumuru they change in each novel but it’s English agent Dr. Steel Maitland and American newspaper reporter Mike Donovan in this first one. The UK title is The Sins of Sumuru; the US title is Nude in Mink, which says something about what the publishers thought would sell in each country.).

The Rohmer’s use of a female villain is interesting – and perhaps characteristic of the 1950s when these were written. Fu Manchu invoked the “Yellow Peril” of the 1930s; Sumuru – presciently, perhaps – preys on male fear of liberated women. Seducing women – intellectually, not sexually – is Sumuru’s specialty (she seduces men in the old-fashioned way). Her secret society – The Order of Our Lady – is made up of female scientists, academics, and other accomplished women. And Sumuru’s women are always beautiful – the goal of the Order is to establish world peace by breeding a race of Platonic philosopher kings who will rule everybody else, and in order to do that Sumuru needs the most beautiful and the most intelligent couples.

This give Rohmer an opportunity to play on male fears. Sure Fu Manchu has his secret army of dacoits and hatchetmen, but they stand out; if you see somebody Oriental sneaking around the back garden it’s safe to assume it’s one of Fu Manchu’s guys. With Sumuru, on the other hand, every man’s girlfriend or wife might actually be an agent of The Order, pretending love but ready to poison his morning coffee the instant orders come through from Our Lady. Near the end of this book, one of the minor characters collapses in shock when he discovers his missing wife is actually a high official in The Order; and the square-jawed and manly Mike Donovan is aghast and conflicted to discover his love interest (the titular nude in mink, Claudette Dusquense) is devoted to Our Lady.

Nude in Mink / The Sins of Sumuru is pretty turgid and has a pacing that displays its origin in radio. But it’s fun in a guilt-inducing way. There are five novels in the series; some films were made featuring Sumuru but don’t seem to have much relation to the novels except using the character’s name. ( )