Secret Agent X: Talons of Terror - Brant House (Emile C. Tepperman)

Originally published in the April 1935 issue of SECRET AGENT X, “Talons of Terror” finds the Man of a Thousand Faces going up against yet another criminal mastermind whose plot involves threatening to kill a number of wealthy, powerful men unless they pay him off. This time the mysterious villain calls himself Doctor Blood, and as the story opens, he’s managed to murder ten men (one per day) by using some sort of unknown beast to tear their throats out and suck the blood from their bodies. Secret Agent X sets out to find Doctor Blood and put a stop to his crime spree. Even though “X” (as he’s often referred to in the novels) makes a habit of not killing his adversaries, he’s willing to make an exception to that rule where Doctor Blood is concerned.

If you’ve read this far, you probably have a pretty good idea whether or not you’d enjoy this novel. And I haven’t even mentioned the chapter entitled “Enter – the Claw Man!” You know me. I love this stuff.

Like all the other Secret Agent X novels, “Talons of Terror” was published under the pseudonym “Brant House”. In this case, the author was Emile C. Tepperman, almost as much a mysterious personage as some of the pulp heroes and villains he wrote about. I’ve found Tepperman’s work to be somewhat inconsistent, but he usually came up with pretty entertaining yarns. “Talons of Terror” falls into that category, although I wouldn’t put it in the top rank of Secret Agent X stories. Despite the lurid plot, at times the story seems a little restrained. You know my motto: “If you’re gonna go over the top, go ’way over.” But I did enjoy it, and everything does build up to a good final showdown. As far as I know, this pulp novel has never been reprinted since its original appearance, but a reprint edition is on the way later this year, courtesy of Beb Books. If you want to find out what happens to Doctor Blood and the Claw Man, check it out.