A collection of stories printed between 1964 and 2005, featuring Simon Ark, a man claiming to be 2000 years old and who searches for The Devil, and his unnamed friend who had published one of Ark's books. Many of the stories are interesting, most take place in different locales around the word. As with many of these compilations, you get a brief backstory explaining who the characters are in every story, but it's not overly done in most of them. A nice way to spend some time if you don't want to become immersed in a longer book. Brief plot summary and my review -- (collection rates 3 1/2 stars out of 5)
Day of the Wizard â Plot: an attempt to locate a US airplane that crashed in the Egyptian desert at the end of WWII involves Ark, his old friend, and others, including a magician working in Cairo. Review: there's a lot going on in this short, complicated story, most of it interesting. ****
Funeral In The Fog â Plot: A man claims the Devil has followed him from Asia and will try to kill him by invisible means. He requests Ark's help in thwarting his adversary. Review: a nondescript story that isn't that clever or interesting. **
The Avenger from Outer Space â Plot: It appears cosmonauts and astronauts are being killed by an entity angry that they have defiled space by going on rocket missions. Review: a solid story with all the clues laid out for us. *****
The Weapon Out of the Past â Plot: Ark visits a town in Pennsylvania holding a war re-enactment and stumbles into a murder by a weapon that seems to have flown through time. Review: nicely told tale that the reader and Ark deduce the solution at the same time. *****
The Sorceress of the Sea â Plot: after a man writes about encountering a woman rising from the sea, he is found dead on his boat. Review: not the author's best story. A little too pat and the naming of one character was a âhuhâ moment. **
The House of One Hundred Birds â Plot: Simon and his companion go to London to investigate the murder of a woman living in a house full of caged birds. Review: ok entry but not as atmospheric as others. ***
Prisoner of Zerfall â Plot: When an old Nazi prisoner in a West Berlin castle keep disappears, Simon is brought in to avert an international incident. Review: crisp narrative with a plausible explanation makes this short story a winner. *****
The S.S.S. â Plot: Simon helps his publishing friend uncover a plot to extort money from his firm by an Anti-Satan group. Review: nothing much mysterious happens. It was a bit disconcerting when Ark equates this group (The Society for the Suppression of Satan) of misguided people with the Klu Klux Klan. ***
The Way Up To Hades â Plot: when a flamboyant rock star disappears impossibly, Simon and his publisher ally are on scene to figure out what happened. Review: more a Howwasitdun than a Whodunit; clever and fair play with the reader. ****
The Virgins of Valentine â Plot: Simon and his still unnamed companion visit a small Pennsylvania town named Valentine to watch an old ritual be reborn and stumble onto a murder in plain sight. Review: ok story but it's never made clear why the mysterious Mr. Ark travels to the town in the first place. **
The Stalker of Souls â Plot: The men travel to Sweden after a former acquaintance of our publisher is killed in a gruesome manner. Review: nice change of scenery and a plausible explanation for the death, but hard to believe the men would fly across the ocean for the reason given. ***
The Society of the Scar â Plot: Location in this story is Istanbul and the mystery concerns vandalism of paintings. Review: another new locale and some travelogue-type information. The mystery is ok but nothing special. ***
No Blood for a Vampire â Plot: Simon and unnamed co-conspirator travel to Madagascar to help an old friend uncover a murderer. Review: you don't often find mysteries set on Madagascar, and featuring some of its cultural rituals; that alone elevates this tale. The mystery itself is marginally bizarre. ***
The Graveyard Ghoul â Plot: The team looks into a bizarre string of vandalism at an estate where coffins of dead family members are being opened but nothing appears to be taken. Review: Sensible plot line, but nothing too exciting. ***
Master of Miracles â Plot: Simon looks into a cult leader in Redwood Country. Review: a non-impossible murder, but a clever disappearance. ****
The Gravesend Trumpet - Plot: A visit to the English town results in a death connected to an ancient trumpet that causes death and instant aging to whomever blows on it. Review: the final entry is interesting and involves another impossible happening. ****
Day of the Wizard â Plot: an attempt to locate a US airplane that crashed in the Egyptian desert at the end of WWII involves Ark, his old friend, and others, including a magician working in Cairo. Review: there's a lot going on in this short, complicated story, most of it interesting. ****
Funeral In The Fog â Plot: A man claims the Devil has followed him from Asia and will try to kill him by invisible means. He requests Ark's help in thwarting his adversary. Review: a nondescript story that isn't that clever or interesting. **
The Avenger from Outer Space â Plot: It appears cosmonauts and astronauts are being killed by an entity angry that they have defiled space by going on rocket missions. Review: a solid story with all the clues laid out for us. *****
The Weapon Out of the Past â Plot: Ark visits a town in Pennsylvania holding a war re-enactment and stumbles into a murder by a weapon that seems to have flown through time. Review: nicely told tale that the reader and Ark deduce the solution at the same time. *****
The Sorceress of the Sea â Plot: after a man writes about encountering a woman rising from the sea, he is found dead on his boat. Review: not the author's best story. A little too pat and the naming of one character was a âhuhâ moment. **
The House of One Hundred Birds â Plot: Simon and his companion go to London to investigate the murder of a woman living in a house full of caged birds. Review: ok entry but not as atmospheric as others. ***
Prisoner of Zerfall â Plot: When an old Nazi prisoner in a West Berlin castle keep disappears, Simon is brought in to avert an international incident. Review: crisp narrative with a plausible explanation makes this short story a winner. *****
The S.S.S. â Plot: Simon helps his publishing friend uncover a plot to extort money from his firm by an Anti-Satan group. Review: nothing much mysterious happens. It was a bit disconcerting when Ark equates this group (The Society for the Suppression of Satan) of misguided people with the Klu Klux Klan. ***
The Way Up To Hades â Plot: when a flamboyant rock star disappears impossibly, Simon and his publisher ally are on scene to figure out what happened. Review: more a Howwasitdun than a Whodunit; clever and fair play with the reader. ****
The Virgins of Valentine â Plot: Simon and his still unnamed companion visit a small Pennsylvania town named Valentine to watch an old ritual be reborn and stumble onto a murder in plain sight. Review: ok story but it's never made clear why the mysterious Mr. Ark travels to the town in the first place. **
The Stalker of Souls â Plot: The men travel to Sweden after a former acquaintance of our publisher is killed in a gruesome manner. Review: nice change of scenery and a plausible explanation for the death, but hard to believe the men would fly across the ocean for the reason given. ***
The Society of the Scar â Plot: Location in this story is Istanbul and the mystery concerns vandalism of paintings. Review: another new locale and some travelogue-type information. The mystery is ok but nothing special. ***
No Blood for a Vampire â Plot: Simon and unnamed co-conspirator travel to Madagascar to help an old friend uncover a murderer. Review: you don't often find mysteries set on Madagascar, and featuring some of its cultural rituals; that alone elevates this tale. The mystery itself is marginally bizarre. ***
The Graveyard Ghoul â Plot: The team looks into a bizarre string of vandalism at an estate where coffins of dead family members are being opened but nothing appears to be taken. Review: Sensible plot line, but nothing too exciting. ***
Master of Miracles â Plot: Simon looks into a cult leader in Redwood Country. Review: a non-impossible murder, but a clever disappearance. ****
The Gravesend Trumpet - Plot: A visit to the English town results in a death connected to an ancient trumpet that causes death and instant aging to whomever blows on it. Review: the final entry is interesting and involves another impossible happening. ****
