I Read Books: The Lust Of Hate

 

The Lust Of Hate

Gilbert Pennethorne is the son of a Cornish gentleman; falling out with his family he goes to Australia, works gold claims, does some other work on stations. A friend, Ben Garman, nurses him through a fever; the two work together for a while before splitting up. Then a dying Garman turns up; as Pennethorne nurses him in return he reveals he has a fabulous gold claim. Unfortunately Pennethorne then falls ill and the claim is stolen by his enemy Bartrand.

Learning his father has died he returns to England to claim his inheritance. London is awash with rumours of mysterious deaths and also Garman, who has arrived with vast wealth. Furious – full of hate – Pennethorne is approached by the mysterious and sinister Dr Nikola who offers him a chance to get his revenge in return for some of the fortune, as Garman has unexpectedly named Pennethorne as an heir in his will.

Thinking he’s killed Garman, Pennethorne flees on a ship to South Africa. On board a young woman fall overboard and he rescues her; then the ship sinks off the Salvage Islands and he, the woman, and a small child are the only survivors; finding themselves marooned on an island the child dies before they are rescued. In South Africa things then meander in bizarre coincidental ways to a conclusion.

This third Dr Nikola novel disappoints; not a lot of Dr Nikola, his methods and intentions are obscure. He’s using other people’s rage (their “Lust of Hate”) which he has identified somehow, so they murder his targets, in this case to get a large amount of money to do… something? Meanwhile Pennthorne careers through coincidence after coincidence, courts an heiress by saving her life twice, and refuses her because he thinks he’s a murderer. It’s all a bit over-wrought.

Read This: For some reason you have been cursed with the idea of reading all of Guy Boothby’s Dr Nikola books
Don’t Read This: Wait until I’ve read them all, and come to a conclusion, then make up your mind
Out Of Copyright: So you can find it to read online