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Tales of Chinatown

by Sax Rohmer (1883–1959)

  • Free to read
  • 5 hours to read
  • 48 chapters
  • Reading level: 7th grade

"Tales of Chinatown" by Sax Rohmer is a collection of detective fiction written during the early 20th century. The book dives into the gritty and mysterious underbelly of London's Chinatown, exploring themes of crime, intrigue, and cultural clashes through the perspectives of various characters involved in the shadowy dealings of the notorious Huang Chow and his associates. The opening of the book introduces two characters, Jim Poland and Freddy Cohen, who are engaged in a tense conversation at a public house near Chinatown. Poland suspects Cohen's involvement in the recent death of a Chinaman and warns him about the dangers associated with old Huang Chow, hinting at hidden treasures and a web of crime surrounding the area. The dialogue sets a claustrophobic atmosphere filled with threats and unspoken fears, underlying the tension between the two men as they navigate the underworld's dangerous currents. Chief Inspector Kerry is soon introduced as he investigates the connection between these events and the deaths that plague the community, laying the groundwork for a story that intertwines mystery and crime against a backdrop of cultural intrigue.

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  • Chinese · Foreign countries

Read the opening

Chapter I: “Diamond Fred”

In the saloon bar of a public-house, situated only a few hundred yards from the official frontier of Chinatown, two men sat at a small table in a corner, engaged in earnest conversation. They afforded a sharp contrast. One was a thick-set and rather ruffianly looking fellow, not too cleanly in either person or clothing, and, amongst other evidences that at one time he had known the prize ring, possessing a badly broken nose. His companion was dressed with that spruceness which belongs to the successful East End Jew; he was cleanly shaven, of slight build, and alert in manner and address.

Having ordered and paid for two whiskies and sodas, the Jew, raising his glass, nodded to his companion and took a drink. The glitter of a magnificent diamond which he wore seemed to attract the other's attention almost hypnotically.

“Cheerio, Freddy!” said the thick-set man. “Any news?”

“Nothing much,” returned the one addressed as Freddy, setting his glass upon the table and selecting a cigarette from a packet which he carried in his pocket.

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Contents

Show all 48 chapters
  1. Chapter I: “Diamond Fred”
  2. Chapter II
  3. Chapter III
  4. Chapter IV
  5. Chapter V
  6. Chapter VI
  7. Chapter VII
  8. Chapter VIII
  9. Chapter IX
  10. Chapter X
  11. Chapter I
  12. Chapter II
  13. Chapter III
  14. Chapter IV
  15. Chapter V
  16. Chapter VI
  17. Chapter VII
  18. Chapter I
  19. Chapter II
  20. Chapter III
  21. Chapter IV
  22. Chapter I
  23. Chapter II
  24. Chapter III: “Captain Dan”
  25. Chapter IV
  26. Chapter I
  27. Chapter II
  28. Chapter III
  29. Chapter IV
  30. Chapter V
  31. Chapter I
  32. Chapter II
  33. Chapter III
  34. Chapter IV
  35. Chapter I
  36. Chapter II: “The Black Mass”
  37. Chapter I
  38. Chapter II
  39. Chapter IV
  40. Chapter I
  41. Chapter II
  42. Chapter III
  43. Chapter I
  44. Chapter II
  45. Chapter III
  46. Chapter IV
  47. Chapter V
  48. Chapter VI

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About this edition

This free edition of Tales of Chinatown by Sax Rohmer comes from Project Gutenberg eBook #5697, released 2004-05-01. It is in the public domain in the United States, so you can read it here in full at no cost, on any phone, tablet or computer. Genre: Short Stories, Crime, Thrillers and Mystery, British Literature.

Summary provided by Project Gutenberg (automatically generated).

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