What a title - What an adventure!
The Island of Terror was written by Sapper, the pen name of Herman Cyril McNeile in 1931. He is also the creator of the Bulldog Drummond series. I was lucky to find a Hodder & Stoughton hardcover in great shape. I kept having to remind myself that this was written over 80 years ago - besides some charming antiquated phrases, it reads like a current adventure story.
Jim Maitland (a recurring character in Sapper novels) dons his top hat and enjoys meeting the fetching Judy Draycott at a night out in private London club. Leaving in the early morning, he happens upon two men talking of a murder. Entering the nearby house, he finds the dead man clutching a small piece of a map, before being surprised by an evil dwarf in a silk dressing gown! The dead man turns out to be the twin brother of Miss Draycott, and a plan is formed to locate the other pieces of the map, which locates a vast treasure on deadly Lone Tree Island, lost off the coast of Brazil. Yes, all kinds of mischief ensues with Jim, his buddies, and even Miss Draycott along for the adventure.
There is a gang lead by the dwarf who attempt to steal the map, which takes up a good chunk of the book, and the hasty exit to beat the gang to South America, where legends of the mysterious island are heard. Many ships have attempted to land on the island, only to disappear completely. One ship was destroyed, the crew vanished, and even the ships bell taken. They find a motley crew and sail to the the island, and even attempt to locate landmarks from the map. Meanwhile, unseen creatures are climbing aboard the ship and savagely attacking the crew. Yes, the island is infested with wild Man-Beasts!
Once the evil gang lands on the island, everyone is in peril. Once the bell starts ringing, the beast begin to rally. Clang : Clang : Clang.
Once they get captured by the monsters, who is to get out alive?!
The Island of Terror moves along at a speedy pace and is filled with treachery and double-crosses, secret traps and escapes, strange idols being worshiped by giant beasts, and a little romance with a tough, ready-for-anything heroine who keeps up with the men.
In parts it was thrilling, in the action style of pulp authors like Edgar Rice Burroughs.
If you are into pure adventure, I recommend looking this book up. You may not have the pleasure of turning the pages of a 1931 hardcover, but you can find this book as an Epub file online - here is one link to Project Gutenberg.au
1931 / Hardcover / 320 pages
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