Chief Inspector Red Kerry makes his debut in the non-Fu Manchu book
Dope, a Story of Chinatown. Kerry is a skilled police officer who used
both brains and muscle to outwit and apprehend the criminals that pose a
threat to his city and its residents. He has red hair and is a strong
man physically (Rohmer plays up the description more than once during
the book). He tolerates very little BS, even from his fellow cops. He
has the support of his superiors since he is incorruptible and produces
results. The UK did not have prohibition during the beginning of the
20th century, and people had the same glitzy lifestyle that Americans
did before the Great Depression. Drugs and alcohol fueled the population
growth. Kerry is attempting to uncover a mystery involving a mystic/drug
dealer who becomes entangled in a web of desire and treachery.