The Albino’s Secret (2025) by Michael Moorcock and Mark Hodder is a thrilling and exotic adventure. Moorcock and Hodder work together to create a story that enlivens the reader’s imagination from the first pages. The Albino’s Secret delivers excitement on many different levels and in many different ways. It is a novel that deserves to be high on everyone’s reading list.

Istanbul, 1933. President Kemal has embarked on a program of modernisation for the newly formed Republic of Türkiye. However, other eyes are looking at Türkiye. Adolf Hitler has become Chancellor of Germany and Europe is preparing for war. A war England and France hope Türkiye will become their ally.

Sir Seaton Begg and Dr. Taffy Sinclair of the British Temporal Service arrive in Istanbul to investigate a series of assinations. These assinations are attributed to the Red King Gang but are seemingly random. Yet they are only the tip of the iceberg. Begg and Sinclair come face to face with their nemesis Monsieur Zenith.

The appearance of Zenith changes Begg and Sinclair’s investigation completely. If Zenith is in Istanbul then some assinations are the least of their worries. Unless Begg can determine Zenith’s plot not only is the world at risk but the entire multiverse.

Monsieur Zenith is the creation of Anthony Skene as the antagonist of many of his Sexton Blake stories. As an avid fan of the Sexton Blake stories Moorcock used M. Zenith as the inspiration for Elric of Meliniboné. Later, Moorcock goes further as to incorporate M. Zenith wholesale into his own creations. The Albino’s Secret is just the latest story to do so.

Hodder is also a fan of the Sexton Blake stories and maintains a Sexton Blake website, Blakiana. The love Moorcock and Hodder have for these stories makes their collaboration a perfect match. And The Albino’s Secret is all the better for it.

From the first moments of the story the reader is drawn into a world of deep mysteries. There are plots and intrigues a plenty and just when one mystery seems clear it only reveals something darker and deeper. Moorcock and Hodder take great delight in keeping the reader off-balance and interested.

The setting of The Albino’s Serect is perfect. Istanbul is a city of deep history and gives any story set in it certain gravitas. By using both real world history and persons Moorcock and Hodder give their characters a deep feeling of reality. The world of The Albino’s Secret is as exotic and enticing as any fantasy or SF creation. In fact, it feels more exotic at times since it is real.

The characters of The Albino’s Secret are extremely well developed and life like. However, Begg and Sinclair are not just clones of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. Begg and Sinclair take their influences and apply it in a completely different direction. The same is true of every other character. And while Begg and Sinclair are the main protagonists of the story it is M. Zenith that offers the most tantalizing storyline.

Moorcock, famous for his Eternal Champion, links Zenith to that creation with style. For people who know the Eternal Champion sequence there is plenty to sink their teeth into. Those fans will nod and smile as the story unfolds and the references are made. However, for those unfamiliar with the Eternal Champion there is nothing to confuse them and The Albino’s Secret makes a perfect introduction.

The plot of The Albino’s Secret twists and turns. Sometimes it doubles back and crosses over. Regardless whatever complications are introduced the reader is never lost. Also, no plotline is without intent. Even if those intents are not clear at times.

Reading a story written by two authors can be a jarring experience at times. However, this does not happen with The Albino’s Secret. Moorcock and Hodder write with one voice and it is clear and smooth. Whatever their process is it works beautifully and seemlessly.

The Albino’s Secret owes much to detective stories of the pulp era, however, doesn’t emulate them. The story is neither homage nor pastiche. Instead it uses pulpish techniques in a modern way. With clear writing with minimal extravagence it tells a great and exciting story.

The Albino’s Secret is a story that will appeal to a great many readers. There is an undeniable amount of genre mixing. For fans of fantasy, SF, and detective stories The Albino’s Secret should be high on your list. For people unfamilar with Moorcock or Hodder it is a great introduction. The Albino’s Secret will capture the imagination of almost anyone.

If you would like to learn a little of the history of Monsieur Zenith Stephen E. Andrews, the Outlaw Bookseller, has this video: