An average story by Talbot Mundy. All the ingredients are there for success, but it somehow never rises above the expected. As usual, Mundy creates great atmosphere, giving a tangible feel to Palestine and Syria right after the Great War. And he employs his usual powerful dialogue, replete with passages of comedy and ironic wit. Too, it's a rare story, a tale of intrigue surrounding the fate of King Feisul (Faisal I) as he is ushered out of Syria during the French takeover of the region. In fact, I'm not sure that I know of but one other representation of these particular historical events in popular entertainment. And that would be the 1951 film, Sirocco, with Humphrey Bogart, Lee J. Cobb, and Märta Torén, which actually takes place just a few years later than The King in Check, during the Syrian uprising of 1924. ( )