Shanghaied: A Ray Sharp Novel

SHANGHAIED: A RAY SHARP NOVEL
Author: Eric Stone
Copyright July 2009
Bleak House
Hardcover/ $24.95/ 978-1-60648-030-4
Paperback/ $14.95/ 978-1-60648-031-1
Evidence Collection/ $45/978-1-60648-032-8
296 pages
Mystery
Being the fourth book in a series, SHANGHAIED also works as a stand alone novel without having read the previous books.
The story takes place in Hong Kong during and after the Chinese receiving the return of the city from British rule in 1997. Ray Sharp is a former journalist, turned investigator, is hired by a group of monks who strangely, believe in eating meat, to investigate a bank that is headquartered in Shanghai in which they recently invested millions and is now rumored to have questionable accounting practices.
Sleazy! That’s how I would describe this book. With lesbian relationships and heroin usage, these are topics that many of us have not experienced and do not intend to experience. Through much of the novel there is constant adventure. With the twin bodyguards, Floss and Betty, who are highly trained in the martial arts, there is humor in the little events, especially the dumpling incident. Also, there is a little about the lives of many people, especially the poor, in Shanghai and Hong Kong. Another issue I found interesting in this book, was the actual procedures for outsourcing of goods and human trafficking into our country.
This particular novel centers on Ray’s Chinese-Mexican friend, Ms. Wen Lei Yue who through her diminutive size and gigantic ability to talk to people due to her language abilities and her personality. Her special relationships and connections with others is the strength of the character and the novel. She is who you would want to have on your side.
One of the choices for purchasing this book is through the Evidence Collection from Bleak House Publications. In this collection, one-hundred hardcover copies of their top-selling titles for the reader to choose 5-8 of these which you can request to include the author’s signature, the colored end sheet, the numbered printed of the book, a police booking sheet with the author’s information, the fingerprint, date, or other request that might be considered to make your books special.
Eric Stone has actually lived in Asia for eleven years basing himself in Hong Kong and Jakarta. The previous books in this series are LIVING ROOM OF THE DEAD, GRAVE IMPORTS, and FLIGHT OF THE HORNBILL. He currently lives near Los Angeles.
By: Teri Davis July 14, 2009
For more reviews by Teri Davis go to her blog at: Http://ReviewsbyTeri.blogspot.com
To contact Teri Davis please e-mail to BookReviewer@cox.net