FOLLOW THE DRAGON

In Daniel’s debut novel, an American returns to Hong Kong, where he grew up, after his father’s unexpected death uncovers dangerous secrets.

Jake Salter, who’s around 40 and lives in Los Angeles, is sad about his widowed father Cyrus’ passing. He’s also disconcerted by the fact that his dad had recently hinted at a mysterious problem he was having, without providing any details. Why did the old man rebuff Jake’s own hints about possibly moving back to Hong Kong? It may have something to do with M.T. Kwan, one of the richest men in Hong Kong, and perhaps all of China. Jake discovers in his father’s World War II journals that his father, as a young lieutenant, led a daring rescue from a Japanese camp that saved Kwan’s life. This sealed their lifelong friendship; Kwan bankrolled a well-respected investment firm founded by Cyrus and his friend and partner, Stuart MacDonald, and Kwan is still a silent backer; now, Jake is slated to take his late father’s place at its helm. However, it turns out that Kwan is involved with the Triad, which is part benevolent society and part criminal enterprise. Also, Jake encounters a childhood Chinese friend who’s having a moral crisis; the American also encounters romance, as well as some very scary situations. Overall, Daniel delivers a first-rate adventure and mystery that’s well paced and skillfully plotted. The narrative is awash in local color, which makes sense, given that the author spent time in Hong Kong during his 20-year banking career; as he puts it, “important scenes in the story…result from everyday experiences in those colorful British colonial days.” Hong Kong makes for an exceptional location, and Daniel makes the most of it; readers will dream of its hideaways in the hills, its lush vegetation, and parties on a junk in the harbor. Daniel is currently working on two more books, also set in China and Hong Kong.

A promising mystery debut that vividly describes its intriguing setting.