The Chinaman [Import] [Hardcover]

Stephen Leather (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 456 pages
• Publisher: ISIS Large Print Books (July 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0753177927
• ISBN-13: 978-0753177921
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)

More About the Author

Stephen Leather was a journalist for more than ten years on newspapers such as The Times, the Daily Mail and the South China Morning Post in Hong Kong. Before that, he was employed as a biochemist for ICI, shovelled limestone in a quarry, worked as a baker, a petrol pump attendant, a barman, and worked for the Inland Revenue. He began writing full time in 1992. His bestsellers have been translated into more than ten languages. He has also written for television shows such as London's Burning, The Knock and the BBC's Murder in Mind series. You can find out more from his website, www.stephenleather.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars VC meets IRA, May 5, 2004

By 

Joseph Haschka (Glendale, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

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This review is from: The Chinaman (Stephen Leather Thrillers) (Mass Market Paperback)

THE CHINAMAN postulates an intriguing confrontation between jungle guerilla and urban terrorism.

Nguyen Ngoc Minh was born in North Vietnam and trained as a bombmaker by the North Vietnamese Army. After his aged father was butchered by Vietcong soldiers for "being a bad Communist", Nguyen defected with his wife and two daughters to the South, where his skills as a jungle killer were perfected in service with U.S. special forces. Unable to flee when the North finally overran Saigon in 1975, Nguyen spent nearly three years in a brutal "re-education" camp. Finally released, he immediately escaped with his family, now including a new 3-year old daughter. During the perilous boat trip to Hong Kong, Nguyen's two oldest daughters were killed by marauding Thai fishermen. Now, years later in London, Nguyen is owner of the Double Happiness Take-Away. One day, his wife and remaining daughter are shredded by an IRA bomb in Knightsbridge. Vowing personal revenge against the killers after the police are unable to nab the perps, Nguyen identifies Liam Hennessy as a top advisor to the IRA's political wing, the Sinn Fein. Traveling to Belfast, Nguyen demands of Hennessy the killers' names. Liam refuses "The Chinaman" because he simply doesn't know. Not to be put off, Nguyen relentlessly hounds Hennessy with a deliberate application of escalating violence designed to coerce revelation of the desired information.

Much of THE CHINAMAN revolves around the techniques of bombmaking and, in Nguyen's case, making detonators and explosives, including nitroglycerine, from scratch. This is probably not a casual hobby you'd want to take up at home.

The action moves back and forth between Nguyen's harassment of Liam in Northern Ireland and the continuing sequence of murderous blasts in and around London detonated by the IRA bombers. The British authorities are stymied. And, as it's revealed early on, so are Hennessy and the top IRA controllers in Dublin, who see the vicious attacks as counterproductive. The London IRA cell is unauthorized and anonymous, but drawing from existing ordinance caches in the UK and obviously helped by someone high in the organization. Liam is between a rock and a hard place.

THE CHINAMAN is an engaging and tautly written tale. My chief complaint is that, one-third of the way into the book, I knew with virtual certainty who was masterminding the rogue terrorism, and I wasn't proved wrong. I don't think author Stephen Leather intended it to be that obvious. On a pickier level, I thought the character of Kerry Geraghty superflous. Kerry is the daughter of an ex-IRA assassin retired to Scotland where he runs a survival school for the rich. Liam wants the elder Geraghty, an expert stalker, to come to Northern Ireland to help corner Nguyen, who's hidden himself in the countryside surrounding Hennessy's farm. But Geraghty has a broken leg, so he instead sends Kerry, who's as proficient as her Old Man at following large game animals. Kerry's contribution to the plot is contrived at best, though it provides some interesting insight into the expertise of tracking.

Finally, Nguyen remains a sympathetic character throughout, so the ending resembles those of Gerald Seymour's excellent novels in that victory, on a personal level, often proves Pyrrhic.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars UNPUTDOWNABLE, February 12, 2003

By 

HANS D HARMS (runaway bay, QLD Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Chinaman (Stephen Leather Thrillers) (Mass Market Paperback)

If you like edge of your seat suspense, this will do it. Most of LEATHER's books reek of authenticity and this is no exception.
The plot powers ahead at breakneck speed and you will spent your time in the company of a very believable character doing unbelievable things to people who deserve it. On of the fastes reads ever for me and it lead to the rest of LEATHER's books which gave me hours of unadulterated pleasure.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One man Vietnamese army beats the IRA., March 31, 2011

By 

Robert C. Olson (Vacaville, California USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Chinaman (Stephen Leather Thrillers) (Mass Market Paperback)

One man Vietnamese army beats the IRA.
Stephen Leather's The Chinaman is an outstanding action novel. A unique plot pits a retired Vietnamese special operations soldier against the vaunted and ruthless IRA. Nguyen Ngoc Minh fought for both the Vietcong AND South Vietnamese/American special operations forces. He was a skilled jungle fighter and specially trained assassin. He was expert in all facets of close hand-to-hand fighting. He was a "Rough Man" who endured much. Escaping from communist Vietnam, Nguyen watched as his twin daughters were raped and killed by Filipino pirates. Still he persisted toward freedom eventually settling in London, England, with his wife and remaining daughter. Then disaster struck as an IRA bomb killed both the wife and daughter. Nguyen vows revenge and returns to his old ways to hunt down the IRA assassins. This is his story of determination, sleuth, stealth, and the hunt. The ruthless IRA never realized until it was too late that they were now the prey and not the hunter. Nguyen had declared his own unconditional war where no quarter was given and none expected.
Character development was superb. Mr. Leather took great pains to develop most of the many characters he portrayed. There were several sub-plots that gave the main thesis of the book greater depth. Simply a terrific story well developed.
No gratuitous sex, language or violence. Although there was plenty of violent action it was handled well and germane to the storyline.
This is an excellent novel. This is my first Stephen Leather book and it will not be the last. Excellent crisp writing with lots of wonderfully done action: NOT over the top but perfectly done. Several interesting twists will keep the reader guessing and engaged. The well thought out story concluded with a terrific climax. No spoilers here so read and enjoy.
Strong recommend, especially for the misery of today's air travel. A perfect relaxing day on the beach read. This novel is first rate in all respects. Well done Stephen Leather-kudos.