Dark Chant in a Crimson Key [Paperback]

George C. Chesbro (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1993

Tie into the May release of the new Mongo hardcover, An Incident at Bloodtide. Dwarf detective Mongo agrees to clamp down on a 10-million-dollar embezzler--and finds he must face off with the world's most vicious terrorist in one of the most deadly cases he's ever tackled.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Mysterious Pr (May 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446403334
• ISBN-13: 978-0446403337
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,781,414 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another great Mongo novel, August 16, 2000

By 

D. Pena (Milwaukee, WI USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dark Chant in a Crimson Key (Paperback)

Of all the Mongo novels, this one is my second favorite. (#1 is The Beasts of Valhalla.) All the action, suspense and mystery with an exciting fight scene in a castle (which is what really put it over the edge for me.) You will never believe that the hero of the novels is a dwarf with a black belt. And yet after reading just one book, you'll believe it and want more.

Stop reading these reviews and buy all the Mongo books now!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars 11th Mongo novel: crossover with the VEIL and CHANT series, June 5, 2005

By 

Michele L. Worley (Kingdom of the Mouse, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dark Chant in a Crimson Key (Paperback)

"My dreams were filled with violent, vivid images...and the blurred face of a mysterious man who could at once countenance the slaughter of innocent people, and who was a torturer himself who burned out men's eyes, but who would risk his own torture and death to right a wrong. John Sinclair himself was emerging as a contradiction, a paradox, a very dark and dissonant Chant in a crimson key of blood, pain, and death."
- Mongo, contemplating Chant Sinclair

Crossover with the VEIL series and the "David Cross" CHANT series, but definitely a Mongo novel; as usual, his viewpoint is retained throughout. Some points of similarity with TWO SONGS THIS ARCHANGEL SINGS - not surprising, since Veil and Chant began as "Chant Kendry" until Chesbro's then-publisher decided that the result was "too literary" and sent Chesbro back to the drawing board with half the character name to try again. Like Veil, Chant had an impressive combat record in Vietnam that ended in disgrace - Chant deserted, reasons unknown, managing to escape representatives of *every* side of the war, all of whom wanted him dead. He then became a notorious international criminal, with a reputation for violence but also for conning con artists and stealing from thieves.

Status of other series characters: Lippitt and Mary Tree do not appear; Garth, Harper, and Veil are in on the action. All significant present-time action takes place in Switzerland, because Mongo took on an embarrassingly simple job at a regular client's request.

Chant Sinclair ripped off the Cornucopia Foundation to the tune of $10,000,000 by a very clever arrangement involving a false identity as a worthy cause and an electronic funds transfer. Now Interpol and the Swiss police, to name two organizations, are after him, the Swiss border having been sealed off, and Emmet P. Neuberger, head of Cornucopia, has begged Mongo to go to Switzerland just to give him an honest independent report.

Nobody in Zurich, however, believes this is anything but a poor excuse for a cover story, starting with CIA operative Duane Insolers (who becomes downright indiscreet in an effort to convince Mongo to level with him). The Swiss police don't believe it either, once bodies start piling up, some of them carrying a message arranging for a meeting with Mongo that never happened. Neuberger seems to have arranged for Mongo's presence in Zurich as bait for a now-sprung trap, and not for Chant.

Mongo *really* should have thought about the fact that one of the victims managed to have a distinguished Interpol career just cleaning up the crooks that Chant has ripped off, but he's initially bamboozled by Chant's evil reputation.

There's a lot of exposition as Mongo uncovers Chant's past, layer by layer, but it isn't handled as gracefully as Veil's was in TWO SONGS THIS ARCHANGEL SINGS; far more talking than deduction is going on. (However, the backstory involves a secret society, assassins, and a lot of other cool stuff.)

4.0 out of 5 stars Quick and entertaining, June 19, 2011

By 

Watson McFestus "Watson McFestus" (Irving Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dark Chant in a Crimson Key (Paperback)

Solid pulp mystery in the Mongo series. This one introduces us to John Chant Sinclair a special forces soldier of fortune and protagonist of 3 novels of his own - whom Mongo is hired to investigate. Familiarity with several Mongo novels is a must before reading this one.