Customer Reviews

A Death in China

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Hiassen fans will be disappointed. This book has none of the characteristic twisted, insane humor of most of his work. In fact, it is a rather formulaic spy/action/thriller book. If it were a movie, it would star Jean-Claude VanDamme. This is not to say that it is a bad book, per say, but it is very predictable. It has all of the usual elements, and though it does have some interesting bits here and there, it is ultimately just another predictable spy/action/thriller book.

Hiaasen and Montalbano again show their ability to write a thriller with twists and turns enough to satisfy most readers. Tom Stratton is a college professor on a guided tour of China. During the tour, he meets his old mentor, David Wang, brother of a deputy minister in the Chinese government. They agree to meet again, but Wang turns up missing. As Stratton tries to find his friend, he uncovers a whole snake-den of double dealing and murder involving David's brother. Immediately, Stratton becomes a target for murder, beginning with being locked in a closet with a king cobra. His desperate flight gets him back to the United States, but death follows him. You jump right in during the early chapters, and the authors never let up. All in all, a satisfying tale of intrigue and action.

I thought this was a good book. It has elements of both a murder mystery and a thriller/spy novel. It is definitely not Hiaasen writing his usual Florida based hilarious but hard to describe action. But if you are interested in getting a feel for life in China, at least from what I could see of it during a week visit to Peking in 1987, while reading a well written book, then give this book a try. I intend to look up other non zany Hiaasen books.

Hiaasen's work has never been so far from Florida, though it does at least make a cameo appearance. In this story, professor Thomas Stratton is on vacation in China, annoying the busybody in his tour group by eschewing nearly all its tours. When he finds out fellow professor and mentor David Wang is also in Peking, he makes plans to see him. Stratton is shocked to learn his friend is dead, a victim of "death by duck," a pithy expression for American tourists who die on vacation in China after overexerting themselves and eating too much rich Peking duck. When Wang Bin, David Wang's influential and nearly identical Chinese brother, asks Stratton to accompany David's body back to the United States, Stratton initially agrees. His casual investigation into David's death turns up a few irregularities, however, and Stratton decides to stay in China instead, setting him unwittingly on a path of danger when he gets in the way of Wang Bin's ambitious plans. That he also falls in love with Wang Bing's daughter Kangmei is his salvation in more ways than one as he is forced to face his demons from a previous, undocumented visit to China as a soldier during wartime.

Just as Stratton pieces the entire puzzle of what happened to David Wang together, instead of ending, the story takes a turn and becomes even more intriguing, holding us on the edge until the end. Though Stratton gets conked from behind and overpowered by his enemies at least once too often, this is nonetheless a gripping page-turner. Hiaasen proves again that had he not found his niche in offbeat humor, he could still have had a solid future as a thriller writer. Montalbano's skills and knowledge as a foreign correspondent also come shining through, giving a vivid picture of China's people and politics. Their writing blends seamlessly for a dark tale of mystery and secrets that unfolds on two continents. Hiaasen fans looking for humor won't find it here, but those who enjoy his plotting skills will relish this excellent book.

This book was an okay thriller type book. Nothing extra. Not like his usual funny, well written books. Kind of felt like a new author trying to find his voice.

This story is not among Hiaasen's best, or even his mediocre works. The storyline is improbable and the main characters are uninspired and forgettable. I would not recommend this book to anyone.

This is the perfect book for reading on a long plane ride or in the middle of a sleepless night. Although formulaic, there were some very clever aspects to the plot and it was hard to put the book down. Those who have visited China will particularly enjoy the descriptive writing.

I've read a number of books since this one, so my recollection is a bit fuzzy. That may be telling...it's certainly not a memorable novel. Implausible and artificial circumstances, OK writing style, add up to an unremarkable book. Worth maybe $1-$2.

As another reviewer said, "Hiaasen proves again that had he not found his niche in offbeat humor, he could still have had a solid future as a thriller writer." Absolutely. I read thrillers for total mental relaxation, and "gripping" though they may be, a good one like this provides exactly that.

The story clearly relied quite heavily on the China knowledge provided by Hiaasen's collaborator, Bill Montalbano. To me, the scheming and complexity of the intrigues going on in Chinese politics were just as interesting as the twists and turns of the thriller's plot! On the plot level, I do think the "hero," Tom Stratton, could not possibly have recovered so quickly and completely from all the various beatings and the bullet-wound he received. And one does guess pretty quickly that the coffin is not what it seems...though I admit I was thinking suitcase nuke, not the actual contents...(hey, the question is so obvious that I don't think this is a spoiler).

Good accounting of Tom's PTSD from his Vietnam experience: in general a lot of strong descriptions of the impact of experiences on people's feelings and their reactions, not too much lantern-jawed macho-ism.

I gotta be careful if I ever order Peking duck (see explanation in other reviews. . .

Lots of action, suspense, and mystery. A good read, well written. Not a "can't put it down", so only 4 stars. But if you're looking for something to take to the beach this summer, you could do worse.