Flight of the Hornbill (The Third Ray Sharp Novel) [Paperback]

Eric Stone (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 15, 2008

Gold, a lot of it, has been discovered in the oil rich tropics of Sumatra. Or has it? From an American suburb incongruously set into a jungle clearing, to the sleazy bars of Jakarta; from a neighborhood floating on a river, to the dense, steaming rainforest; corporate investigator Ray Sharp's job is to ferret out the truth.

Why does a Frenchman want to kill Ray? Who's been shoved out of a helicopter, and why? What's Ray's ex-wife, and her boyfriend, got to do with it?

Loosely (very) based on the facts of the Bre-X gold fraud of 1997, Flight of the Hornbill is a thrill ride through an exotic Asian landscape

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

I'm a second generation Los Angeleno who loves the big, sprawling, dirty urban mishmash I call home. I'm also one of the few people on the planet who loves Jakarta, Indonesia, which in its own way is similar to Los Angeles, so you can take what I say with a grain of salt or not.

For the better part of 30 years I've worked as a writer, photographer, editor, publisher and publishing consultant. As a writer I've covered a wide range of topics, including business, economics, finance, politics, arts, culture, sports, travel and I once even wrote an advice to the lovelorn column for a bi-lingual English and Chinese fashion magazine. At the moment I'm writing books, both fiction and non-fiction, and the occasional magazine article.

I spent 11 years living in Asia, based in Hong Kong, then Jakarta, but always traveling a great deal for both work and fun.

Now I live high on a hill in Silverlake, my favorite Los Angeles neighborhood, with Eva, the woman I love. Our house is a short walk, or no more than a 25 minute drive from restaurants, markets, shops and whole communities that represent almost every country on Earth. It's a good thing I cook though because I still haven't found a really good Indonesian restaurant.

Product Details

• Paperback: 245 pages
• Publisher: Bleak House Books (October 15, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1606480227
• ISBN-13: 978-1606480229
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,661,493 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I worked for many years as a journalist in the U.S. and Asia, covering everything from economics to crime; politics to art, rock music to sex. I once wrote an advice to the lovelorn column in a bilingual Chinese-English fashion magazine based in Hong Kong. I currently live in Los Angeles, where I was born, and which is the most culturally and ethnically diverse place I've ever been.

My most recent book is SHANGHAIED, the fourth book in the Ray Sharp series of detective thrillers set in Asia and based on true stories. The previous books in the series are, going back from book three to one, FLIGHT OF THE HORNBILL, GRAVE IMPORTS and THE LIVING ROOM OF THE DEAD. I also wrote WRONG SIDE OF THE WALL, a true crime / sports biography.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A GREAT READ, November 6, 2008

By 

Timothy Hallinan (Bangkok/Los Angeles) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Flight of the Hornbill (The Third Ray Sharp Novel) (Paperback)

I've enjoyed both of Eric Stone's previous books, LIVING ROOM OF THE DEAD and GRAVE IMPORTS, and FLIGHT OF THE HORNBILL has all the strengths of the earlier books, plus one of the most vivid evocations of setting I've read in years. Stone obviously knows Indonesia inside out and loves it, and that comes through in his writing -- there are times you can actually see the colors and feel the humidity. He's working with a strong, multiple-layered story based in part on an actual gold scam, but what made the book most compelling for me were the characters, starting with continuing protagonist Ray Sharp, and the sheer quality of the writing. The Indonesians come off especially vividly, always a challenge for a writer who's presenting a culture that's not his or her own. It's appropriate that a shadow-puppet was chose for the cover although no shadow-puppet performance figures in the plot, because Stone shows us a world in which most of what is visible is actually shadow, and the puppeteers are well hidden. Great story, great characters, great pace, great setting. Just a terrific book, and I recommend it highly.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Feast for the Senses, October 4, 2009

By 

Stephen Parrish (Germany) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Flight of the Hornbill (The Third Ray Sharp Novel) (Paperback)

Eric Stone's third Ray Sharp novel is, so far, his best. Once again we are treated to what we've come to expect from Stone: a feast for the senses. Vivid scenes, in which you can almost smell the cigarettes, the perfume, the garlic. Transportation to exotic places. A banquet of sights, sounds, and even tastes; I was constantly hungry while reading it. Stone has mastered the art of local color, so much so that the plot of HORNBILL---the search for a missing person against the backdrop of a gold mine scam---is almost superfluous.

After a particularly gluttonous meal, protagonist Ray Sharp states, "As I slump in food induced lethargy in my plastic chair, I wonder why anyone would live anywhere else than Indonesia." After reading Stone's vivid descriptions of the place, I wonder why anyone wouldn't want to visit.

His masculine, matter-of-fact writing style will lead you to believe the story he's telling really happened, and happened the way he told it. This is no doubt a result of his many years spent in Asia, but it also speaks to skillful storytelling, a unique talent for making the make-believe seem real.