Frank H. (perryfran) reviewed on 11/30/2021 + 1193 more book reviews

I've been a fan of Carl Hiaasen for years and always enjoy his satirical novels set in Florida filled with humor and wacky characters. Several years ago, I found out he had written three novels with his friend and fellow journalist, Bill Montalbano: Powder Burn (1981), Trap Line (1982), and A Death in China (1984), prior to writing his his first solo novel, Tourist Season in 1986. Being a big fan, I ordered all three of these books from an online bookseller. However, I have delayed reading these because they didn't seem to fit into Hiaasen's world of eccentric Floridians. I have finally read Death in China and although it does not include Hiaasen's usual wit, it is a really good mystery involving international intrigue and suspense.

The novel takes place in 1980s China where art teacher, Tom Stratton, has gone as part of a tour group. But Stratton is also there to meet his friend and mentor, David Wang, a Chinese-American art historian, who is also in China to meet his brother, an official in the Chinese government in charge of the excavation of priceless artifacts in the ancient tomb of the emperor Qin. Then Wang dies after a visit to his brother and the tomb. But was his death a heart attack or something more sinister? Stratton, who is also a Vietnam war veteran, seeks answers and is drawn into a conspiracy involving Wang's brother who tries to stop him in his quest.

Overall, I really enjoyed this even though it lacked the usual Hiaasen touch. I feel that Montalbano may have written most of this. It is a very good thriller and I will be reading the other two novels cowritten by Montalbano sometime soon.

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