Julian Lees

Even though I had figured out who the killer was and the twist roughly half way through the book it didn't detract anything away from it. It is fairly gruesome in places which was great :-)
And being set in Indonesia it makes for a nice change to the backdrop of the book as opposed to the more common countries this genre are typically set in.
Maybe not a massive standout novel in this category but never the less it still makes for compulsory reading if you are a fan of this genre.
I look forward to reading more of his work.… (altro)

The Fan Tan Players is the story of Nadia, a White Russian, and Iain, a Scotsman, who find themselves in Macao in the 1920s. The two are followed through the occupation of Hong Kong by the Japanese and to the end of the war in 1948. The setting is exotic and the lesser known history of the area made for a story that was new and refreshing.

There are moments of high drama, very well presented, and moments that do not seem to quite fit the emotions I would expect. After three years of her husband in a POW camp and in the throes of trying to aid in his escape, Nadia takes time to point out the "flame tree" he wanted her to meet him under was really a "maple". Just seemed too glib for the situation. There was a need for a bit more editing, which detracted from the flow of the story.

My sincere congratulations to Mr. Lees in creating the intricate plot and presenting his oriental setting so vividly. I was taken with the image of Macao during this period and loved all the details that brought it to life.… (altro)

Der Autor erzählt in diesem Buch die spannende Geschichte seiner Großeltern.
Agrapina, seine Großmutter, musste als Kind mit ihrer Familie aus Russland fliehen. Ihr Vater war zarentreu. Ihre Familie flieht zunächst in das russisch-chinesische Grenzgebiet bei Harbin. Bereits auf der Flucht erleben sie Schlimmes und fassen nur mühsam Fuß. Und dann müssen sie nochmal fliehen, diesmal nach Shanghai.
Parallel wird die Geschichte von George, seinem Großvater erzählt. Er ist der Sohn eines wohlhabenden Firmenbesitzers, der ihn mit Härte erzieht. Als eurasische Familie hat Georges Familie stets mit Rassimus und Ressentiments zu kämpfen.
Im letzten Drittel begegnen sich George und Agrapina. Sie verlieben sich und nehmen den Kampf auf sich, ihre jeweils sehr traditionelle Herkunft zu überwinden und die Bedenken und Einwände der Eltern zu entkräften.
Das Buch ist ein schöner Schmöker mit interessanten geschichtlichen Hintergründen.… (altro)