Chasing the Dragon is well-written and fast-paced, and offers a little of everything: cops, robbers, farce, trajedy, an argument or two, and most of all, lives changed by the Gospel. Jackie has led a remarkable life, but wears her experience lightly, with a sense of humor. Having lived in Hong Kong, visited her church and known people who worked with her or become Christians through her ministry, the book was especially interesting to me.

I once traveled around Asia to do research on forced prostitution and AIDs. I hope others will follow her example, in the leading of the Holy Spirit, because there is a great need. In my opinion, this kind of ministry may be one of the key cross-cultural evangelistic outreaches of our time, and this book would be valuable to anyone trying to understand either the past or the future of missions. Many of the most successful Asian evangelists I have met were once drug addicts or criminals. This book might also be a good book to give to a non-Christian friend or to a Christian police officer who has become cynical and forgotten how God can change lives.

One caution: I think readers should beware of a "one-size-fits-all" attempts to emulate the exact ways in which God's spirit works in other peoples' ministries. Jesus should be the pattern for all of us. But like he said, "The fields are ripe to the harvest. Pray the Lord of the Harvest to send out workers."

Author, True Son of Heaven: How Jesus Fulfills the Chinese Culture (d.marshall@sun.ac.jp)

Chasing the Dragon is well-written and fast-paced, and offers a little of everything: cops, robbers, farce, trajedy, an argument or two, and most of all, lives changed by the Gospel. Jackie has led a remarkable life, and her sense of humor is evidence that her success hasn't gone to her head. I've met her twice. The second time, God used our meeting to speak to me in an unexpected and round-about way, of which she was not even aware.

There certainly is room for others to follow her example by reaching out to drug addicts and prostitutes. In my opinion, this may be one of the key cross-cultural evangelistic ministries of our time. Many of the most successful Asian evangelists I have met were once drug addicts and criminals. God has delighted in using the weak things of this world to confound the strong, as Paul put it. And the need is great, especially with the spread of AIDs. Christians going to the mission field might pray about ministry to drug addicts and prostitutes. Dragon might also be a good book to give to non-Christian friends.

One caution: I think readers should avoid a "one size fits all" attempt to emulate the precise ways in which God's spirit used her ministry. Jesus should be our primary pattern, not Jackie Pullinger or anyone else. Author, True Son of Heaven: How Jesus Fulfills the Chinese Culture (d.marshall@sun.ac.jp)

This is an amazing book. Jackie describes how she lives purely by faith, not supported by any missionary society or church, and works fulltime amongst the poorest of the poor and the most wicked of the wicked in the ancient Walled City of Hong Kong. Jackie's ministry is to the drug addicts who "chase the dragon" and the Holy Spirit comes with power and healing to rescue them. Jesus is the Dragon Slayer!

I am a Christian Psychologist and I have recently applied to work as a Prison Chaplain. I think God directed me to read this book so that I would know that the Holy Spirit is wanting to help the drug addicts in Australian prisons too.

Molnar's book reads like Grisham...it just burns along...you can feel the action, see the people and feel their pain. A great book. Rhonda Herring, Gulfport, M

An exciting adventure of World War II...would make a great action movie. Mr. Frank Moore, Slidell, L

The realism placed you in the middle of the action, heart pounding, tasting the fear... Christine Kirby, Diamondhead, M

A very pretty book, wonderful illustrations and a very charming tale. I would say for any age. And learning about Chinese traditions is a big plus.

A really fine fairytale set in Hong Kong in which children of the land learn to accept children who are different from them. This is a very readable tale for children, probably from 7 to 12, depending on which country, etc., and the moral is excellent. The author's details on the boat people "fisherfolk" are often excellent and really bring the story to life. Both the writing and the theme are excellent.

Well written and beautifully illustrated tale for children set in southern China. The tale ends on a poignant note but along the way we learn about the ways of the Chinese fishing community and how they have to adapt to present conditions. A very well done fairytale.

Amy Lin

This book is a fabulous read. I couldn't put it down until I finished it. It is not a narrative, but rather a compiled series of interviews between the author(s) and Jackie Chan that have taken place over the past ten years or so. The chapters are split up into sections on his childhood, martial arts training, philosophy, health and fitness, career and film making, stunt coordinating etc. Each chapter has an introduction and then goes straight into an indepth interview with Jackie Chan himself! There is a small overview at the beginning of the book on his life (a mini "My Life in Action"!) and at the end a filmography and a chapter containing what the author considers are Jackie's ten best stunts in a short paragraph format. There is a treasure trove of pictures from Jackie's films (all black and white unfortunately), many not before seen. I consider this book belongs on the shelf with Jackie's autobiography as it is contains personal insights and comments from "The Man" himself. My respect for Jackie Chan, already high after reading "My Life in Action", has risen even higher. The man is phenomenal and makes the so-called "Hollywood Stars" shine rather pale in comparison. If the many who dismiss Jackie as "just an action actor" could only read this book, how their eyes would be opened! Highly recommended - a must read!

I loved this book. Anyone into the arts will love this book to. Its great and i personally like Jackie Chan.

This book is awesome! John Little's interview with Jackie Chan is worth the price alone. The photographs are the best, particularly the one of Jackie climbing a flag pole that looks like it has to be 50 feet off the ground! I learned so much about Jackie Chan, his martial arts training, his fitness methods and his personal philosophy. Having read all the other books on Jackie, I can easily say that this is - by far - the best! A must for everyone who loves his stunts or have been awed by his physical talent in martial art.

What makes Hangman's Point such a great read is its skillful blending of colorful and exotic historical details with high drama of love, betrayal and intrigue between the local Chinese and the expatriates of Hong Kong in 1857. Every page teems with action! The courtroom scene full of eccentric characters and outbursts of humor and cunning maneuvers is as engrossing as any found in the best legal thrillers. Highly recommended to anyone looking for an exiting historical novel with elements of mystery and adventure thrown in.

In 1857 China, American Andrew Adams has held several legally questionable jobs and other tasks that clearly stepped beyond the south side of the law. In Hong Kong, the part-time smuggler manages a bar that has patrons that are some of the sleaziest individuals residing in the area. However, this time Andrew goes too far and to avoid prison, must search out the pirates who beheaded foreign sailors.

However, that is only the start of what is turning into a bad new year for Andrew. Soon, the beleaguered anti-hero is involuntarily battling slave traders, escaping from prison after being accused of murder, and ultimately is in a fight to the death with vicious pirates, who will stop at nothing to loot a city.

Anyone who reads this novel will have to have a passport because they will be immediately transferred to the mid-nineteenth century Orient. The story line is filled with Andrew's misadventures even as it provides a rich historical perspective of the era. The support cast feels so genuine as they move the plot forward. HANGMAN'S POINT is a great historical fiction that, if there is any justice, will enable Dean Barrett to become a household name.

Harriet Klausner 11/1/98

In 1857 China, American Andrew Adams has held several legally questionable jobs and other tasks that clearly stepped beyond the south side of the law. In Hong Kong, the part-time smuggler manages a bar that has patrons that are some of the sleaziest individuals residing in the area. However, this time Andrew goes too far and to avoid prison, must search out the pirates who beheaded foreign sailors.

However, that is only the start of what is turning into a bad new year for Andrew. Soon, the beleaguered anti-hero is involuntarily battling slave traders, escaping from prison after being accused of murder, and ultimately is in a fight to the death with vicious pirates, who will stop at nothing to loot a city.

Anyone who reads this novel will have to have a passport because they will be immediately transferred to the mid-nineteenth century Orient. The story line is filled with Andrew's misadventures even as it provides a rich historical perspective of the era. The support cast feels so genuine as they move the plot forward. HANGMAN'S POINT is a great historical fiction that, if there is any justice, will enable Dean Barrett to become a household name.

Harriet Klausner

I, too, can't believe this is out of print and only available as a used book. It should be in paperback, and is far superior to most thriller/mystery books available today. Mr. Burdett writes with an insider's knowledge of Hong Kong prior to its transfer from Great Britain to the PRC, as well as knowledge of the sinister world of both the People's Liberation Army and the Chinese Triads. His protagonist, Chief Inspector Chan, is believable and human. Chan makes mistakes and suffers from self-doubt like everyone else. His uncanny ability to solve crimes comes more from good police work and determination than anything super human, despite the bureaucratic roadblocks and red tape he meets along the way...as well as the political dirtywork that thwarts his investigation of one of the grizzliest murders you'll find in literature today. Royal Hong Kong Police Chief Inspector "Charlie" Chan isn't James Bond...Thank God! No gimmicks. No sci-fi gizmoes. Just plain old police work. He's half Chinese-half Irish and 100% real (warts and all)! I hope Mr. Burdett writes another Chief Inspector Chan novel soon. I hated to see this one end.

John Burdett's thriller about a Red Army conspiracy in the last days of Hong Kong's independance shows both his knowlege of the region and his storytelling skills to great advantage. This is a fascinating, suspsenseful tale that is easily the equal of any of Martin Cruz Smith's Russian Renko mysteries.

Here's hoping for more Inspector Chan novels. I can't wait to see how he fares under Communist control of his city!

Brilliant, thrilling - it should be made into a movie. The Irish-Chinese detective is one of the most fascinating heroes I've come across in a long time. I want more from this writer, more about the character. Every character in the book was intriguing. People need to know about this book. It's a masterpiece and one learns so much about Hong Kong, the take-over, the people who live there. Didn't want it to end, and I really sympathized with some of the people who had to turn over "their" country.

James Thayer has managed to create another intriguing, deeply-layered story that takes the reader into a setting foreign to most of us. He transports us into the middle of Hong Kong, China where Clay Williams, chief of security for the architect of the tallest, most beautiful building in the world, acts as narrator and guide.

Clay is an engaging, likeable character who has lived in Hong Kong for ten years while the Gold Swan ( nicknamed for its sickle shape resembling the gentle curve of a swan's neck ) was being built. Through Clay, Thayer is able to describe Chinese society and culture and the glaring differences between their closed society and the freedom of an open society like the United States.

Thayer's ability to successfully compare the two systems within a thrilling mystery and a variety of sub-plots is a testament to his obvious writing talent. As the solution to the mystery is revealed amid the debris of a fallen icon, Thayer's talent as well as the reasons for gratitude for freedoms in the United States becomes readily apparant. The GOLD SWAN is an enjoyable and thought-provoking novel and is highly recommended for those looking for something a little bit different.

The Gold Swan is the nickname of a fabulous building being constructed, fictionally, in present-day Hong Kong --- more precisely, on a man-made island in Hong Kong harbor. The nickname comes from the unique, curving shape its architect has given to the structure, which is best described in the author's own words: "It was the tallest structure ever created by man and made of steel and bronze, those metals that are the very embodiment of solidity and it was a massive thing. Yet it was also slender, with delicate edges and was one long, elegant curve that some architecture critics were calling feminine. It was solid and inert, planted out there in the middle of the harbor, yet it was also soaring, more than seven hundred feet higher than the Peak, reaching skyward in a fluid, rounded motion, touching the clouds. And it was a chameleon, its bronze casing throwing back the gold of the sun and also reflecting images of passing clouds and the restless water of the harbor, endlessly changing as the day unfolded."

Clay Williams is a former FBI man approximately in his 40's. He has been working for ten years in Hong Kong as a security agent for international projects and has been one of three security men on the Gold Swan project from the beginning. Clay's visiting father is killed in a fall from the 20th story balcony of Clay's apartment at the same time that an eleven year-old boy disappears from his next-door neighbor's apartment --- and the plot is set in motion. The Hong Kong police say the father's death is suicide and they plant a couple of ridiculous clues as proof, but Clay knows better. It doesn't take the boy's grandfather long to find Clay and to discern a connection between death and disappearance and, thus, an unlikely but colorful and productive alliance is formed.

Clay is well connected. He has a best friend who is a police officer and he has other friends in the CIA and State Department. He's quiet, capable, thoughtful and
unassuming --- an appealing character whose heroic qualities are present in a muted key. After ten years in Hong Kong, Clay still sees the city with the eyes of a stranger who just happens to know his way around and he shares that vision constantly with us. He also educates us about the changes that have occurred since the British returned Hong Kong to China a few years ago. Ah yes. The plot thickens with those changes. John Llewellyn, architect of the Gold Swan, went to college with the (fictional) leader of China, who of course is based in Beijing; the fabulous building is
a way for Beijing to put its stamp on Hong Kong, to reclaim that city and its international prestige and wealth for the whole of China. Beijing-Hong Kong tension looms large.

Eventually it develops that Clay's father was killed and the little boy was kidnapped as part of a conspiracy surrounding the Gold Swan. It is a conspiracy so huge that, like the building itself, it's hard for the mind to grasp. Clay begins, secretly, to work with the CIA. At the same time, he's working with the boy's grandfather who is in an amazing line of business. He also has his own job to do, as the Gold Swan nears completion. It's a sort of triple-agent scenario that Clay juggles quietly and smoothly, even as he manages to nurture a friendship with a difficult woman.

Thayer handles his large story well, particularly in the way he brings Hong Kong alive on his pages. This is one of those books you can fall into and, when you come out of it, feel as if you've truly spent many hours in another place. It's about as close to a vacation in Hong Kong as most of us will ever get.

The characters, especially the little boy, his friends and his family, are vividly drawn. There are few clichés here -- with the notable exception of a certain henchman of enormous size, who seemed to have come from a Bond movie and whose guardian angel qualities were improbable all around.

The plot unfolds somewhat unevenly, but realistically -- life itself never unfolds at an even pace, particularly around big events; there are always hitches and glitches. This is a thoughtful book best read for the whole scope of what it has to say, not as if it were a print version of a summer blockbuster movie. Tension builds here slowly but inexorably, both in the ever-widening conspiracy surrounding the Gold Swan and in Clay's own personal life. The denouement, when it arrives, is huge, catastrophic and
totally believable.

THE GOLD SWAN is a poignant, sensual read that is likely to stay with you long after you close the pages of the book. It is, in fact, a keeper -- one of those rare books you are likely to want to read again.

--- Reviewed by Ava Dianne Day

I would like to say that I discovered a great new author, but I can only say that I discovered a great author. He is not new, because GOLD SWAN is his 12th book, and I am very unhappy that it took me so long to find him. I do not understand why he has not already been on the bestseller list 12 times.

I was lucky enough to read one of Thayer's WWII novels a few weeks ago. I enjoyed that paperback so much that I immediately went looking for it in hardback, as well as trying to find all the author's other books. I managed to get a new hardback copy of GOLD SWAN, and I immediately read it as fast as I could. It is a wonderful thriller that is almost completely different from the WWII books, except for the outstanding writing.

GOLD SWAN is a marvelous, fast paced story, with many interesting characters. I enjoyed it thoroughly, while learning more about Hong Kong than I did in my 10+ trips there. I love fiction that teaches me things, at the same time that I get a great story. Both of Thayer's books that I have read do that for me, but Gold Swan taught me about Hong Kong, Chinese politics and gangsters, architecture, construction, and police work, and it increased my respect for the work of the CIA. This book was exciting from beginning to end, fun, interesting, educational, and very well written.

I now have 10 more books to look forward to reading.

It is my understanding that the WWII book has been optioned for a movie that should be as exciting as the book, because of the star who is involved. Buy this author's books now, because he will soon be so well known that copies of his old books will be hard to get.

If you love companion parrots, especially cockatoos, you will probably appreciate this book. I found the book was more about the life of the Topping family, though, which I also happened to find fun and interesting to read about. The book is fast-paced and upbeat as it delivers funny snippets from the author's life with her "baby boy" - any cockatoo owner can easy relate. However, I would have enjoyed more real stories about Charlie rather than the focus on sensationalistic "one-liners" from Charlie. The last chapter takes a dramatic turn and left me sobbing - I don't think the tone or abruptness of the ending added anything to the book and is definitely not for the faint of heart. Overall, though, the book is well worth the read. It left me wishing I had known Charlie, as well as his family.

I fell in love with the beautiful bird, and I admire the way story is presented. It is funny, it is personable and written with a great talent. Audrey Topping helps one to appreciate the wonderful world of birds and animals.

"Charlie's World" is very well written book. I was reminded of the time when Audrey was ten years old, and came to the house with two crows on her shoulders. Both crows were talkers. Audrey is an exceptionally good writer, and the book is a MUST for all. I had to read it in One sitting.

Jonathan Dimbleby's The Last Governor is a tour de force that gives the reader an insider's perspective into the tenure of Hong Kong's last colonial leader, Chris Patten. Dimbleby treats the reader to a narrative account of the trials and tribulations that Patten faced as he attempted to enact democratic reforms in Great Britain's last colonial jewel. Although one would undoubtedly expect the government of the People's Republic of China (PRC) to be vociferously opposed to any belated attempt by the British colonial authorities to bequeath a semblance of democracy on Hong Kong, Dimbleby makes the case that Patten's biggest enemies often came from within his own government. Dimbleby's revelations that selected British cabinet and Foreign Office officials shamelessly sought to downgrade the importance of Hong Kong and sacrifice Patten's proposed reforms on the alter of commercial relations with the PRC, resulted in Dimbleby being investigated by the Foreign Office for possible receipt of secret intelligence materials. Dimbleby was cleared of these allegations, but the vast array of insider information that Dimbleby amassed for this book strengthens the strident arguments that Dimbleby advances. Only a handful of participants in The Last Governor emerge with their reputations unscathed. Hong Kong's local and international business elite is portrayed as willing supplicants in the PRC's efforts to scale back personal and political liberties after Hong Kong's reversion to PRC sovereignty, a position easily enforced by PRC threats to their commercial interests. Martin Lee and Emily Lau, two of Hong Kong's leading democracy advocates, are portrayed as actually weakening Patten's push for democratic reforms through their uncompromising approach. The various representatives of the PRC are painted as unbending ideologues with little appreciation of Hong Kong's way of life. Dimbleby is most critical of the British officials, past and present, who acted to either inadvertently or deliberately sabotage Patten's governorship. Most prominent on this list is Sir Percy Cradock, Great Britain's lead negotiator in the 1984 Joint Declaration and former Ambassador to the PRC. Cradock comes off as a modern-day Neville Chamberlain, willing to cut a bad deal with an unsavory power for the sake of diplomatic expediency. Cradock compounded this error by working both privately and publically to weaken Patten's political position and policies. Dimbleby also argues that the Cradock mentality had infected the entire Foreign Office and selected members of John Major's cabinet, who worked to undercut Patten and sell-out Hong Kong in favor of better commercial relations with the PRC. The greatest strength of The Last Governor is also its greatest weakness. While such open access to Patten gives this book the necessary dramatic propulsion, it also strikes the reader as serving as Patten's mouthpiece. While Dimbleby does downgrade Patten for underestimating the challenges he was to face as Governor, Dimbleby's portrayal of Patten as the lonely David fighting against the multi-headed Goliath seems to diminish the numerous allies Patten needed to help him accomplish the limited reforms he was able to enact. Dimbleby could have also delved deeper into the political rationale behind the PRC's bargaining position and policies regarding Hong Kong. The Last Governor is highly recommended reading for anyone interested in Hong Kong, Chinese, or British affairs and to readers interested in how bureaucratic politics affects international diplomacy. Dimbleby's prose is brisk and should easily captivate and entrance the reader. Keep in mind that this is not an academic tome, so Dimbleby's point of view is repeatedly expressed without reservation or apology.

I loved this book. I thought it was a great narrative on Chris Patten and his governorship and the hardships he endured. The book spares almost no detail, but I would have liked to see more of the Democrat's point of view. This book is absolutely necessary for people who wish to know in-depth about his governorship.

After reading the online review of Theroux's Kowloon Tong (a fictional account of the 1997 Handover of Hong Kong), I am surprised to find that only one customer have contributed a review to Dimbleby's marvelous work on the historical events. Dimbleby provided an excellent and comprehensive account of the political events that led to the signing of the 1984 Sino-British agreement, the arrival of Chris Patten, the introduction of legislative reform, and the eventual derailment of the democratic movement by the Communist Chinese Government. Dimbleby also tell the stories of several Hong Kong citizens and their views of the Handover. Being a native of Hong Kong who have spent my last 12 years in the States, Dimbleby's book brought me up-to-date on the big political stride taken by and the obstacles awaiting the people of Hong Kong.