And Then There Were None Review by C. Chen
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And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie is a story that uses an old nursery rhyme that regards ten little Indian boys as a ploy of murder. With this said, the plot is easily foreshadowed, ridding of any element of surprise for method of death, yet the play also has a sense of suspense with who is behind the murder of the ten visitors of Devon Island.
 One of the negative aspects of the play is that there is no character development. The author does not include a lot of details or characterization, and due to this, the plot becomes slightly confusing in regards to which characters the author is referring to. Personally, I had to turn pages back in order to clarify which character had died.
 Some parts of the novel that you might find more favorable are that the novel includes a murder mystery and that it is an easy read with action. You can relax on a couch and read it within a few hours.
 Overall though, I do not recommend this book unless you are looking to kill time. There is no depth to the novel, and the only part of the book that I enjoyed was the manuscript document included at the end revealing the murderer.
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I enjoy books that describe the world that comes after the world we know has ended. I enjoyed this book partly because of the new idea of a world without women, but also because of the excellent writing and well-formed characters. I don't know if I'll read books 2and 3, as this book had a sufficient ending, but I believe after a time, I will want to return to this world again and check on Zoey and her companions.
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In May of 2015 Valiant gave us a collection of the first five issues of the Dr. Mirage reboot featuring Shan Fong as Dr. Mirage. Now we get "The Death-Defying Dr. Mirage Volume 2: Second Lives", collecting the next four issues of the continuing Dr. Mirage saga.

In the first book Shan's soulmate, Hwen, was dead and trapped in the underworld. Shan crossed over to find him and bring him back. SPOILER. Shan was successful, but Hwen has returned only in his ghost form. This second book, appropriately titled "Second Lives", follows Shan and Hwen's efforts to return Hwen to his corporeal form. In order to do that the two have to grapple with some serious magic, and with a dangerous scroll known as the "Vita Secunda". I expected a bit of hocus pocus, but not the complex and suspenseful story that was actually told. NO SPOILERS, except to say that we encounter an evil spirit with a back story, revisit an old nemesis, and plunge deeply into all sorts of forbidden magic. A number of interesting and appealing supporting characters are introduced. It is a complicated, but comprehensible and rewarding, tale.

Because the first book led us through the underworld it was an especially compelling and immersive experience for the reader. This outing is more subdued and less epic or world-building, but it succeeds just as well as a mystery/chase thriller, which is a nice changeup. As before, it is suspenseful, spiced with a bit of witty snark, and touched by enough romance to provide context for Shan and Hwen's quest. (If there is any fault I'd say that early on there's a bit too much mooning between physical Shan and ghost Hwen, but who's complaining when everything else is so good. and after all, their yearning to be together provides the fuel for this fire.)

So, a fine sequel with a narrative and plot that rivals the first book. It seems to me that Valiant has done a very nice job with Dr. Mirage.

(Please note that I received a free advance will-self-destruct-in-x-days Adobe Digital copy of this book in exchange for a candid review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)
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Most people are well aware of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, but some forget that three days later, a second bomb destroyed the city of Nagasaki.  This book is the story of Major Charles Sweeney, the pilot who commanded the Nagasaki mission.
Major Sweeney had risen through the ranks of the Army Air Corps, becoming proficient in many different aircraft.  As fortune would have it, Sweeney met Colonel Paul Tibbets, who was in charge of a top secret operation.  Immediately intrigued, Sweeney spoke with Tibbets and asked if he could be assigned to Tibbets' unit.  Tibbets agreed, and eventually Sweeney would become Tibbets' right hand man.  Stationed at Wendover, Utah, Tibbets put his men through a rigorous training course.  His men became experts in the flight and operations of the B-29, as well as techniques designed by Tibbets.
Finally, the group left Wendover for Tinian island.  This would be their new base of operations.  Training continued, and on August 6, 1945, three B-29s lifted off the runway bound for Hiroshima.  Tibbets piloted the bombing plane, the Enola Gay, while Sweeney flew one of the reconnisance aircraft.  (Sweeney was the only person to be invloved in both atomic missions).  At 8:15 on August 6, 1945, a single bomb fell from the Enola Gay and vaporized the city of Hiroshima.  However, the Japanese did not surrender.  Three days later, a second mission, commanded by Sweeney, again headed for Japan.
The target city was Kokura.  The weather aircraft flying ahead of Sweeney's plane reported clear weather over Kokura, the primary target, and Nagasaki, the secondary target.  However, fires from a nearby city which was bombed the night before began to obscure Kokura.  By the time Sweeney and his crew arrived, the city was covered by smoke and clouds that had rolled in.  Sweeney had strict orders to only bomb visually; no radar drops.  Sweeney made three passes over the target; an almost unheard of tactic.  Still, the smoke and clouds did not dissipate.  Low on fuel because a mechanical malfunction had resulted in 600 gallons of fuel being trapped in the bomb bay, Sweeney headed for the secondary target of Nagasaki.  Sweeney was informed that he would only have enough fuel for one pass over Nagasaki.  Upon arrival, Nagasaki was also cloud covered.  Sweeney had made up his mind to drop by radar, but the clouds parted sufficiently for the bomb to be sight-dropped, although they were not over the primary aiming point.  The drop was successful, but now the crew had to worry about their fuel situation.  Thanks to some skillful flying by Sweeney, the crew managed to land their plane safely on Okinawa with only seven gallons of fuel to spare.
I enjoyed this book, but the beginning is kind of slow, and I think Sweeney held Tibbets in almost God-like reverance.  However, the description of the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki is very good.  For more information on Paul Tibbets, I recommend the book "Duty" by Bob Greene.
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The Three-Body Problem (2006) is first SF novel in a new series.  The first part concerns the Great Cultural Revolution.  The title comes from a game played mostly by persons from the elite classes.

In this novel, Ye Wenjie is an intellectual sent to a work camp during the Cultural Revolution.

Ye Zhetai is the father of Wenjie.  He was a professor at Tsinghua University.

Shao Lin is the mother of Wenjie.  She is one of the persecuting Zjetai.

Ruan is a Professor at Tsinghua University.  She is a mentor of Wenjie.

Lei Zhicheng is the Political Commissar of the Red Coast project.  He is publishing Wenjie's articles under hie own name.

Yang Weining is the Chief Engineer of the Red Coast Project  He seems to object to Wenjie's presence in the project.

Wang Miao is a scientists working on nanomaterial.  Somehow he obtains information that is used by Qiang.

Shi Qiang is a police detective.  He is assigned to a Battle Command Center.  The military claim that they are at war, but do not furnish appropriate information to Da Shi.  He becomes more irritable and exchanges insults with other members of the council.

In this story, the enthusiasts during the Cultural Revolutions persecuted intellectuals who still followed the old patterns.  Ye Zhetai still used the international names for physical elements.  For example, he  called the basic measurement of quantum mechanics the Planck's constant.

His wife claims that he is a reactionary intellectual.  She accuses him of using counter revolutionary rhetoric.  Four Red Guards flail at him with belts.  Eventually he dies from their attacks.

Ye Wenjie is now the daughter of a reactionary.  After his death, she wanders aimlessly until she finds her way to Ruan's home.  She goes inside and notices that the damage from the Red Guards search of the home has been cleaned up as much as possible.  She finds Ruan sitting in a chair;  she has taken an overdose of sleeping pills.

Wenjie is assigned to a camp clean cutting a forest.  She trims the fallen trees.  She is aware of the restricted area around Radar Peak.

Then Wenjie is assigned to Red Coast, a secret project on Radar Peak.  The hardware used by the project is commercial equipment.  Wenjie has learned to repair and replace this hardware.  Since she is the only one admitting such knowledge, she soon gains access to the Transmission equipment and then the Monitoring devices.

Although she does not have the clearance required for such access, Zhicheng provides her with a description of the process and purpose of the equipment.  He says that it tracks enemy space activities.  Weining seems to disagree with Zhicheng's giving secret information to Wenjie.

Miao tries to avoid any association with the Red Coast project, but he is assigned to the local Battle Command Center.  When he attends his first meeting, Da Shi involves him in a secret project.  Da Shi follows him and finds him acquiring more information about Red Coast.

This tale soon involves Weining in a conspiracy to kill or replace the present government.  This is the war the military anticipates.  Miao is saved by Da Shi.

This story concerns the Cultural Revolution and the effects it has on individuals as well as society.  Wenjie dedicates her life to destroying humanity.  Weining stumbles onto part of the conspiracy, but there are more fanatics than he realizes.

Weining discovers that he is dealing with murders.  The next installment in this sequence is&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/The-Dark-Forest/dp/076537708X/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">The Dark Forest</a>.

Highly recommended for Liu fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of astrophysics,  different cultures. and psychological processes.  Read and enjoy!

-Arthur W. Jordin
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(4.5 stars) A day after playing billiards with Rory Jones, an arrogant, fly-by-night developer in Auckland, New Zealand, Mark Chamberlain breaks into his apartment and steals every item of value.  A burglar who loves his job, Mark then "visits" some adjacent, unoccupied apartments. In an apartment being inventoried after the owner's death, he finds himself staring at one of his own class pictures, part of a bedroom shrine created by the parents of Caroline May, a young school friend who disappeared as a teenager, more than twenty years ago.  Many people believe she died in a plane crash in Antarctica, which killed 257 people.

Narrator Mark Chamberlain tells a mesmerizing story, reminiscing about events from 1979, when Caroline vanished, and creating vivid scenes, full of the kinds of precise visual details that a troubled teenager would remember.  The reader comes to know Caroline, Mark, and their friends through these reminiscences, which are presented in lightning-like flashes--often brief and without obvious transitions--after which Mark spontaneously returns to thoughts about his life in 2001.  Gradually, the reader becomes part of Mark's thinking, recognizing the irrationality of his teenage years but also noting the irrationality of his adult life, as he breaks into homes and tries to connect with people who knew Caroline as he did.  How much of what he "remembers" is real and how much is illusion is an open question.

Other characters are also haunted by Caroline--her parents; Harry Bishop, the detective who was in charge of her search; and Varina Sumich, Caroline's best friend.  As Harry, now retired, quietly tails Mark, recently released from jail, he sees parallels between himself and Mark and connects them to Caroline's disappearance.  Varina Sumich, Caroline's best friend, a swimmer in high school, still seeks refuge in solitary long distance swims at night twenty years later.  Regarding Caroline, she comments, "We're all still in love."

As the past and present merge in this novel, some readers will be reminded of the work of Paul Auster.  The story flows seamlessly from present to past and back again, and the main character's thoughts reflect the universal concerns and fears of someone trying to survive a prolonged adolescence and learn who he is.  An exhibition of twenty-two-year-old photographs from the scene of the plane crash in Antarctica leads to the climax for Mark, Varina, and Harry Bishop, though some readers will find the ending emotionally incomplete.  A well-written noir novel (not a pop thriller), which raises questions about reality and how we perceive it, Departure Lounge is a complex visual and psychological study of one lost character who wants to take control of his life. n Mary Whipple
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First Sentence:  I was just sitting down to a cold beer and hot corn soup, at the end of a long week, when my phone rang.

Half Tibetan, half Caucasian, raised in the Buddhist monastery, Tenzing Ten Nurbu always wanted to be Sherlock Holmes.  Now retired from the LAPD, he becomes a private investigator with a high-tech sidekick, and his first case.

Its always intriguing to have a protagonist with an unusual background and Ten is definitely different.  A very good opening introduces us to the character, his background, outlook and ambition all within a dangerous situation and very effectively sets him, and us, up for the next step.  Then, for some unexplainable reason, Hendricks falls into the rookie-author trap of not one, but two portents.  Happily, he stopped that completely unnecessary device after those two.

The mix of Buddhism, with descriptions and explanations of the rituals such as a bardo, is nice, but more research for accuracy would have been appreciated.  Still, its a nice offset to Tens passion for his car and guns.  His alleged telepathic powers with his cat is a bit over the top. I would suggest not reading this while hungryThirty minutes later, we were serving up a cashew-and-vegetable stir-fry with basmati rice.  Expertly chopped cucumber salad on the side.

There is an interesting mix of philosophy and menace in a verbal dual--The Buddha himself said we shouldnt believe his words without questionwe must discover the truth for ourselves.  Brother Eldon saw things a little differently.  Obey your God, Nehemiah.  Obey me.  Go! Guard Gods Paradise! I got a sudden urge to find my own way out of there, and quick.and a simplistic, but adequate definition of karmait is our intention that determines our karma; good intentions produce good karma; bad intentions produce bad karma.

The story is well-plotted, and a bit painful for those of us who all too well remember Jim Jones and the Peoples Temple, but with a very interesting and effective twist.  There are a few minor inaccuracies related to Buddhism, and rather TSTL move by the protagonist.

The First Rule of Ten has plenty of action and a good resolution, as well as some minor first-book problems.  Still, it makes for a good airplane read.

THE FIRST RULE OF TEN (PI-Tenzing Norbu-LA-Contemp) - Good
 Hendricks, Gay and Tinker Lindsay  1st in series
 Hay House Visions  January, 2012
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This futuristic science fiction e-book novel is exciting, suspenseful, and sometimes humorous. The characters are interesting and finely drawn. Retired secret service agent Heath, a human, tries to buy a seat on a space transport and discovers that someone has bought all of the seats. Cassie, an attractive human female, who is much younger than Heath, who is standing in behind him in the ticket line, offers him her extra ticket. Heath want to visit the planet to which the transport is traveling to find out what happened to the vanished peaceful Tobrii race. They disappeared without a trace. The waiting room is filled with diverse beings from many planets. One race, for example, is comprised of people with two personalities that sometimes argue with each other. Another race is made up of people with no hearts. Each being must consciously move its blood about its body. This race is unable to sleep, for if it became unconscious it would be unable to move its blood about and would die. Entering the spaceship, Heath discovers that there are only seven passengers on board and two crewmembers. Why did someone want the ship to carry so few passengers?

 The tourists examine the Tobrii ruins. Some Tobrii articles are found. They hear a scream and find that the spaceship pilot has been disintegrated to dust. Now they are stranded until a new tourist ship arrives, but, in the interval, more of the nine people are disintegrated.

 What is happening, how is it happening, and why? Also, what happened in the past to the Tobrii, how, and why? Is there a relationship between the current and the past events? If yes, why is it happening now; tourists have visited the planet for decades without any adverse incident? The answers to these questions are unusual and unexpected.
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Synopsis:
Ai Ling is a young girl who is raised differently from most girls.  Her father had been a respected member of the Emperor's court and given his daughter the best education possible.  Not only can Ai Ling read and write with a beautiful hand, she is familiar with the most sacred texts. Despite her education and skills,  Ai Ling is still subject to society's rules and finds herself betrothed to a well positioned young man whom she has not met.

At the betrothal meeting, Ai Ling finds that she has the ability to hear people's thoughts.  She hides her gift, but Ai Ling is considered an unsuitable match and is humiliated.  Her bad fortune does not end there. As her parents search for a replacement match for Ai Ling, her father must suddenly journey to the Emperor's court.  Before he leaves, he bestows on his daughter a special pendant to keep her safe.  When he fails to return, Ai Ling and her mother have no one to turn to.  Ai Ling is unable to solve their problems in the village and undertakes a quest to find her father and bring him home safely.

During this journey, Ai Ling befriends Chen Yong, a half Xian and half Western young man who is on a quest to learn more about his parents, and Li Rong, Chen Yong's adoptive brother.  Together the friends encounters mythical beasts and dangerous enemies and must face challenges that they had not imagined and could not have prepared for.

Set in the Kingdom of Xia, the tale appears to takes place in a mythical world similar to the era of the 16 Kingdoms of China between 407 AD to 431 AD.

Review:
To be honest, I had been very excited about the book even before I had the chance to read it.  A young adult fantasy novel set in Ancient China with a young, smart and brave Chinese heroine on a quest to save her father from an evil presence in the Emperor's Court!?  Count me in, I thought!  Growing up, I hadn't read that many books that were set in Asia or had strong women heroines.  I had read The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck, but the heroine there is worlds apart for Ai Ling.

While reading the book, I was very conscious that it had a young heroine whose family helped her develop her intellect and strength.  Ai Ling was strong and had confidence in her abilities - this helps her through the trials ahead.  I also got a kick out of how much the book reflected the flora, fauna, food and possibly myths of China so naturally in its references to images, scents and atmosphere.  For instance,  Ai Ling's betrothed was "a bamboo of a boy, the barely green type, with large almond eyes in a pale face."  I'd be the first to admit that it's a bit silly to be happy that Ai Ling had dried mangoes and dried squid in her traveling pack and that she craved pork buns, hand pulled noodles, dumplings, and duck, but I was!  I couldn't help but notice that even the scents and jewelry were Asian, from Ai Ling's mother's the gardenia oil and jade hairpin to the peonies that inspired Ai Ling to paint.  Food  and smells evoke memories and location in my mind and have appeared effectively in many of my favorite novels,  so these descriptions resonated with me and was just another reason for me to chuckle while reading Silver Phoenix.

But putting aside my excitement to have an Asian heroine, I enjoyed the book for many other reasons.  The writing was so clear and effective without being overdone.  The characters were well established, seemed so natural and were so simpatico that I was on their side from the start.  The kingdom of Xia was unique and well developed as a whole new world inhabited by demons and fantasy creatures that were different from the usual fantasy mold.  Plus, the journey was action packed - I found myself constantly waiting for the next phase in their adventure to see how Ai Ling, Chen Yong and Li Rong would respond.

I highly recommend Silver Phoenix to anyone that likes adventure and fantasy stories.  It's a book that I intend to give to my niece and friends' kids once they get older.  It's a keeper!
2036356
It was a very interesting book, though I thought a little disjointed. You would go through a chapter or two being in-depth with a character, and suddenly never hear from them again. I highly enjoyed looking at China right at the eve of war. I didn't feel as if there was a conclusion for anyone. But maybe that was the point
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First Sentence:  Some nights, Corcoran O'Connor dreams his father's death.

Max Cavanagh owns several mines, one of which is being studied by the Department of Energy as a possible site to store nuclear waste.  In addition to protests causing Cavanagh worry, his sister, Lauren, has gone missing.  Cork, hired to find her, does so but she is not alone.  He locates her body in, what had been a closed off section of the mine, among five skeletons.  The five skeletons are those of women known as "The Vanishings" who had disappeared decades ago, and two of the bodies contain bullets fired from the gun of Cork's late father.

Recently, I was involved in a discussion of prologues and how many of us are either annoyed by them or ignore them completely.  It takes a writer as skilled as Krueger to write a prologue which contains an important thread which runs through the story.  This is not a prologue to ignore.

Krueger has become one of my favorite authors.  His skill with description take what could be a fairly ordinary scene, but instead comes alive with clear, visual images.  We are able to go where the author takes us and be a part of that which is described to us.  Even from those scenes where we might prefer to look away, we can't.  That doesn't mean he is graphically violent; he's not.  It is more that we feel the emotion of the scene and, thereby, understand it.

Because I read first for character is another reason why Krueger's writing appeals to me.  He creates dimensional, interesting, relatable characters.  I'll admit I wasn't particularly happy with the events of the previous book, "Heaven's Keep," but the transition to this book has been very effectively and tastefully handled and I now understand the purpose of those events.  Cork's heritage is half Irish, responsible for his impatience and occasional anger, and half Ojibwa, which connects him to the people on the reservation, Indian history, and my favorite character Henry Meloux.  It also provides the link to the mystical element in each book.

Before you walk away saying "I don't like woo-woo," wait.  Mysticism and the spirit world are part of the Indian culture.  They are also part--along with several other themes including that of what do we really know of our parents and the definition of evil--of what takes this book, and this series, beyond the normal and elevates it into something that makes you stop, think and consider.

Krueger is a very fine author who knows how to create characters, write dialogue, set a scene and, most of all, develop a plot.  The story continually builds upon itself.  It's a twisty road filled complete with suspense, emotion and startling revelations.  I despise the clich&eacute; of "If you've not read this author yet, read him now," yet that is the way I feel.  Even if you don't, be assured I shall be reading his next book as soon as it comes out.

VERMILION DRIFT (PI-Cork O'Connor-Minnesota-Cont) - Ex
Krueger, William Kent - 10th in series
Atria, 2010, ARC - Hardcover ISBN:  9781439153840
3787223
"Taiwan After China" is a book about family, life in Taiwan during and after the cultural revolution in China and gives the reader a touch of Chinese culture, history and beliefs.

"Taiwan After China" is narrated by the author, Ching Ching, who takes the reader through various stages of her life starting from 1948 to the present.  The plot focuses on her and her family's struggle due to the uprising of the cultural revolution in China.  Her parents are forced to leave their estate in China and settle in Taiwan where it is safer for their family to live. Having no ties with her grandparents during this time and being disconnected from their family wealth, her parents struggle to support their family in poverty.

The book was very intimate.  When reading this book, it brings back memories of how my grandparents told me stories of their lives. "Taiwan After China" has that same atmosphere. Some stories are fun and interesting, while others are heartfelt and moving.

I enjoyed the heart and honesty while reading "Taiwan After China".  While reading, it connected me with my own life and family.  I would recommend this book to those who are interested in Chinese culture and history, family and a good life story.
1496124
I really liked the book even though I had never read a book along this type of story line. I would recommend it and can't want to see if there will be more volumes coming out!
1034389
It is timely that as i write, the protesters are blocking the streets of Hong Kong (http://bbc.in/1yxsWmE) and demanding more control from Beijing. The very premise of Xiaolong's book Enigma of China is a government determined - no matter the cost - to keep harmony in a country that is increasingly dissatisfied with its government.

This is the first Inspector Chen novel I have read but it is the eighth book in the series. I was surprised that it didn't feel like I was coming late to the table even when a few events from previous books were mentioned. And I very much enjoyed the mix of poetry within the prose of the story. It reminded me of theme music. If you have ever heard a movie scene without all the background music put it in, it sounds empty. That is how I would imagine Inspector Chen's world would be without poetry. It was not a distraction but an accompaniment to the story that I very much enjoyed.

The mystery in this novel is politically intriguing and complex. Inspector Chen does his best to investigate without giving reasons for himself to be investigated. Which brings up one of the reasons I like to read books set in other countries. Poor health keeps me from traveling and I find most travel journals are not entertaining enough for my tastes. So I look for stories written by someone who has actually lived in another country and understands the culture. Those books, like Xiaolong's, allows you to crawl inside that world and experience (for a little while anyway) what it is like to be there. For example, pay attention to Inspector Chen's description of food. I've moved only a few states from where I was born and can't get certain food items that were staples of my childhood diet. You can feel Xiaolong's appreciation for China's traditional food whenever Chen gets hungry; Xiaolong's now lives in St. Louis.

So why didn't I give this book - which I obviously enjoyed - five stars? I think it's because I found the ending so uncomfortable. It certainly wasn't the writing or the wrap up in the mystery; Xiaolong satisfies all the necessities on those scores so don't worry you'll know who "done it" in the end. But the very tension that Inspector Chen lives with in China hung heavy on my shoulders as I closed this book. I didn't like it. So I am torn.

The reader in me wants to leave a book satisfied and possibly a little educated. Xiaolong did both very well. So I think on that hand it deserves five stars. But I'm agitated by the book. Something in my blood is nervous and unsettled and waiting for the other shoe to drop. How can I possibly move on to another book - any book - feeling this way? I feel like I need a reading palate cleanser. So as a reviewer I have to caution readers this book will make you feel as if you are left hanging. And so I only gave it four stars.

I may be splitting hairs with my rating but I think/hope Xiaolong is pleased that his book made me feel both the thrill of a good mystery and the oppression that has brought Hong Kong into the street this week.

Learn about other books in this series:

Death of a Red Heroine (Inspector Chen Cao #1)
A Loyal Character Dancer (Inspector Chen Cao #2)
When Red Is Black (Inspector Chen Cao #3)
A Case of Two Cities (Inspector Chen Cao #4)
Red Mandarin Dress (Inspector Chen Cao #5)
The Mao Case (Inspector Chen Cao #6)
Don't Cry, Tai Lake (Inspector Chen Cao #7)
1354676
Being a student of Confucius, Chen is not one to look a 'gift horse in the mouth'.  But when he is offered a 'free' vacation at a famous resort reserved for high cadre by Comrade Secretary Zhao, Chen packs his bags and is on his way.  Zhao has only one request, that is if Chen notices anything 'interesting' while at Tai Lake, he should write a report about it.  When he gets to the resort Chen finds that he has been given his own private villa that has nine rooms and its' own staff to cater to all he needs and wishes.  All this opulence is a little off putting to Chen.

At the resort he hears about the murder of a local factory manager.  The chemical factory is in the process of becoming privatized and an IPO is being prepared that would make the manager a multi-millionaire.  When Chen sneaks out of the resort so as to see the city of Wuxi for himself he ends up in the old city eating at a little out of the way street vendor.  He  talks with the vendor about the changes to the area, and especially the polluting of the once crystal clear waters of Tai Lake.  It has gotten so bad that people can't drink the water or eat the fish from the lake.  At the vendor he meets a women who is the environmental engineer for the company of the murdered manager which is also the biggest polluter in the area.

While speaking with the engineer he also becomes acquainted with one of the local cops who is a 'fan' of Chen's detective novel translations.  With the help of the cop and the engineer Chen is able to solve the murder.  Big surprise, the engineer is a 'beauty' whom he falls in love with but has to step back from because she must help a friend who is in trouble.  Chen's report to Secretary Zhao will shake up some people of the High Cadre as to the damage that is being done to the environment by China's rush to modernize, but thinks little will come of it in the long run.  Probably the best of the last five in the series.

Zeb Kantrowitz
4352386
Night without Stars is a solid, neatly fitting, and mostly satisfying conclusion to the Chronicle of Fallers saga and (potentially) the entire Void storyline.  I believe it shares most of the fundamental strengths of its opening act, Abyss beyond Dreams: well-constructed and well-paced plot, great action, some interesting characters, and another great example of a non-science fiction genre in a science fiction setting.  Whereas Abyss stands pretty well on its own, in terms of the readers ability to appreciate its plot twists and slate of characters, the Night has a greater reliance on the lore of the Void trilogy and the larger Commonwealth universe.  To be fair, this reliance may be unavoidable, given the requirements of a closing chapter for a long series.

As it stands, Night without Stars is, in my opinion, an enjoyable read.  Just as most of Hamiltons work, it is a great fusion of genres.  This time, his meticulously built Commonwealth Void universe plays host to the many elements of a Cold War spy thriller, one told from the eastern side of the Iron Curtain.

I have seen other reviewers characterize the novels settings as the pre-70s  America, with its father knows best attitudes, commie invasion and hippie commune clich&eacute;s.  Makes sense, as these are the patterns most familiar to an American reader. Except that Peter Hamilton is very much a European writer.  So the template is not the 50s  or 60s America, but the Cold War Soviet Union, with a dialed down, but still brutal equivalent of KGB searching for enemies within and without, in the name of fighting an existential external threat.  The urban scenery, the characters and their behaviors greatly reminded me of the places and people within the second world.  The space technology is explicitly borrowed from the Soviet Soyuz program.  Most importantly, the characters exist in a recognizable environment of oppression by an authoritarian state, reminiscent of the Brezhnev and Andropov-era USSR.

All these elements come together to create a distinctive atmosphere, through which the reader gets to navigate towards the end gambit, which is built on the Void trilogys apparent loose end.  Its been in the background all along, referenced in the Commonwealth timeline and discussed early on in the Abyss, so its re-emergence was not random and impossible to anticipate (a pet peeve of mine).  Hamilton brings the stories full circle, which I found gratifying.  Another thing I really liked about the series (and Hamiltons work in general) is that there are no glaring "orphans", i.e. useless, throw-away characters, places, events.  He generally introduces those elements for a reason and they eventually come to play some significant role, large or small.  I like that in a story, especially when it is as voluminous, as most of Hamilton's work tends to be.

In summary  just like its opening act, Night without Stars is a well-written, well-plotted story with engaging characters, and elements of another genre mixed in.  I found it a mostly satisfying conclusion for the Chronicle of Fallers and I really liked it.  Not as much, though, as I loved the Abyss beyond Stars, but I would argue that is more of a testament to what Peter Hamilton did with that story than anything he failed to do with this one.
819581
The book was fantastic. It started off slow but that how ever ended quickly. As the book picked up I found it to read more as movie. The book was short, I read it in one sitting.

The book ended abruptly, I look at it as a sneak peek to the next volume. I am anxious for the following volumes.

Amazing book!!!