Book 2 of the Neal Carey Series - This was a pretty intense thriller. Such detail regarding China and the different Provinces. Even if only a quarter of the detailed history is correct (and I literally have No Idea) it was quite the history lesson. I definitely was disappointed in Neal with his destructive crush on Leland, the China Doll decoy and the ending was heartbreaking as well as enlightening. Bottom line, There is no way this story ends here! Great Read! ( )

“-when you open a door, you’re never really sure what you’re letting in.”

Like when I opened this book, I didn't know I was letting myself in for the slowest read of the series, and maybe the worst book I've read by Don Winslow. It started with Neal having to go to San Francisco and then Mill Valley, CA (which is just down the highway 101 from where I live!) to convince some doctor to return to his job. Then it goes to Hong Kong and then China, and there is a LOT of unnecessary history lessons and tour guide descriptions of both locations. Then there's an opium addiction, a huge Buddha, and, for some reason I never understood, a long, arduous climb up a hill. And then, blessedly, the end. ( )

Another thriller with many twists and turns including penetration of the peoples republic of China. ( )

"“So, Neal, tell us about your work.”
Well, Olivia, I’m a rent-a-rat who has lied his way into your house in order to threaten your friends."

This is the second book in the Neal Carey series and if you haven't read the first book then read that book first otherwise nothing in this book will make sense. But the book does a brief recap of what happened at the end of the first book and what has happened since then, so you can get your mind in the right place.

"Graham took the bottle off the table and poured himself another drink. He was enjoying himself immensely. Aggravating Neal was almost worth the terrifying flight over, the endless trip to Yorkshire, and the hike up that damn hill. It was good to see the little shit again."

If you are reading and it goes into something that doesn't seem relevant, it will become relevant at some point later in the book.

There are parts of this book that will make you want to throw the book in angry, but just keep reading.

"Just what the hell am I doing here, anyway?"

As always with this series, there are unexpected twists and turns, most of which will make sense by the end of the book. And there is great humour, which might only be a sentence or two but you will stop and laugh before continuing.

"So you have a file on me, Neal thought. And you’re not with Friends. Which leaves alphabet soup."

"“That is the best meal I have ever eaten in my whole life.”
“I won’t tell your mother.”"

At certain points someone appears and it's hard to remember how they are relevant but that is explained by the end.

It is a great way to end this book (before the epilogue) the tells Graham and the reader that _____ (to avoid spoilers I'm not going to say, you will have to read the book for yourself). ( )

Don Winslow is quickly becoming my favorite author. This is his second Neal Carey and it's a good one. Neal's job is to find a agri-scientist who had disappeared. He ends up in China, in Hong Kong's underground. But, even more fascinating than Winslow's plot is his voice - his way with words. I have three more Winslow's yet to read and just heard he's got a new one out this Spring. YES!

Edited in 2011

I started keeping track of the books I read, with mini reviews, in 2005 so I would quit buying the same ones over and over again. For the most part it worked.

But, about a month ago, I bought this book - no clue why I didn't check my goodreads first - again. This time I found it horrible. I couldn't even get through the thing. I logged onto goodreads only to find out that it was only about 15 years ago that I loved it. Go figure. ( )