China Star

by Bartle Bull

Bartle Bull, former publisher of the Village Voice and master of the exotic adventure novel, returns with a tale of romance, vengeance, and intrigue. China Star begins in 1920s Paris, where Shanghai Station the 's Russian count, Alexander Karlov, and Viktor Polyak, the Soviet agent who killed Karlov's parents and abducted his twin sister Katerina, hunt each other through grand hotels, sewers, fashion houses, and embassy parties. Soon after, Katerina sets sail with Alexander for China on the China Star.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Russia, Fiction, Mystery, China

448 pages, Hardcover

First published April 18, 2006

About the author

Bartle Bull was born in London and educated at Harvard and at Magdalen College, Oxford. A student of the China coast since he first worked in Hong Kong over thirty years ago, he is a member of the Royal Geographical Society and the Explorers Club. He is the author of Safari: A chronicle of Adventure and the novels The White Rhino Hotel, A Cafe on the Nile, and The Devil's Oasis.

Reviews

[Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the follow-up book to Shanghai Surprise, a book I liked a lot. This book started off good, but I became disillusioned with it by the middle and only finished it to find out what happened to the charactors I grew to love and hate from the first book. This book was a repeating cycle of: lots of drinking, hero has sex with exotic lady, drinking, villian murders someone, hero has more sex, villian murders or rapes someone, drinking... and on and on.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting story including visits to what seem to be fascinating parts of the world: back in the 1920s in colonized countries. Learned about growing tea. Some interesting characters. Will look for other books by Bull.

[Shotgun · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stejně jako u Nádraží jde o příjemnou zábavu a minimum "umění". Většina věcí zůstává. Koumouši zabíjejí, znásilňují a kují pikle. Alexovu sestru nakonec zbaví rudých bludů švarný Japonec a on sám se zakouká do exotické MILFky. Sem tam je to proloženo pasážemi o práci bolševické tajné policie, pěstování čaje, o dražbách a životě na Rusi před rudým morem. Dozvíme se, jak zabít člověka pomocí slona a spoustu dalších užitečných věcí. Arcibolševikovi je nakonec osudná jak jeho nenasytnost, tak ještě víc nenažranost. Finále s akvarijními rybičkami je prima.

[Michael]

A sequel to Shanghai Station, and not nearly as good, because the whole thing takes place elsewhere as Alexander rides a boat around. The plot Draaagggsss. Which is too bad since the characters were already established, and they were interesting.

[Jest · Rating 3 out of 5]

Somewhere I heard this book described as a 'swashbuckler' which is actually pretty apt. It's all outrageous action-adventure taking place in exotic historical settings.

Very entertaining.

[Katherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of killings but liked the characters and the atmosphere.

[Dennis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've enjoyed these books by Mr Bull. I hope that he's working on more. He left just enough loose ends to make wonder what happens next.

[E.R. Yatscoff · Rating 4 out of 5]

1920's intrigue and adventure around the globe from Paris to Shanghai with Communist assassins tracking down their renegades. I found it an interesting escape with no cellphones anywhere.

[John McKenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is exciting, relentless, and throughly entertaining.

[Dan Piette · Rating 4 out of 5]

second in a series about Russians in China and France