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Attacking the Dragon
An unknown group is carrying out terrorist attacks to undermine China’s Communist Party and China’s global expansion.
Wes Robertson, an American businessman who is injured in one of the attacks, becomes caught up in the hunt for the terrorists as does Maria Braga, the American Ambassador to an African country where people died from another.
As Wes and Maria hunt the perpetrators in China and the United States they become romantically involved. Meanwhile, Chinese officials suspect Wes may be involved with the terrorists, and the terrorists seek to stop Wes, killing him if need be. Can Wes and Maria discover who is behind these attacks and stop them before it is too late? Their search leads to a final confrontation and a surprising ending.
Wes Robertson, an American businessman who is injured in one of the attacks, becomes caught up in the hunt for the terrorists as does Maria Braga, the American Ambassador to an African country where people died from another.
As Wes and Maria hunt the perpetrators in China and the United States they become romantically involved. Meanwhile, Chinese officials suspect Wes may be involved with the terrorists, and the terrorists seek to stop Wes, killing him if need be. Can Wes and Maria discover who is behind these attacks and stop them before it is too late? Their search leads to a final confrontation and a surprising ending.
320 pages, Paperback
Published September 2, 2025
3 people want to read
About the author
A. Marc Ross
2 books5 followersA. Marc always meant to write novels, but it took him a long time to get to it. His first novel, THE CONSCRIPTED EXTREMIST, involving conflicts between domestic extremist groups, was a finalist in the 2024 Next Generation Indie Book Awards.
His second novel, ATTACKING THE DRAGON, involving attacks on China's global expansion, was published in September, 2025 by Headline Books, the 2024 Independent Publisher of the Year. The book was named Runner-Up, General Fiction, in the 2025 Beach Book Festival and received Honorable Mention in the 2025 Paris Book Festival, 2025 San Francisco Book Festival and 2025 Hollywood book Festival.
A. Marc is a graduate of Stanford Law School and continues to practice as a corporate lawyer. He resides in Manhattan with his wife.
His second novel, ATTACKING THE DRAGON, involving attacks on China's global expansion, was published in September, 2025 by Headline Books, the 2024 Independent Publisher of the Year. The book was named Runner-Up, General Fiction, in the 2025 Beach Book Festival and received Honorable Mention in the 2025 Paris Book Festival, 2025 San Francisco Book Festival and 2025 Hollywood book Festival.
A. Marc is a graduate of Stanford Law School and continues to practice as a corporate lawyer. He resides in Manhattan with his wife.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
March 23, 2026
In Attacking the Dragon by A. Marc Ross, readers will discover a livid labyrinth of complex, captivating mystery intertwined in a hefty skein of well-conceived global possibilities, along with a budding romance.
The tale begins in Shenzhen, China, at a tech company where American Wes Robertson has been invited to share his business acumen with a small delegation of foreigners. He is greeted by Haofu Tao, high-ranking female member of China’s Senior Party and delegate for the Rising Star Delegation, who had summoned him to the occasion. She, along with Robertson, finds herself seriously injured in a massive explosion that kills most others in the building. Robertson manages to struggle outside, dragging the unconscious Haofu Tao with him. He awakes in a prison cell, harshly interrogated by local police, accused of perpetrating the horrific attack. The implications revealed and the stances taken by both sides of a thorny, possibly destructive worldwide movement affect a large cast of characters, many of them Chinese, Indian, and significantly, the U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Equatorial New Guinea, Maria Braga. She forms an alliance with Robertson after her own nation becomes a target for covert mass destruction and killings.
Much of the conflict centers around the Belt and Road Initiative, an overt scheme that could allow China economic access to, and eventual dominance in, a multitude of global sites. Ross’s plot allows for colorful characters, such as the older but once enticingly beautiful Haofu Tao and her “agent,” young Fei Zu, who can use her undeniable charms to aid in inter-continental conspiracies. The deftly drawn collaborators move and flow through Ross’s saga with gradually amassing hints as to their true loyalties, personal perfidies and admirable aspirations. As the story winds its way across the world, with a gradually developing tender connection building between Maria and Wes, readers will seek and find surprising, dramatic disclosures on every page.
Ross is a corporate lawyer by profession, an alumnus of Stanford Law School, where he was Editor of the Law Review. As an avid world traveler, he has been particularly attracted to China’s ancient, arcane cultures and contemporary political stratagems.
Quill says: With a grasp of the nation’s language and its global goal setting, Attacking the Dragon, which has garnered literary awards and attention, confirms Ross’s well-honed skills as a wordsmith. Upon absorbing this latest human-scale epic tale, Ross’s readers, across a wide range of age, nationality and intellectual curiosity, will doubtless call for further offerings, and perhaps beg a sequel to this latest, engrossing foray into realms of personal interaction and international intrigue.
The tale begins in Shenzhen, China, at a tech company where American Wes Robertson has been invited to share his business acumen with a small delegation of foreigners. He is greeted by Haofu Tao, high-ranking female member of China’s Senior Party and delegate for the Rising Star Delegation, who had summoned him to the occasion. She, along with Robertson, finds herself seriously injured in a massive explosion that kills most others in the building. Robertson manages to struggle outside, dragging the unconscious Haofu Tao with him. He awakes in a prison cell, harshly interrogated by local police, accused of perpetrating the horrific attack. The implications revealed and the stances taken by both sides of a thorny, possibly destructive worldwide movement affect a large cast of characters, many of them Chinese, Indian, and significantly, the U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Equatorial New Guinea, Maria Braga. She forms an alliance with Robertson after her own nation becomes a target for covert mass destruction and killings.
Much of the conflict centers around the Belt and Road Initiative, an overt scheme that could allow China economic access to, and eventual dominance in, a multitude of global sites. Ross’s plot allows for colorful characters, such as the older but once enticingly beautiful Haofu Tao and her “agent,” young Fei Zu, who can use her undeniable charms to aid in inter-continental conspiracies. The deftly drawn collaborators move and flow through Ross’s saga with gradually amassing hints as to their true loyalties, personal perfidies and admirable aspirations. As the story winds its way across the world, with a gradually developing tender connection building between Maria and Wes, readers will seek and find surprising, dramatic disclosures on every page.
Ross is a corporate lawyer by profession, an alumnus of Stanford Law School, where he was Editor of the Law Review. As an avid world traveler, he has been particularly attracted to China’s ancient, arcane cultures and contemporary political stratagems.
Quill says: With a grasp of the nation’s language and its global goal setting, Attacking the Dragon, which has garnered literary awards and attention, confirms Ross’s well-honed skills as a wordsmith. Upon absorbing this latest human-scale epic tale, Ross’s readers, across a wide range of age, nationality and intellectual curiosity, will doubtless call for further offerings, and perhaps beg a sequel to this latest, engrossing foray into realms of personal interaction and international intrigue.
September 13, 2025
Loved this book. Many interesting plot turns throughout. And a very different storyline than you often see. If you're looking for a great action/espionage novel, this is the one!
December 3, 2025
Great thriller.
December 6, 2025
Fast paced geopolitical thriller featuring compelling characters and a surprise ending! Must reading for thriller lovers!
December 6, 2025
Greatly enjoyed the government / political intrigue. Storyline feels very timely. Can’t wait to read more from this author !
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews