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Opium #3
Chasing the Dragon
"He who will fight the Devil with his own weapons
must not wonder if he finds him an overmatch."
'Noi put her arms around her and stroked her hair. 'You're all right now,' she said. 'We're your friends here. I'm going to take good care of you.'
Ly May closed her eyes. It had been so long since anyone had been kind to her. She wished they wouldn't. It only made it worse when life returned to normal ...'
1978. Ly May survives the fall of Saigon and the communist camps; she survives pirates and the sinking of her flimsy raft to escape to a new life in Thailand. What gets her through is the memory of the American pilot who once saved her life.
In Bangkok she finds herself on the arm of Douglas Ho, a major player in the international heroin trade. That's when she meets her savior again; but now he is with an American drug enforcement agency.
The chiu-chau Chinese are expanding onto the US western seaboard and the potential profits are breathtaking. Douglas Ho will stop at nothing to get what he wants. Does Ly May help the man who once saved her life or risk it all to repay her debt?
From the heroin factories of the Golden Triangle to bloody gun battles in San Francisco's Chinatown to the palaces of the super rich in Hong Kong, this is a rollercoaster journey that will leave you breathless to the last page.
Completely revised and re-edited, this is the third book in The Opium series, described by one critic as 'James Clavell meets The Godfather', charting the story of the drug trade in Indochina, from sacks thrown in the back of tiny planes in the nineteen sixties to the multimillion dollar international industry that soon became the plague of the western world.
must not wonder if he finds him an overmatch."
'Noi put her arms around her and stroked her hair. 'You're all right now,' she said. 'We're your friends here. I'm going to take good care of you.'
Ly May closed her eyes. It had been so long since anyone had been kind to her. She wished they wouldn't. It only made it worse when life returned to normal ...'
1978. Ly May survives the fall of Saigon and the communist camps; she survives pirates and the sinking of her flimsy raft to escape to a new life in Thailand. What gets her through is the memory of the American pilot who once saved her life.
In Bangkok she finds herself on the arm of Douglas Ho, a major player in the international heroin trade. That's when she meets her savior again; but now he is with an American drug enforcement agency.
The chiu-chau Chinese are expanding onto the US western seaboard and the potential profits are breathtaking. Douglas Ho will stop at nothing to get what he wants. Does Ly May help the man who once saved her life or risk it all to repay her debt?
From the heroin factories of the Golden Triangle to bloody gun battles in San Francisco's Chinatown to the palaces of the super rich in Hong Kong, this is a rollercoaster journey that will leave you breathless to the last page.
Completely revised and re-edited, this is the third book in The Opium series, described by one critic as 'James Clavell meets The Godfather', charting the story of the drug trade in Indochina, from sacks thrown in the back of tiny planes in the nineteen sixties to the multimillion dollar international industry that soon became the plague of the western world.
218 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1995
48 people are currently reading
119 people want to read
About the author
Colin Falconer
63 books745 followersColin Falconer writes fast-paced historical adventures that sweep readers across centuries and continents, from the battlefields of Rome to the intrigues of forgotten empires. His novels blend action, danger, and unforgettable characters in richly imagined worlds.
Born in London, Colin now lives in Australia with his wife and their cocker spaniels. Click FOLLOW for updates on new releases, or join his mailing list for exclusive offers.
Born in London, Colin now lives in Australia with his wife and their cocker spaniels. Click FOLLOW for updates on new releases, or join his mailing list for exclusive offers.
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
August 30, 2012
LET PEOPLE LIVING IN OTHER COUNTRIES KNOW WELL ABOUT HONG KONG MAFIA AND HOW THE HONG KONG COLONIAL POLICE HANDLES THEM. VERY INTERESTING AND MAKE YOU UNWILLINGLY TO QUIT
November 18, 2017
Read all 5 books in the series. Each one couldn't wait to see what happens next. I'm not typically a series book reader either. This one had everything.
January 21, 2019
Good Read
Mr. Falconer, author of SILK ROAD, is my 'go to' author. When I want to be assured of a good read, I go to him. TRIAD was about the opium trade originating in China that ended up on the streets of the United States. It was an interesting read with very few errors. It reads slowly through the first half, after that it reads with a full head of steam. The author's writing mechanics were excellent, but his descriptive powers surpass excellency! He draws the reader into the sounds, people, places, action and every other noun in the book. I admit to being confused about the book's title. TRIAD or CHASING the DRAGON? They are the same book.
Thank you, Mr. Falconer, for a good read.
Mr. Falconer, author of SILK ROAD, is my 'go to' author. When I want to be assured of a good read, I go to him. TRIAD was about the opium trade originating in China that ended up on the streets of the United States. It was an interesting read with very few errors. It reads slowly through the first half, after that it reads with a full head of steam. The author's writing mechanics were excellent, but his descriptive powers surpass excellency! He draws the reader into the sounds, people, places, action and every other noun in the book. I admit to being confused about the book's title. TRIAD or CHASING the DRAGON? They are the same book.
Thank you, Mr. Falconer, for a good read.
February 26, 2017
I received a free advance e-copy of this book from the author and have chosen of my own free will to post a review. This is the second book in the Opium series. This book is dark full of intrigue, murder, drugs, action, suspense, adventure, and thrills. There is a cop who is an informant and an American DEA agent with a horrific secret looking for revenge. It is obvious that Colin has spent a great deal of time researching The Triads. ‘Chasing the Dragon’ is another well written historical thriller with an amazing plot by Colin Falconer. The characters are well developed. This is a keeper and well worth the read. I look forward to reading more from Colin Falconer in the future.
February 16, 2024
I recommend the book.
I lost my original review along the way. This book is about the heroin trade between China and The United States. The people in the book are not fun characters and the subject matter certainly is not fun reading. So why keep reading? Because Colin Falconer wrote this book about a subject that is real and menacing. His book was like a bus running from heaven to hell and back again, and I could not get off that bus. This book is full of language and sex, but they are appropriately used. His mechanics are excellent.
Thank you, Mr. Falconer, for a good read.
I lost my original review along the way. This book is about the heroin trade between China and The United States. The people in the book are not fun characters and the subject matter certainly is not fun reading. So why keep reading? Because Colin Falconer wrote this book about a subject that is real and menacing. His book was like a bus running from heaven to hell and back again, and I could not get off that bus. This book is full of language and sex, but they are appropriately used. His mechanics are excellent.
Thank you, Mr. Falconer, for a good read.
January 17, 2014
This was one of the best books i read so far. Brilliant. Love the female characters: dominant and sexy. Every story was really interesting. The only thing i'm quite unsatisfied about is the ending. There was a mix of dynamic scenes and when you really wanted to see what happens, the narrator would introduce another storyline, quite static. Still a really great book.
May 25, 2015
Drsná vizáž deväťdesiatych rokov, prenasledujúca minulosť, Čína plná bieleho prášku - na rozdávanie, sekáčik na ľad ako hlavná kulisa a vražedné komentáre v oddelení závažných zločinov. Taaak, vo tom to je, přátelé.
April 24, 2024
This though enjoyable, needed a jolly good tidy up. Often, I had to reread an opening paragraph and reorder in my head for comprehension. He never seems to describe a person, rather their apparel. Giving a disturbing mental picture of people with no faces!
December 9, 2018
Good read!!
However, story lines often interrupted by awkward sentence structure,i.e., Repeating words and phrases, misspelled words, dangling participles and grammatical errors.
However, story lines often interrupted by awkward sentence structure,i.e., Repeating words and phrases, misspelled words, dangling participles and grammatical errors.
December 24, 2018
Good book
Did not like that wife and baby was killed but really got better good readers will like.very suspenseful
Mary Hicks
Did not like that wife and baby was killed but really got better good readers will like.very suspenseful
Mary Hicks
October 25, 2020
Highly recommended...
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews