The Mountain Master of Sha Tin by Ian Hamilton

(26. - 1269.) The Mountain Master of Sha Tin by Ian Hamilton - A triad war is looming in Hong Kong. Ava Lee is drawn because Xu, head of the Shanghai triads and Chairman of the Triad Society in Asia, has bacterial meningitis. He had taken over the Wanchai triads in Hong Kong forcing Sammy Wing into a largely ceremonial position. Lop, Xu’s designated leader for Wanchai, has been badly wounded in an attempted assassination. There is reliable information that Carter Wing, the Mountain Master of the Sha Tin triads, is behind the attack in an effort to restore his uncle to power. The information is proven accurate when 7 of Lop’s men are kidnapped by the Sha Tin. Carter Wing demands Xu and his triads leave Wanchai.

Tension rises with an accelerated threat from Carter who thinks Xu is avoiding him. Ava and Xu’s executives want to keep Xu’s condition a secret.

It is the type of situation in which Uncle, Ava’s mentor, excelled. While not afraid of violence he could defuse dangerous situations with actions that showed strength and determination but kept violence in reserve.

Pang Fai, Ava’s lover, is worried about Ava’s safety. Ava acknowledges the risk but her loyalty to Xu, Uncle’s godson, and his triads means she will always be resolute in doing what is necessary for them.

Too ill to negotiate, Xu designates Ava to speak for him.

Ava talks with the Wings. She is used to dealing with men who would like to dismiss her. Can she negotiate a solution that saves face for each side?

Ava negotiates in good faith but she cannot find a weak point in the Wings position to press. They are highly confident they have the advantage.

To her dismay Ava finds the Wings are skilled plotters. She is very uncomfortable that the Wings are a step ahead and she is scrambling to react to them.

The Wings leave an unmistakeable message they are coming for Ava. She refuses to leave Hong Kong. The violence is spiralling. Ava learned from Uncle there is a time to be ruthless with those who will never give up on revenge. It is time to be ruthless.

Xu sends 100 men from Shanghai to Hong Kong to be ready for war.

Ava’s empathy leaves her with regret for the families and friends of those killed but regret will not blunt her ruthlessness.

The Mountain Master of Sha Tin is one of the action adventures of Ava Lee. Her only accounting is of the bodies falling. I prefer the books in the series where Ava is focused on accounting and business issues. Still, The Mountain Master of Sha Tin  is a compelling driving adventure that drew me through the 311 pages in 24 hours.

****

Hamilton, Ian - (2012) - The Water Rat of Wanchai; (2013) - The Disciple of Las Vegas; (2014) - The Wild Beasts of Wuhan; (2014) - The Red Pole of Macau; (2016) - The Scottish Banker of Surabaya; (2018) - The Two Sisters of Borneo; (2019) - The King of Shanghai; (2020) - The Princeling of Nanjing; (2020) - Fate; (2020) - Foresight; (2021) - Fortune; (2022) - Finale; (2022) - Body Counts in Fictional Gang Wars (Ian Hamilton, John Grisham and Don Winslow); (2023) - The Couturier of Milan; (2023) - The Iman of Tawi-Tawi; (2024) - The Goddess of Yantai

Resistance Man by Martin Walker

(23. - 1266.) The Resistance Man by Martin Walker - Father Sentout calls Bruno to come to the home of Loïc Murcoing, an old resistance fighter who has died at 86. Being a  resistance man provides special status for his funeral. Surprisingly, he also had several large denomination bills from the Vichy regime of WW II. The money came from a World War II robbery of the Neuvic train. A huge amount of money disappeared. It has never been clear where the money went.

Bruno is next called to the burglary of the summer home of a retired English civil servant, Mr. Crimson. Fine quality furnishings and even higher quality wine have been stolen. What appears to be a relatively routine burglary becomes more complicated when Bruno is advised that Mr Crimson was a senior intelligence administrator in England before he retired. Bruno’s sometime lover, Isabelle, is sent from the Ministry of the Interior to take charge of the investigation.

His third call is to a vacation rental where a Parisian actor and theatre director, Yves Valentoux, has found the brutally beaten body of his lover, English antique dealer Francis Fullerton.

Gay men have not always been treated well in rural France. The investigators from the gendarmes focus on Valentine as the killer, considering the killing a gay lovers quarrel. 

Mr. Crimson's intelligence connections - he may not fully be retired for he has a secure phone - draw more attention.

Isabelle’s arrival continues the awkwardness of Bruno's love life. Pamela has returned from Scotland. Neither relationship looks destined for permanency. 

Bruno's patient investigation, calling upon contacts and residents of the area, leads the investigation towards further gay connections. 

Rumours reach Bruno that there are political developments in Paris that could reach out as far as St. Denis. There is a pending federal election.

How far would the government go to prevent a scandal that could affect its electoral success? Jacqueline Morgan, a Franco-American historian, with a home near St. Denis, has unearthed information involving the French and American governments from decades ago that would be scandalous.

Bruno has a great phrase for describing political and government statements:

“Never believe anything until it’s been officially denied.”

Yet again, Walker credibly mixes into the plot issues of history, political intrigue and international affairs while continuing the focus on a local murder investigation. Few authors can realistically manage such a combination in a story that is set deep in the French countryside, over 6 hours by road from Paris. What more could a reader want in a work of crime fiction?

While Bruno is officially a simple country policeman he is as adept at intrigues as those within the palaces of power in Paris.

The webs of politics, sexual connections and money spread across nations.

As always, Walker involves the life of the community of St. Denis in the plot. In this book, it is the health of the mayor's wife.

Balzac, Bruno's basset hound puppy, is growing up. While charming all, he is demonstrating to Bruno that he will be a very intelligent dog.

Among the dining pleasures of this book is a simple dish made by Bruno for his guests. He heats sunflower oil and thinly slices zucchini. After lightly breading the zucchini he quickly fries the slices until they are “brown and crisp” and sprinkles salt upon them. He serves the beignets with two bowls - one of fresh cheese flavored with herbs and garlic and the other of salsa. Guests hold the hot beignets in paper napkins and smear upon them one of the two accompaniments. (Sigh.)

A remarkable find is a shrine in Fullerton's home that is unlike any I have read about in real life or fiction.

Walker does not shy away from life’s complexities.

Bruno is a modest man but he has a healthy Gallic ego. It occasionally leads him astray.

There is a revelation that deeply affects Bruno’s romantic relationships and left me very sad. 

The Resistance Man’s funeral draws out the full community in remembrance. It is a moving celebration of history and honouring Murcoing who fought for the liberty of France.

The ending had me racing through the pages. Martin Walker is one of the best writers of crime fiction in the world today.

****

Walker, Martin - (2019) - Bruno, Chief of Police and The Magic of St. Denis and Three Pines; (2023) - The Dark Vineyard; (2024) Black Diamond and The Crowded Grave; (2025) The Devil's Cave

Nightshade by Michael Connelly

(22. - 1265.) Nightshade by Michael Connelly - Connelly had me hooked in the pages it took Detective Sgt. Stilwell of the Catalina substation of the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department to transport in his utility task vehicle, an electric golf cart, Judge Harrell, who had swum ashore from his yacht, to the Justice Center. 

The Catalina substation is “a way station for the department’s freaks and fuckups”. Initially resentful at being assigned to the island, Stilwell has come to love island life.

Stilwell is focused on the mutilation of a buffalo when he gets a call to the harbor where he dons a wetsuit - he had been a member of the sheriff’s dive team - to confirm a body is anchored to the ocean floor.

The sight of the body reminds him of “floaters or sinkers” he had dealt with as a “body-recovery diver” - another occupation I could never have handled. He speaks of going under the surface as being in “the blue world”.

It is a woman with a purple streak in her hair.

Mayor Doug Allen is unhappy. Murder is bad for business and it is the Memorial Day Weekend.

The lead homicide detective from overtown (the mainland), Rex Ahearn, makes a memorable entrance into the book when, on the skiff dock gangway while wearing oxfords, he slips and slides into the ocean. Ahearn, whose nicknames are “A-Hole” and “King-A-Hole”, is sent for a shower and dry clothes.

Stilwell’s girlfriend is Tash Dano, the assistant habormaster. She is Catalina born.

Among Stilwell’s other cases is an investigation into the theft of a small black marlin statue from the exclusive Black Marlin club.

With regard to the buffalo there is speculation the head was severed by aliens. Several on the island are profiting from continuing reports of alien activity on Catalina. (In the Age of Trump, I clarify that the suspected aliens are the green extra-terrestrial kind, not foreigners to America.)

As often in a Connelly book the investigation shifts from exploring to finding supporting evidence when detailed police work finds the thread of proof that will be followed to solve the mystery.

Stilwell has a strong resemblance in character to Harry Bosch. Stilwell, formerly a homicide detective, personally investigates the woman’s murder. He knows the detectives assigned to the case will blow up if they find out he is actively pursuing the case. Stilwell does not care. He expects Ahearn will conduct a superficial investigation. The murder also happened on his island.

Considering the last blowup between Hearn and Stilwell ended up with Stilwell being sent to Catalina I wondered what would happen when Ahearn learns Stilwell has ignored his warning.

I should not have been surprised by how deftly Connelly handled the situation. By order of their Captain, Stilwell, Ahearn and Ahearn’s partner, Frank Sampedro become a three man team.

Stilwell discovers the purple streak in the hair of the victim was Nightshade, a deep violet color. That the berries of Nightshade are poisonous seemed appropriate.

As Stilwell pushes the investigation the circumstances become ever more complex.

I was troubled that Connelly once again has a detective, Stilwell, act without backup, and continue his investigation while  suspended from active duty. As well, the body count keeps rising.

As with all Connolly books the story moves smoothly. I could not stop reading but the resolution was not up to the opening.

Stilwell is an interesting character, though I think lacking a partner weakens aspects of the story for he is forced to do more on his own then is really credible. I did appreciate that he has come up with a new detective. Just as John Grisham is great at creating lawyers, Connelly is excellent at creating detectives.

Connelly continues to have one dimensional bad guys. 

There was modest suspense in identifying the perpetrators.

I found it an interesting quirk that Stilwell's first name is never revealed in the book.

For the first time I felt the writing was sometimes formulaic and predictable. Connelly remains an excellent author but Nightshade was not up to the high standard he has maintained for decades in almost all of the 31 books of his previous 39 books I have read. It is not a decline like Robert Crais was for me. Connelly says he is not putting a lot of time into his T.V work. I hope he further decreases his T.V. involvement. In reading other reviews I have not found another reviewer with comparable reservations about the book. 

****

Connelly, Michael – (2000) - Void Moon; (2001) - A Darkness More than Night; (2001) - The Concrete Blonde (Third best fiction of 2001); (2002) - Blood Work (The Best);  (2002) - City of Bones; (2003) - Lost Light; (2004) - The Narrows; (2005) - The Closers (Tied for 3rd best fiction of 2005); (2005) - The Lincoln Lawyer; (2007) - Echo Park; (2007) - The Overlook; (2008) - The Brass Verdict; (2009) – The Scarecrow; (2009) – Nine Dragons; (2011) - The Reversal; (2011) - The Fifth Witness; (2012) - The Drop; (2012) - Black Echo; (2012) - Harry Bosch: The First 20 Years; (2012) - The Black Box; (2014) - The Gods of Guilt; (2014) - The Bloody Flag Move is Sleazy and Unethical; (2015) - The Burning Room; (2015) - Everybody Counts or Nobody Counts; (2016) - The Crossing; (2016) - Lawyers and Police Shifting Sides; (2017) - The Wrong Side of Goodbye and A Famous Holograph Will; (2017) - Bosch - T.V. - Season One and Titus Welliver as Harry Bosch; (2018) - Two Kinds of Truth; (2019) - Dark Sacred Night and A Protest on Connelly's Use of Vigilante Justice; (2020) - The Night Fire; (2020) - Fair Warning; (2021) - The Law of Innocence and Writing a Credible Trial; (2022) - The Dark Hours; (2024) - Resurrection Walk; (2024) -Kim Stone and Harry Bosch; (2025) - The Waiting

The Devil’s Cave by Martin Walker

(21. - 1264.) The Devil’s Cave by Martin Walker - A deceased naked woman floats on a punt through St. Denis gathering more and more attention. After a failed attempt at catching the punt with a fishing cast, it is stopped on the edge of town. 

Police Chief, Bruno Courrèges, is startled to find a pentagram drawn on the woman’s torso, a charred bottom to the punt from a fire and two black candles. Can there be black magic or Satanism involved?

The mayor, Gérard Mangin, futilely hopes the death will get little attention.

Bruno, using his deep knowledge of the community, informally deals with a spousal assault. Resenting Bruno’s questions, the husband, Louis Junot, attacks Bruno who deftly evades and delivers a pair of punishing blows. Then, after carefully listening to husband and wife, he does not arrest the husband. His predecessor, Joe, was also noted for informal justice. In such a situation Joe and a couple of rugby “chums” might have taken the offending husband behind “the barn and treat him with some of his own medicine”.

The investigation takes Bruno out on the river in a canoe to search for the location from which the punt was launched. The search provided a vivid view of the beauty of the Périgord region from a perspective not provided in the earlier books.

The leisurely ride down the river takes them past a chateau. The complexities of French life and history are reflected in the owner of the chateau - the Red Countess, a WW II hero of the Resistance and a committed communist.

The area’s greatest attractions are the caves with amazing prehistoric depictions of animals.

The Devil’s Cave is actually a commercial cave drawing thousands of tourists annually.

As always, there is a major contemporary issue. Mayor Mangin wants to proceed with a large land development. Bruno conducts his customary low key but effective investigation and has reservations. The Mayor listens.

Bruno’s love life remains complicated with the dynamic police officer Isabelle, still working in Paris, and the lovely Pamela, in Scotland because of her ailing mother. A visit from Isabelle stirs up his conflicted heart. I think there are a couple of women in St. Denis awaiting an opportunity for a relationship with Bruno.

One of the reasons I love the series involves Walker’s skilful touch with regard to Bruno’s personal life. Bruno’s devoted dog, Gigi, was killed in the previous book defending Bruno. He is moved to learn Gigi has been honoured by the Ministry as a canine hero. 

Isabelle and her superiors in the Ministry of the Interior obtain a puppy bassett hound, Balzac, for Bruno. He tries not to love the puppy so that he can choose a new dog on his own, but his defences are instantly overcome when he picks up the affectionate puppy with his long long ears. 

While the Mayor remains uncomfortable, it turns out Satan is good for business.

Identification of the floating woman proves unexpectedly difficult considering the notoriety surrounding her discovery.

As the investigation probes relationships that would prefer privacy Bruno and those with him eat very well. Every Bruno story has one or more amazing food experiences. In The Devil’s Cave Bruno picks the flower buds of dandelions and uses them to flavour an omelet.

Bruno and the Mayor tread very carefully in their study of the backers of the proposed development.

The Church does not ignore evidence of Black Masses being conducted in the Devil’s Cave. The response demonstrates the Church’s powerful and majestic rituals.

I was swept up into the story eagerly reading page after page. Walker manages to credibly involve the elites of France with the locals of St. Denis in story after story. The Devil’s Cave is another complex satisfying mystery.  I would like to visit the Périgord.

****

Walker, Martin - (2019) - Bruno, Chief of Police and The Magic of St. Denis and Three Pines; (2023) - The Dark Vineyard; (2024) Black Diamond and The Crowded Grave