Jade Woman (1989)

http://nwhyte.livejournal.com/1983456.html

Another Lovejoy book with a particularly implausible plot, allowing Gash to place his hero in Hong Kong (not contemporary 1980s Hong Kong, but the 1960s city that the author clearly knew well and loved) for fun with organised crime, sex work and inventing a previously unheard-of Chinese Impressionist painter. The antiques scam itself is as beautifully detailed as Gash's description of the city, and Lovejoy is clear that the criminality in which he becomes enmeshed is a consequence of capitalism rather than ethnicity or culture. But the mechanisms for getting him to Hong Kong in the first place, and then out again in the end, are hopelessly contrived. Generally good fun though. ( )

Good mystery. One in the author's Lovejoy series. Not an elegant or easy time for the main character. He has a really hard time on the streets of Hong Kong and has to do some horrible things to survive. But I found myself compelled to read on and see what happens next. ( )

I was surprised to find that this book was published in 1990: it has the feel of a sixties book. The descriptions of Hong Kong are reminiscent of the Bond films of that era, in which exotic scenes of far away lands and strange festivals form an intrinsic part of the story for we poor Brits, who thought a trip to Spain as daring.
I enjoy the pearls of wisdom which Gash includes in his books; I never complete one without at least a couple of, 'I didn't know that' moments.
The story starts strongly and I was hooked within a few pages. My criticism would be that, with 20 or so pages left, I could not see how Lovejoy would get out of the situation in which he found himself: suddenly, everything fell into place, in a not completely convincing manner, and I was left feeling slightly cheated. A good read, none the less. ( )