2. Shanghai University (draft) Concentrating on his footing because the drizzle had made the paving stones slippery, Kurt glanced up only to avoid walking into the trees planted in the middle of the footpath. The trunks, white with insecticide paint, glowed in the darkness, and Kurt struggled to believe the skeletal branches would grow leaves … Sulphur Lake Chapter 2
River East, River West by Aube Rey Lescure My rating: 5 of 5 stars This novel switches between the Chinese cities of Shanghai, Qingdao, and Dandong, and between the 80s, 90s, and 2000s. However, in my calculations, over half of the book takes place in Shanghai in 2007. This was important to me because I … River East, River West
Burma Sahib by Paul Theroux My rating: 5 of 5 stars Having lived and worked in the British Protectorate, Nyasaland in the 1960s, Singapore in the 70s and England after that, Paul Theroux is well-placed to write a book on the in-and-outs, snobberies and brutalities of the British Empire. He also has the language of … Burma Sahib
1. Fish Farming (draft) Kurt found the shallow-bottomed canoe awkward. Sitting down, he feared a wrong move would capsize it, and kneeling hurt his hips and ankles. And why wasn’t the paddle wider? Each effort of sweeping it through the water led to a pitiful amount of forward propulsion. When a local spotted him in … Sulphur Lake Chapter 1
Smoko is available on Amazon. A second paperback edition will be published by Piwaiwaka Press soon. I sat on an uncomfortable chair with a thick manual in front of me. As I read about the history of the postal service, two more trainees, a woman and a man, arrived. ‘Cutting it fine, guys,’ Norm … SMOKO Chapter 1
My rating: 4 of 5 stars Not a spoiler because it’s made clear early in the book: Mike Stoner’s protagonist Newbie has come to Indonesia on the run from the grief he’s suffering from the accidental death of his English girlfriend. Jalan Jalan is an accomplished entry into the ‘Clueless Westerner in Asia’ genre. Most … Jalan Jalan
Blurb: One day the postal services will turn a buck by using drones to deliver fake Rolexes to citizen slackers on a universal income. But for now, the mail team continues busting arse delivering gym membership promotions to retirement villages. Adopting an attitude of resignation offers comfort to some, but one worker, inspired by Ned … MY NEW NOVEL: SMOKO
The Boss A buzzing sound indicated the security door had opened. Gustavo entered and walked across the lobby. Several seconds after pushing the button, the elevator car clanked down the open shaft. He pulled back the old-style iron door and got in. On the fifth floor, a floppy-fringed Chinese youth ushered him through an entrance … Buenos Aires Triad Chapter 5
i) Years ago, coming out of a Shanghai subway station, David passed a man dressed in what looked like dirty blue medical scrubs. Squatting on the pavement, under a street light, the man had a basket of live crabs in front of him. For whatever reason, David looked back and saw him pick up his … China Sketches: Company
