Hong Kong Black

By: Alex Ryan

Narrated by: MacLeod Andrews

Length: 10 hrs and 40 mins

Publisher's Summary

Former Navy SEAL Nick Foley reluctantly agrees to help investigate when American CIA operative Peter Yu goes missing in China. But when Yu's mutilated body washes up on a beach near Hong Kong along with dozens of other victims, the case takes a macabre turn. Suddenly Nick finds himself embroiled in another bioterrorism investigation being conducted by China's elite Snow Leopard counterterrorism unit and the Chinese CDC, this time involving illegally harvested organs for an unknown and nefarious end.

But Nick's investigation does not go unnoticed, and soon he finds a target on his back. After thwarting an attempt on his life, he is forced to go off the grid and enlist the help of beautiful CDC microbiologist Dr. Dazhong "Dash" Chen to help unmask his would-be killer. On the run and looking for answers, their budding romance is tested at every turn.

With each step closer they take to unmasking the truth, Nick and Dash find themselves drawn deeper into a global conspiracy that began over 2,000 years ago with the first emperor of China and now threatens to upset the world order as they know it in Hong Kong Black, the heart-pounding sequel to Alex Ryan's Beijing Red.

©2017 Alex Ryan (P)2017 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

like many others, but still different!

These are exciting books, well written and fleshed out. Despite revisiting a plot by Tess Gerritsen (Harvest), involving a weird genetic syndrome worthy of Jeffery Deaver, and sounding like many special ops tales, Hong Kong Black holds its own. We seem to love the theme of an ex-ranger, ex-seal, ex-black operator who keeps getting sucked back into the world he tries to leave. We love Langford, the bitchy, craggy CIA chief who causes Nick so much trouble. We also love Zhang, the Chinese SF guy, and Dash, the epidemiologist doctor who is really smart and tough. We love to hate the bad guy because he is just, oh, so bad. And I guess we love the world conspiracies because we keep reading them!

I would like to taste a little more Chinese flavor in the Hong Kong and Beijing scenes. I thought that setting his stories here meant that Alex Ryan really knows these places, but I'm not feeling it. It's too superficial, too like someone else filled in the locales and names. I want to see the laundry flapping, hear the hawkers, smell the street cart food, see the many faces. (I felt it more when Harry Bosch went there.) However, the Beijing underground city is awesome, although it's hard to tell how realistic it is since the official version is bound to differ from the criminal version. I look forward to more of Nick Foley (Is he Pat Foley's ((Tom Clancy)) son or nephew?) and anything from Alex Ryan.

MA's narrations are always good. His separation of voices is superb, and the voices he chooses match the characters' personalities. Here he does great Chinese accents without succumbing to cliche or stereotype. He did forget that one of the girls had studied in Ireland and had more Irish than Chinese pronunciation, but we can live with that. And his pronunciation of Chinese people's place names is near enough to perfect that it doesn't hurt the ears of those who know!

3 people found this helpful

Looking Forward to next Nick Foley / Dash novel

This is the second book in this series. The first book Beijing Red was on of the best books I listened to last summer. This one is as good.

What I like about this book is it is not only a good suspense read, but the author has put together a cast of 5 recurring characters that he plays very well against each other. I'm looking forward to the next novel in this series.

I listen to 2-3 books a week from most of the best selling authors and after a while their plot lines get old. I think at this point Alex Ryan's two books are better than most of the best selling authors.

I would recommend reading Beijing Red first as the author builds on the relationships between the characters

2 people found this helpful

Wow. Ryan elevates a genre to sublime heights.

Not only is this book a great thriller, with terrific pacing, riveting suspense, and moments of touching romance, it avoids clichés and takes on geopolitics in a profound way, never afraid of retaining it's integrity and treating it's readers with respect. It manages to deliver a guaranteed escapist genre read AND still take on bold, relevant intellectual topics that will expand both the compassion and understanding of it's readers. I am grateful when authors entertain us while still managing to help educate us to the real challenges in the world beyond our gatekeeping illusions and artificial social consensus.

1 person found this helpful

good book

I like the fact that the action is more believable alot of current spy thrillers

1 person found this helpful

Loved it

Couldn't stop listening, very well read with a fun and thrilling plot. I didn't know about the first book until I was listening to this one already but didn't feel like I needed to have read it. I'm def going back to it to find out how it started.

1 person found this helpful

i would read another

I didn't read the first book of the series, and won't now, as I can pretty well figure out what happened based on this one. But the characters are engaging and there's lots of action and some good information about China and its culture, so if there's a third one I'll probably give it a listen.

1 person found this helpful

Great Character Development, Plenty of Action

Lets just start by saying I can't wait for the next installment in this series - I am hooked completely! The depth of character development is great all the down to the kid with the Disney t-shirt. The villains are a bit cliche but that is ok. There is honor, humor, passion, suspense, intrigue surprises, plenty of action and twists - it is all here. There is enough detail that there is depth to the lead characters, scenes and action that we can feel it, but not too much that the pacing is slowed. Well done! Did I say I can't wait for the next book? Well worth a listen and a credit. Enjoy.

1 person found this helpful

Excellent Continuation of Series!!

Great characters--can't wait for the next book! Perfect narration, too. Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys international thrillers.

1 person found this helpful

Best Well-written Characters Ever!

I love how all the characters were fleshed out, all everyone was the hero and the protagonist was not a Gary Stu!

1 person found this helpful

Suspenseful through the end

Well written with twists and turns throughout.. A believable and true to life suspense story.

1 person found this helpful