PACIFIC DASH

From Asia Vagabond to Casino King

By: Chet Nairene

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

Length: 12 hrs and 43 mins

Publisher's summary

"ENDLESSLY ENTERTAINING! He is 'Dash in a Tropical Wonderland' in this offbeat adventure with equally quirky characters. A fun journey -- don't miss it!" -- James Roby, The UrbanKnights Series.

PACIFIC DASH is a colorful new novel tracking the vagabond life journey of Dashiell Bonaventure, a young American who roams Asia for decades, visiting beaches, vice dens and casinos, all in pursuit of thrills and truth. This vivid work of gaudy fiction transports readers to exotic worlds and will delight all fans of armchair global travel, adventure fiction or romance.

In 1968, a job transfer catapults young Dash's family across the globe, leaving the cornfields of Illinois for far-flung Hong Kong. In his youthful innocence, the teen believes this expatriate high school adventure is just a temporary detour but he is mistaken, for thus begins his lifelong odyssey drifting between continents and crisscrossing Asia in an adventure of self-discovery.

He roams, for several decades, across Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Thailand, Myanmar and more. Eccentric and flamboyant personalities roll through his life as Dash explores the jungles, beaches, and cities of the Far East.

Along the way, he falls desperately in love and also makes bitter enemies. He saves lives but also nearly loses his own while backpacking and motorcycling across Indonesia. He goes on to work in an illegal floating casino, offshore from Singapore and, as the decades pass, eventually becomes wildly wealthy while pioneering the VIP gambling junket trade in Macau, hosting 'whale gamblers' from around the region.

And that's when his troubles REALLY begin.

PACIFIC DASH is the next best thing to taking your own journey down the colorful back alleys of Asia. Sparkling with anecdotes and color, this story is designed to charm readers by parachuting them into the festivals, culture, and vice dens of the Far East. Exhaustively researched and historically accurate, this book was written by a veteran "Old Asia Hand" and is an education in itself as to cultural practices and the astounding sites of SE Asia.

The story unwinds at a furious pace, truly a mad dash: From a sudden disaster at international high school in cosmopolitan Hong Kong … to fantasy years jetting around the globe as the collegiate protégé to the world’s reigning literary rock star … From a dreamlike backpacking idyll through culture-lush Indonesia … to an unplanned decade riding a sleazy floating casino in the Straits of Malacca … and finally on to Dash’s stunning rise to power as the wealthiest Westerner in Asia and king of Greater China's casino business.

With PACIFIC DASH, readers experience life amongst Asia's elite, the young princesses and princelings at the international high school in 1960s Hong Kong. They hang out with Aussie surfer dudes in Bali and go tromping down the 1970s hippie trail to Afghanistan, Nepal and beyond. They thrill to illegal high-stakes baccarat tables on the high seas and gorge on spicy foods eaten by hand off banana leaves. And they fall in love with the gorgeous Fiona Lo Ting-Ting and make friends with intriguing characters like Snakehead Goh, PY (Little Fatty) Lee, Chickie Schmidt and Jackson Toh.

This karma-laced tale is akin to a mash-up between a Paul Theroux travel narrative and Alex Garland's 'The Beach’ ... with a pinch of Forrest Gump too, as amazing, unexpected adventures just keep happening to good old Dash. Many readers also liken it to the infamous “Flashman” series by George MacDonald Fraser.

PACIFIC DASH is the newest offering from BANANA LEAF BOOKS, a new imprint specializing in the adventures of Westerners adrift in Asia.