Book Review: Flight of the Hornbill

Reviewed By: Pat Reid - RAM

Flight of the Hornbill     Amazon US TPB Amazon US HC Amazon Canada TPB Amazon Canada HC
Eric Stone
Class/Genre:   Mystery
Bleak House Books, 2008, 245 pps.

Ray Sharp is separated from his wife, Sylvia, and would love to be divorced but Sylvia isn’t cooperating. At least she wasn’t cooperating but now she wants something from Ray. Sylvia needs him to locate her missing boy friend, Alexander Lee Truscott.

Due Diligence International employs Ray, and he is in Jakarta to conduct an investigation for a Hong Kong investment bank. The investigation involved Motex, Ray’s former employer, and Lucky Break, an Australian mining company, who claims to have found gold. Since Truscott was rumored to have dealings with Lucky Break it sounds like locating him should be a snap for Ray but that is not the case.

When Ray begins his investigation he soon finds out that Lucky Break does not want to be investigated and are not gentle in making Ray aware of this fact. From rumors Ray begins to believe that Truscott may be dead at the hands of Lucky Break employees.

There is never a dull moment in Eric Stone’s novels. Prostitution seems to be the main occupation of the women in Indonesia. It is not difficult for Ray to find women to help him sift out information that would be very hard to find on his own.

The setting is exotic, the story is exciting and the descriptions of the food and the people add a lot to this very interesting tale.

Pat Reid - RAM

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Pat Reid - RAM