Title: A Matter of Duty (Hong Kong Nights: Book One)
Author: J.C. Long
Publisher: NineStar Press
Length: 269 Pages
Category: Contemporary, Crime Drama
At a Glance: J.C. Long takes readers to Hong Kong and into a world of deceit, corruption, discrimination, not knowing who to trust, and mysterious disappearances. I was hooked from the very start.
Reviewed By: Maryann
Blurb: Noah Potter has come to Hong Kong to find his missing sister, Lianne, who disappeared after leaving him a voice mail pleading for his help. Unfortunately the Hong Kong police are unwilling to help him, so Noah has to find her himself.
Noah’s search for his sister brings him across Wei Tseng, leader of the Dragons, a group of dedicated men and women willing to do whatever it takes to keep their district safe from the violence and triads that plague the rest of the city’s underworld. Wei is a man of violence but also one of incredible compassion, and his history is one that resonates with Noah, igniting a passion neither man expects.
Together they search for Lianne, a search that will lead right into a conflict with the Dragons’ greatest rivals in the city.
Review: Noah and Lianne Potter grew up in a prosperous family headed by a cold and domineering father. Noah and Lianne had to learn to depend on each other for everything, and Noah became very protective of his sister. As happens between siblings, an argument crops up, and despite their closeness, Lianne leaves for Hong Kong without a word to Noah. Feeling hurt, and being stubborn and childish, Noah ignores Lianne’s calls. But as the weeks pass, he finally decides to listen to her message—and is devastated to discover Lianne is in serious trouble.
Hong Kong becomes a place of danger for guilt-ridden Noah. In search of his sister, and with no help from the police, he takes a chance on Wei Tseng, who is as dangerous himself as are the gangs in Hong Kong. Growing up in the New Territories, Wei Tseng spent most of his life fighting triad members in the slums. After the great war ended the Nine Star gang, Wei Tseng became the leader of the Dragons. Now, his territory is being threatened—a place that he has sworn to protect with his life.
There’s no one Wei or Noah can trust. Wei needs to end whoever is killing young girls from his territory, and Noah needs to find Lianne, no matter what. Even though Noah knows Wei is a dangerous man, he knows he needs Wei’s help to find his sister.
A Matter of Duty was an unexpected surprise. J.C. Long takes readers to Hong Kong and into a world of deceit, corruption, discrimination, not knowing who to trust, and mysterious disappearances. I was hooked from the very start; the story is well plotted, and there’s an abundance of interesting characters. I liked the gradual build of Lianne’s mystery, and learning about Noah and his sister’s life, growing up, as well as Wei’s plight to protect everyone around him. This was my first time reading J.C. Long, and I look forward to more.
You can buy A Matter of Duty here:
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