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According to the book description of Thick as Thieves,
“Seattle in the 1940s: from its sprawling ports to its exotic bordellos in Chinatown, it is a rain-drenched harbor of
greed, sex, and corruption-and now a mysterious murder. Alan Stewart loses his private investigator father at the hands of
corrupt police officials. As he sets out to seek answers and to avenge his father's death, Alan uncovers clues that lead all
the way to the "Crime of the Century"-The Lindbergh Kidnapping!”
One reader of Thick as Thieves said, “This novel
has so many great strengths. First and foremost, the author delivers a solid story, simply written; a highly readable book.
I was engaged from the beginning to the end. It's a period piece, set in 1940's Seattle, well delivered in the Noire style,
which to me means that while there are clear protagonists and antagonists-solid characters I'll add-there are no good guys
in terms of many of their actions. The author's frequent references to Seattle landmarks, neighborhoods, and streets resonated
with me, being a 25 year resident in and around the city. Those unfamiliar w/ Seattle will develop a mental picture which
may not match the actual locale, but will well convey the action none-the-less. The incorporation of the Lindbergh kidnapping
was well done and added much interest for me. The reader is best to spend a few moments on the Internet familiarizing themselves
with that to fully appreciate this element. The book is soundly researched in terms of historical events effectively woven
in (The crime of the century, pre-WWII Europe and Asia, 1940's era Seattle). Simply put, this is a great Noire style Mystery
set in 1940's Seattle.
According to the book description of Sign of the Dragon,
“1940 - The eve of WWII. Imperial Japan threatens to conquer Asia and the entire Pacific Theater. Supplies and support
are flowing into the region. Vital to this effort is the city of Seattle. But now, its crucial role in the supply chain is
beginning to attract the interest of some shadowy and exotic international forces... Following a tip from his mentor Vic Morrison,
young Alan Stewart uses his detective skills to track down Tiger Lee, a sexy American operative on a mission to disrupt the
Japanese spy network. Working together, the two set out to eliminate the head of their Japanese rivals: a dangerous samurai
whose movements are shrouded in mystery. What begins as a hunt for justice quickly turns into a maelstrom of revenge—and
a race against the clock as politics becomes personal and loyalties are tested from every side. Returning to the scene of
his first novel, Thick as Thieves, author Neil Low, proves once again that in the shadowy underbelly of a city nothing is
as it first appears, and what you don’t know just might hurt you after all.”
One reader of Sign of the Dragon said, “I
read and absolutely loved Neil Low's first book "Thick As Thieves." I couldn't wait for his new book "Sign
of the Dragon" and it was worth every single minute of the wait. His character Alan Stewart returns in Sign of the Dragon.
It isn't necessary to read Thick as Thieves first but hey, you are going to miss one great book. Sign of the Dragons literally
grabbed me from the first page. I started it while waiting in my doctor's office and for once, glad they were running behind
schedule. This book has two women spies who are both strong and sexy. They reminded me of Black Widow spiders..once they get
their men in their "web" they are hers. This book has lots of twists and turns - which I love. I have lived in Seattle
my whole life and there were so many things I didn't know about Seattle until I read these two books. Neil Low obviously did
a lot of research. I love the references to the Seattle area in his books. The book cover illustration
is absolutely awesome. In fact, I was sitting in a cafe in Ballard, and had the book with me. People were attracted to the
cover, asked to look at it, read the back, asked me about it and said they were going to buy it. I told them, of course, about
Thick As Thieves.”
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