Edward Cline has written several books and series and is known for his libertarian and Randian proclivities. The Sparrowhawk (a revolutionary war setting) and Merritt Fury series in particular are lauded by Randians for their Objectivist flavor. That being said,I normally enjoy financial books and mysteries in a financial setting. If you don’t like to read about financial shenanigans and the entrepreneurial spirit in a somewhat hagiographic manner, you’ll probably not like this.
The book seems to want to be a Bond imitation with an entrepreneurial flare. I enjoyed the financial dealings and intricacies in the beginning much more than the ridiculous 007 antics (and I am soooo tired of beautiful women fawning over brawn) . I think the author could have also done much more to create a sense of place. Hong Kong before the turn over to China must have been fascinating, but there is little sense of what it was like.
I found myself really skimming the last third. I have no idea why fans would describe Cline's work as celebrating, " the boldly American spirit embodied in all the author's works: freedom-worshiping, ambitious, confident, literate, benevolent, and individualistic." It's possible to be freedom-worshiping without trampling all over others and arrogance is often confused with confidence. I'll try a couple of others but there won't be any stampede to read them.
