Official Review: China Basin by R.A. Niles
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Official Review: China Basin by R.A. Niles
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "China Basin" by R.A. Niles.]
China Basin by R.A.Niles does not fail to entertain. The story begins at the docks of China Basin in San Francisco. Mob attorney Carlo Steffano’s corpse was found floating in the bay. Then Hector Arroyo, a well-known heroin dealer from Mexico, was found nearby stashed in the trunk of a 1939 Mercury. Inspector Andrew Johnson, a relentless homicide detective in the San Francisco Police Department, begins an investigation that takes readers through the underground tunnels of Chinatown, into brothels and even opium dens. The murders initially appear to be the work of the Mob and the Mexican drug cartels, but these crimes have even bigger, more insidious implications.
The story is told in a snappy, to-the-point narration from Johnson's perspective. “But before I could think on it anymore, flat top jumped me from behind like a spider monkey. That was really stupid on his part and I hate stupid people.” The plot unfolds in a very factual manner with detailed descriptions of the police procedures involved in investigating the crimes.
Inspector Andrew Johnson is more than a trilby and a trenchcoat in this noir novel. He is a proud black man with his Irish mother’s features who grew up on the streets of Chicago. His father was a blues guitar player and a heroin addict. While sitting on the porch next to five-year-old Andrew, teaching him guitar chords, his father was gunned down in a drive-by shooting. As a result, disrupting the heroin trade was personal for Johnson.
I liked the way the overall plot was influenced by historical events of that period, specifically the Cold War and the rise of Communism in China and Southeast Asia. Unfortunately, Johnson could never escape the racial discrimination that was so typical of the 1950s.
The story sometimes felt too long and drawn out. I found myself re-reading pages to be sure I understood what was happening. But I still enjoyed the story and the characters.
I liked the way the characters were developed. Even their names were interesting. My favorite was Missy Le Strange, a very capable forensic analyst with the San Francisco police department and Johnson’s ex-girlfriend. I also liked the dark humor throughout the book. "But he had a life jacket on." "Looks like it didn't work.'
I give this book a rating of 3 out of 4 stars. The book is very intelligent and exciting with a storyline that includes unexpected twists. I liked the book, but the editing was not done well. There are typos throughout the book. China Basin is the second of two books in the Andrew Johnson series, but this book stands alone. I would recommend it to anyone who loves old-fashioned detective stories. Due to violent and sexual content, this book is for a mature audience.
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China Basin
View: on Bookshelves
China Basin by R.A.Niles does not fail to entertain. The story begins at the docks of China Basin in San Francisco. Mob attorney Carlo Steffano’s corpse was found floating in the bay. Then Hector Arroyo, a well-known heroin dealer from Mexico, was found nearby stashed in the trunk of a 1939 Mercury. Inspector Andrew Johnson, a relentless homicide detective in the San Francisco Police Department, begins an investigation that takes readers through the underground tunnels of Chinatown, into brothels and even opium dens. The murders initially appear to be the work of the Mob and the Mexican drug cartels, but these crimes have even bigger, more insidious implications.
The story is told in a snappy, to-the-point narration from Johnson's perspective. “But before I could think on it anymore, flat top jumped me from behind like a spider monkey. That was really stupid on his part and I hate stupid people.” The plot unfolds in a very factual manner with detailed descriptions of the police procedures involved in investigating the crimes.
Inspector Andrew Johnson is more than a trilby and a trenchcoat in this noir novel. He is a proud black man with his Irish mother’s features who grew up on the streets of Chicago. His father was a blues guitar player and a heroin addict. While sitting on the porch next to five-year-old Andrew, teaching him guitar chords, his father was gunned down in a drive-by shooting. As a result, disrupting the heroin trade was personal for Johnson.
I liked the way the overall plot was influenced by historical events of that period, specifically the Cold War and the rise of Communism in China and Southeast Asia. Unfortunately, Johnson could never escape the racial discrimination that was so typical of the 1950s.
The story sometimes felt too long and drawn out. I found myself re-reading pages to be sure I understood what was happening. But I still enjoyed the story and the characters.
I liked the way the characters were developed. Even their names were interesting. My favorite was Missy Le Strange, a very capable forensic analyst with the San Francisco police department and Johnson’s ex-girlfriend. I also liked the dark humor throughout the book. "But he had a life jacket on." "Looks like it didn't work.'
I give this book a rating of 3 out of 4 stars. The book is very intelligent and exciting with a storyline that includes unexpected twists. I liked the book, but the editing was not done well. There are typos throughout the book. China Basin is the second of two books in the Andrew Johnson series, but this book stands alone. I would recommend it to anyone who loves old-fashioned detective stories. Due to violent and sexual content, this book is for a mature audience.
******
China Basin
View: on Bookshelves
Latest Review: Contagion Domination by William Nisol
