Noble House (Asian Saga)

Product Description

“Clavell’s biggest triumph yet . . . storytelling done with dash and panache . . . a rousing read.”—Washington Post
The setting is Hong Kong, 1963. The action spans scarcely more than a week, but these are days of high adventure: from kidnapping and murder to financial double-dealing and natural catastrophes—fire, flood, landslide. Yet they are days filled as well with all the mystery and romance of Hong Kong—the heart of Asia— rich in every trade. . . money, flesh, opium, power.

Praise for Noble House

“Fiction for addicts . . . extravagantly romantic . . . a book that you can get lost in for weeks . . . staggering complexity . . . not only is it as long as life, it’s also as rich with possibilities.”
—New York Times
“Tremendous entertainment . . . a seamless marvel of pure storytelling.”
—Cleveland Plain Dealer
“A mesmerizer . . . spellbinding.”
—Los Angeles Times
“Breathtaking . . . only terms like colossal, gigantic, titanic, incredible, unbelievable, gargantuan, are properly descriptive . . . . Clavell has made himself the king of super-adventure thrillers.”
—Chicago Tribune Book World

Review

“The last time I was so taken with a spellbinding safari was when I read
Gone With The Wind.”—
Los Angeles Times.

“Clavell’s biggest triumph yet…storytelling done with dash and panache…a rousing read.” —
Washington Post“Fiction for addicts…extravagantly romantic…a book that you can get lost in for weeks…staggering complexity…not only is it as long as life, it’s also as rich with possibilities.” —
New York Times
“Tremendous entertainment…a seamless marvel of pure storytelling
.”—Cleveland Plain Dealer “A mesmerizer…spellbinding.” —
Los Angeles Times“Breathtaking…only terms like colossal, gigantic, titanic, incredible, unbelievable, gargantuan, are properly descriptive.…Clavell has made himself the king of super-adventure thrillers.” —
Chicago Tribune Book World

About the Author

James Clavell, who died in 1994, was a screenwriter, director, producer, and novelist born in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Although he wrote the screenplays for a number of acclaimed films, including
The Fly (1958),
The Great Escape (1963), and
To Sir With Love (1967), he is best known for his epic novels in his Asian Saga.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Chapter One
8:45 p.m.:

The police officer was leaning against one corner of the information counter watching the tall Eurasian without watching him. He wore a light tropical suit and a police tie and white shirt, and it was hot within the brightly lit terminal building, the air humid and smell-laden, milling noisy Chinese as always. Men, women, children, babes. An abundance of Cantonese, some Asians, a few Europeans.

“Superintendent?”

One of the information girls was offering him a phone. “It’s for you, sir,” she said and smiled prettily, white teeth, dark hair, dark sloe eyes, lovely golden skin.

“Thanks,” he said, noticing that she was Cantonese and new, and did not mind that the reality of her smile was empty, with nothing behind it but a Cantonese obscenity. “Yes?” he said into the phone.

“Superintendent Armstrong? This is the tower—Yankee 2’s just landed. On time.”

“Still Gate 16?”

“Yes. She’ll be there in six minutes.”

“Thanks.” Robert Armstrong was a big man and he leaned across the counter and replaced the phone. He noticed her long legs and the curve of her rump in the sleek, just too tight, uniformed chong-sam and he wondered briefly what she would be like in bed. “What’s your name?” he asked, knowing that any Chinese hated to be named to any policeman, let alone a European.

“Mona Leung, sir.”

“Thank you, Mona Leung.” He nodded to her, kept his pale blue eyes on her and saw a slight shiver of apprehension go through her. This pleased him. Up yours too, he thought, then turned his attention back to his prey.

The Eurasian, John Chen, was standing beside one of the exits, alone, and this surprised him. Also that he wa