Simon & Schuster, Nov 2002, 25.00, 338 pp.
ISBN 0684862867
It has taken almost four years and millions of dollars but the 2,500 feet high building is only a few weeks away from completion. It is the tallest man-made structure on earth with the base of the building being a man made island in Victoria Bay. It serves as a symbol of the new China, strong, unique and majestic and is affectionately called THE GOLD SWAN because the structure is in the shape of the neck of a swan.
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Ex-FBI agent Clay Williams, a senior security consultant for the Fifth Millennium China tower has come to love the one of a kind shaped building. When it becomes obvious to insiders that it is structurally flawed Beijing goes to extraordinary lengths to repair the damage and suppress the news. It is only thanks to a Chinese gangster that he has befriended that Clay and his co-worker Anne are not caught up in the ensuing madness of the ruling Chinese regime.
One of the trademarks of a James Thayer thriller is that it is totally unpredictable and predictably THE GOLD SWAN is no exception. Hong Kong under China's rule is an interesting mix of capitalism, political ideology, but especially pragmatism that would make William James envious. The protagonist is a likable character yet the unique star of this work is the GOLD SWAN, a totally unique edifice that captures the hearts of a nation.
Harriet Klausner
The review of this Book prepared by Harriet Klausner
