Hong Kong Central by Marilynn Larew - Book Tour - Book Sale - Review - Giveaway - Enter Daily!

Hello lovelies!  It gives me great pleasure today to host Marilynn Larew and her new book, “Hong Kong Central”!  For other stops on her Goddess Fish Promotions Book Tour, please click on the banner above or any of the images in this post.

Be sure to make it to the end of this post to enter to win a $10 Amazon or Barnes and Noble Gift Card!!  Also, come back daily to interact with Marilynn and to increase your chances of winning!

This book is on SALE during the book tour for ONLY $0.99!!!  See below for more details.

Thanks for stopping by!  Wishing you lots of luck in this fabulous giveaway!

Hong Kong Central

by Marilynn Larew

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GENRE: Thriller

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BLURB:

Despite the fact that she quit the CIA, Lee Carruthers is in Hong Kong doing a little job for Sidney Worthington. He’s thinks something is wrong at Wong’s Antiques. Lee finds Henry Wong—just as he’s being kidnapped by the Chau Fong Triad. What does a Triad want with an antiquities dealer? That’s one of many questions, as Lee reunites with an old lover, is caught in the middle of burgeoning democracy demonstrations, and uncovers secrets that may once again upend her life.

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EXCERPT:

Hong Kong never sleeps. It was almost midnight, and the traffic was heavy, the neon signs flashing on and off, but Upper Lascar Row was quiet, the tables of tourist junk pulled inside the shops for the night. I walked softly in the shadows on the right side of the cobblestone street, looking for Wong Antiques among the red-lacquered shop fronts with signs in Chinese and English picked out in gold. The hairs on the back of my neck were prickling as if someone were watching me, and I jumped when a cat crossed the road. How could anybody be following me? I only got to Hong Kong three hours ago.

In the dim light, I saw Wong Antiques halfway up the block on the left-hand side. The only light showing was in the back, a nightlight or an office. I had crossed the street to the shop and had rung the bell once when I heard footsteps coming up the street. I slipped back across the street and melted into the doorway of a shop. Someone turned the light on in the antique shop, and a thin man wearing a blue scholar’s robe walked to the door. Henry Wong? The footsteps I heard materialized as two large men in suits. They banged on the door, and the man backed up. They banged on the door again, and he opened it unwillingly. The men were Chinese, bulky in the way a fighter is bulky, probably showing tattoos under their white shirts.

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REVIEW:

This book was such an intriguing, exciting, suspenseful, mysterious, adventurous, and thrilling read!

This book is about an ex-CIA agent, Lee Carruthers, who is finally on some much-needed R&R after some close calls on her last mission, when she hears from her former boss, Sidney Worthington.  Lee can never turn a job down, especially when it’s Sidney asking.  Besides, according to Sidney it’s supposed to be an easy, but urgent job – just check in on a source and friend.  Sidney hadn’t heard from him in two months, which is quite concerning since he normally hears from him weekly as he has for the past twenty years.  So, Lee agrees to fly to Hong Kong and to check-in on Henry Wong, the antiques dealer of Wong Antiques.  She arrives just in time to see him being taken by the triad.  Lee acts fast to try to save Henry, but ultimately loses them in the chase.  Now knowing that Henry is truly in danger Lee is on the case to save Henry and find out what he is mixed up in.  This “simple” case becomes anything but that when Lee accidentally gets caught up with the pro-democracy demonstrators, the Chinese Government gets involved, more disappearances and murder occur, Lee’s ex-lover turns up, Lee learns that this case has a connection to her father, and so much more, but Lee is determined at all costs to get to the bottom of it, find her answers and solve the case.

This book has an excellent storyline that flows, terrific writing style with detailed scenes, fantastic characters, is fast paced, and keeps you completely entertained through the last page.

This book has exceptional mystery crime solving structure with enough clues and excitement to keep you guessing, but still practical and realistic.

I really liked the main character, Lee.  She is confident, sassy, tough, intelligent – a total badass!  I love books with strong female leads and Lee is exactly that!  She is likable, genuine, and someone you can’t stop rooting for.  I felt instantly invested in her outcome and enjoyed solving the case alongside her.

I love how this author included historical, cultural, and custom references in her writings as this gives the book that little extra something!  I honestly do not know much about Hong Kong, besides what I’ve seen in the Jason Bourne movies and on America’s Next Top Model episodes lol.  However, this author provided so much detail and such beautiful descriptions, I felt like I was on the streets of Hong Kong.

Also, the author mentioned interesting facts about Hong Kong such as their anti-noise ordinance.  I had no idea that was such a big deal there.  But I Googled it and there are dozens of articles about how they are trying to handle this “out of control issue” with things like noise mapping.  It said that there were 43,939 noise complaints in 2016 with a city population of 7.2 million people.  The articles talked about how these noise issues are leading to health issues related to sleep deprivation and headaches, etc.  Very interesting!

It’s clear that the author is well versed in all things related to Southeast Asia and government business including CIA practices and brings it down to a level that can easily be understood and enjoyed by all readers.

There are some exciting twists and turns and unexpected moments that will keep you guessing!

This book has so much to offer the reader, such as, action, mystery, suspense, excitement, intrigue, adrenaline, drama, love, romance, friendship, and so much more!

This book is the third book in the Lee Carruthers Book Series.  I had not read the first book before reading this book.  I did not get lost or confused, so this book can be read as a standalone.  However, there are many references to the previous book and the characters seem to overlap.  Since I truly liked this book, I would suggest getting in from the beginning and starting with book one, so you don’t miss anything.

All in all, I really enjoyed reading this book and would absolutely recommend this book to anyone interested in a fun, exciting, intriguing, thrilling, suspenseful, adventurous, mystery book.

**Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book and have voluntarily provided an honest, and unbiased review in accordance with FTC regulations.**

Did you find this review helpful?

If so, please, please, please mark it as helpful on Amazon here:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/review/R2OZLILTWJKD5X

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AUTHOR BIO:

Marilynn Larew is a historian who has published in such diverse fields as American colonial and architectural history, Vietnamese military history, and terrorism, and has taught courses in each of them in the University of Maryland System.

This is the third volume in the Lee Carruthers series. She has also published Aftermath, in which the protagonist, Anne Carter, is a 1980 Baltimore PI, working in the wake of the Vietnamese War.

She lives with her husband in a 200-year-old brick farmhouse on the Mason-Dixon Line in southern Pennsylvania. She belongs to Sisters in Crime, Guppies, and Chinese Military History Society.

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CONNECT WITH MARILYNN:

Website:

www.marilynnlarew.com

Newsletter:

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Sign up and you’ll receive a free Lee Carruthers short story

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BookBub Author Page:

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/marilynn-larew

BookBub Book Page:

https://www.bookbub.com/books/hong-kong-central-lee-carruthers-3-by-marrilynn-larew

Goodreads Author Page:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7368997.Marilynn_Larew

Goodreads Book Page:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37505657-hong-kong-central

Amazon Author Page:

https://amzn.to/2vjXbjM

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BOOK BUY LINKS:

**Hong Kong Central is on SALE during the book tour for ONLY $0.99!!!**

Amazon Kindle:

https://amzn.to/2Kv59eJ

Amazon Paperback:

https://amzn.to/2naFNcG

Barnes and Noble:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hong-kong-central-marrilynn-larew/1127626719

Kobo:

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/hong-kong-central

Apple iBooks:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1324388188

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GIVEAWAY INFO:

Marilynn will be awarding a $10 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

**This post contains affiliate links and if clicked and a purchase made I may receive a small commission to help support this blog.  This does not cost you anything, it just helps pay for all those awesome giveaways on here.**

This contest is sponsored by a third party. Fabulous and Brunette is a registered host of Goddess Fish Promotions.  Prizes are given away by the sponsors and not Fabulous and Brunette. The featured author and Goddess Fish Promotions are solely responsible for the giveaway prize.