It took some time until a new post. Sorry readers!
Bought this one in a used book store, without knowing the author. A little research showed that this one is quite interesting.
During WWII, the author Dennis Wheatley was hired by Winston Churchill to be a part of a highly confidential group of strategists. He was one of the only civilians to be recruited, on the strength that he had shown a flair for deception and cover stories in his novels, particularly through his incarnation of Gregory Sallust - widely regarded as the inspiration for Ian Fleming's James Bond.
And this story is the ninth one in a series of 11 novels. Its a Arrow Book from 1964. Originally, it was first published in the year 1954.
On a pleasure cruise on the South Seas, Sir Pellinore Gwaine-Cust's yacht hits a coral reef and sinks in minutes. Only one survivor is washed to the safety of the shore: Gregory Sallust.
But this is no ordinary Pacific island. When Gregory regains consciousness he finds himself among a Chinese community, ruled by descendents of the ancient Imperial House. Within days the throne becomes vacant, and Gregory joins an expedition to find the true heir - a hazardous search that takes him to San Francisco, and deep into the forbidden heart of China itself.
Check it out, and if you like it, you will find the whole series over at Amazon.
