2 1/2 stars.

In Cape Cod, former public defender and current fisherman, Michael Decastro, gets a message from his old love's half-brother. The message is that Michael's former girlfriend, Tuki Aparacio is in trouble in Ho Chi Minh City.

Tuki is the daughter of a black serviceman and a Vietnamese woman. She's lovely with her dark skin and Vietnamese features. She's currently a nightclub singer and worried that an underworld figure, The Dragon Lady, is looking for her and the Heart of Warriors, a ruby worth millions that she possesses.

It's obvious that the author spent a great deal of time in the research of this book but I question a number of things. At the start of the story, Michael Decastro has just been jailed for a possible suicide attempt while drinking heavily. Is it logical that he drops everything and travels to Vietnam?

Michael asks his father to accompany him. His father served in Vietnam as an MP. Against all odds, forty years after the war, he finds the bargirl he loved while stationed in Saigon and even more, she still loves him.

I had difficulty believing that young Tuki would be in possession of a multi-million dollar gem while she has very little in other assets. If she was in danger, couldn't she use the gem as collateral for her safety?

Told in the third person, it was difficult to get a feel for the character's motivation or to know what was in their hearts.

Lastly, I found the antagonist, The Dragon Lady, to act out of character. At times she was an underworld figure and harsh in her attitude toward Tuki. At other times she was tender toward her.

Many books are worth taking the time to read the author's words and appreciate the story. Not here. The idea of the story has merit and I think that the author has a story in him that could be told better in the future.