Flucht aus Java

Paul Harris #13

by Gavin Black

Even though his company is in financial trouble, Paul Harris is dead set against letting one of his ships ferry wealthy Chinese out of Java. Nevertheless, he is forced to take part.

Paperback

First published January 1, 1979

About the author

A pseudonym used by Oswald Wynd

Oswald Wynd (1913 – 1998) was a Scottish writer, born in Tokyo of parents who had left their native Perth to run a mission in Japan.

Reviews

[Bobbie Darbyshire · Rating 1 out of 5]

An old tramp steamer is hijacked in the Java Sea and its owner rushes to the rescue, intent on boarding and reclaiming it and steering it back to Singapore. Oswald Wynd’s novel ‘The Ginger Tree’ is so *brilliant* that I have read it three times in two years and would recommend it unreservedly to anyone, so I decided to try one of his southeast Asian thrillers written under the nom de plume “Gavin Black”. I was disappointed. The writing is excellent, and the descriptions of place, weather, etc are lovely, but there the similarity ends. An over-complex action plot, with too many cardboard characters fighting for my attention. A tireless derring-do hero with no inner depth and an annoying habit of being able magically to deduce the complex back story and motives of everyone else. No clear antagonist or purpose, other than the selfish one of reclaiming his ship. I shall continue to revere ‘The Ginger Tree’ and put Gavin Black behind me.