Darkness Under Heaven

Pete Avakian #1

by F.J. Chase

"Heroism is having to do something drastic to keep from getting killed."

That's what security consultant Pete Avakian tells his dinner date, Dr. Judy Rose, on a night out in Beijing. Little does he know that his words are about to be illustrated in graphic detail.

Just as they are getting to know each other, chaos erupts in the street. China has launched missiles at Taiwan; a long history of tension has given way to war. Suddenly Pete and Judy are confronted by hostile youths, and an act of self-defense puts them on the run from the authorities in a country crazed by war.

Pursued by the Chinese police, the Americans race toward the Mongolian border. Their only chance of survival is to work together to escape a country gone mad…even if that means taking drastic action.

Genres: Thriller, Fiction, Suspense, China, Mystery, Action

400 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

F.J. Chase is the pen name of a former military officer and national security commentator. He can be reached at fjchase@hotmail.com.

Reviews

[Glenn Armstrong]

Hostile Escape was an action packed read. It began slow but once the real story started it was hard to put down. The action was mostly quite believable compared to many books in this genre which can be far fetched. With the story taking place in China it brought another element of difference. Whilst the reader is provided with some good insights into the structure of Chinese law enforcement, I am not convinced it provides an accurate portrayal of their competence. Would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a fast paced, action packed read. For me, i did find the constant light hearted banter between the two primary protagonists a little annoying in the end. It was fine to begin with, but when their lives were literally hanging by a thread I found it somewhat preposterous.

[Jon]

From the title and the description I expected the story to be something grander. Upon reading it felt something like a Clancy novel on a smaller-scale, but when I got to end the story simply revolved around three people engaged in a cat-and-mouse game with nothing much with what's going on around them. The protagonists also come off as a 'can do' couple and gave me a Bonnie and Clyde impression which made me root for the Chinese law enforcement pursuing them even more. It was an entertaining read but I found I enjoyed reading the chapters that dealt with Commissioner Zhou and his men much more than I did with the protagonists.

[Michelle Hanson]

great adventure story.. guess I have another series to start..

[MEGH JOSHI]

Tells a lot abt how Chinese beurocracy works. Brilliant book

[Wendy Winters]

Very good read. Two Americans stuck in China and have to find their way out with a policeman on their tails.

[C.J. Shane]

This is a fast and furious escape story with action on every page. I was reminded of the Jason Bourne stories but without the amnesia. Our hero, Peter Avakian, is a former Special Forces and current security consultant in Beijing to provide consultation for the Chinese government during an international gymnastics competition. When the Taiwanese president comes to Beijing and is assassinated, war breaks out, and all foreigners are detained. This part is a little shaky...I'm not all that convinced that the PRC would be so quick to go to war with Taiwan.

Avarkian has no intention of being detained and decides to leave China. He manages to kill a couple of people in the process so the pressure is on to get out of the country fast because Chinese security is after him now. Tagging along is the US gymnastics team doctor, Judy Rose. The closest border is in Mongolia, but they have to get out of Beijing first.

Avarkian is a kind of McGyver character who can take the chemicals under the kitchen sink, a roll of duct tape and a screw driver and blow up half of Beijing's sewer/water lines just to create a diversion. Needless to say, his expertise and daring make him irresistible to Dr. Rose and romance is inevitable. She's not worthless female in distress. She patches Avarkian up when he's wounded and holds her own during the escape.

Perhaps the most interesting thing to me was reading the author's take on officers in the Chinese Ministry of Public Security. We see again here the Chinese Confucian ways of doing things, people holding cards close to the chest, the strong hierarchical command system, and no one at any level being willing to commit to a position until it's pretty clear who is going to win in any given struggle. The author is a "former military officer and national security commentator." Does he know about the Ministry of Public Security from direct experience or is it all speculation? Who knows? This is a fun read.

[Michael]

Not too much to say. A thriller set in China which was different. It's cool to learn a little about Chinese culture while reading as well. One fact I really liked is that they value those who are quiet and take everything in. The loud talkative people are looked down upon. It was a fun ride.

[Barb]

A very fast read -- learned a little about the Chinese and their ways of thinking -- everything done not to "lose face". I read the copy of the book with the title "Hostile Escape" -- same book though.

[Sandra]

Wish he would write faster.

[Laurie]

Absolutely lurved his dialogue...and fell in love with Avakian.

[Ben]

Highly entertaining, but presents all Chinese as one dimensional characters. It's sad that the Yellow Peril lives on.

[Boo Boo]

If you want a good action book, this is definitely one to go with.