China Hand is an exotic blend of high-octane action, blooming romance, and realistic espionage. It’s hard to believe that such a refined thriller is indeed Scott Spacek’s debut; the attention to detail and extensive research to the socio-political climate in the narrative is indicative of a much more experienced author.
Andrew Callahan is an ambitious graduate of Harvard with the goal to work at one of the most prestigious financial institutions, going as far as moving to China for a year to teach at the renowned International Affairs University that caters exclusively if not explicitly to diplomats and spies. Suddenly, he’s thrust into a high stakes espionage game where he’s tasked with extracting a high value defector with secrets that hold dire consequences for US-China relations. Putting his life at risk, Andrew must step up to the challenge and improvise through deceptions and bone-cracking action in an intense and nail-biting race-against-time.
Scott Spacek has created a captivating and thrilling adventure with splendid focus on his highly relatable protagonist, adopting a first person POV to help readers explore China with experiences that seem so lifelike and authentic; from the smells of the streets to the political ideology of the dangers of a government that constantly surveils its people with an iron fist and limiting privacy, the bold narrative of China Hand is tremendously thought-provoking and exciting as you yearn to read more about the characters and their perspectives.
The action is raw and aggressive as Andrew Callahan makes use of any and all weapons at his disposal to gain an edge over his opponents. Given that Andrew has no background in violence except for martial arts training, you can’t help but root ferociously for him as he uses his wits and his gradually-improving skills of hand-to-hand combat to get out of sticky situations.
The crux of China Hand is ultimately a fresh and delightful tale of forbidden love against overwhelming odds with the intense backdrop of a spy thriller and a plethora of grand and diverse characters. In a nutshell, you won’t want to put the book down once you’ve started reading.
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