The Firemaker

By the time Peter May wrote this first novel of his first series he had published 4 other standalone novels in the prior two decades. I haven’t read his earliest work yet, but it would be interesting to discover more about the launch of his writing journey. This novel was a good initial outing for th......more

I am discovering that Peter May writes interesting novels, often mysteries, in many settings, many cultures, and appears to do so well. In the new introduction to Firemaker, May discussed his time in China, his research and relationships with members of the Chinese Police who assisted his understand......more

I have read many of Peter May's latest books and in fact his most recent 'Coffin Road' was the best novel I have read so far this year. So when offered the opportunity to read one of his earlier books it was a perfect chance to sample the his series based in China. I enjoy Peter May's writing style,......more

Perhaps I came to this with unreasonable expectations: I loved May's Lewis trilogy. Here, he goes even further out of the way: to China. Good idea. But straight black hair and a Chinese name does not a Chinese make. After a good 40-50 pages at the beginning of the novel, in which the cultural differen......more

I got eight percent of the way into this book. TBH, I thought I did pretty well to get that far. If you want soap opera melodrama obviousness in a book, you will love this. If you've read May's Lewis Men trilogy, don't sully the memory by going anywhere near this egregious garbage.......more