The Gentleman from Japan, James Church
The Gentleman from Japan, James Church
List: $19.95 | Sale: $13.97
Club: $9.97

The Gentleman from Japan

Author: James Church

Narrator: Feodor Chin

Unabridged: 9 hr 18 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 12/06/2016


Synopsis

Under the guise of machinery for making dumplings, a Spanish factory near Barcelona is secretly producing a key component in the production of nuclear weapons. When information finds its way to the inboxes of Western intelligence agencies that this “dumpling maker” is meant for North Korea, orders go out that the shipment must be stopped. Either the machine must be disabled while still in the factory, or the transportation route must be discovered so the equipment can be intercepted before it reaches its destination. An old friend recruits Inspector O to assist in the complex operation designed to disrupt the plans for shipping the machine.Carefully planted bits of information and bizarre events have led both the Spanish factory and those trying to intercept the machine to conclude that Japanese criminal organizations are involved in buying and transporting the “dumpling” machine in order to hide the involvement of North Korea. A flurry of murders puts the focus on the northeast Chinese city of Yanji, near the border with North Korea, where O’s nephew Major Bing is the chief of State Security. Bing has his own problems dealing with a corrupt local mayor who is out for his head, coping with a new deputy who cannot be trusted, and figuring out why a Chinese gangster he’s worked for years to chase away has suddenly returned.Church―hailed as “the equal of le Carré” by Publishers Weekly—takes O deep into a maze of cracked mirrors that hide the exits from a deadly double-blind in his most elaborate mystery yet.

About James Church

James Church is the pseudonym of a former Western intelligence officer with decades of experience in Asia. He has wandered through Korea for years. No matter what hat he wore, Church says, he ran across Inspector O many times.

About Feodor Chin

Feodor Chin, an AudioFile Earphones Award–winning narrator, is an actor classically trained at the American Conservatory Theater and UCLA. His acting career includes numerous credits in film, television, theater, and voice-over.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Patrick on July 28, 2018

Enjoyable, as all the Inspector O novels have been, but this one wasn't his best, mainly for three reasons: None of the action takes place in North Korea; the beginning and end of the novel are told as first person from the point of view of Inspector O's nephew, who is a Chinese border cop, but acts......more

Goodreads review by Adam on February 02, 2018

The crime: (view spoiler)[These particular reports did not give me a warm feeling. Initial observations by the local police were often a problem. This time, to make things worse, in the upper right-hand corner of a couple of the reports there were notations indicating that they had been copied—unedited—to the Mini (hide spoiler)]......more

Goodreads review by Diana on September 06, 2017

Smoke and mirrors. My first but hopefully not last Inspector O book. The Inspector is sent on a mysterious mission from his home in Yanji in northern China across the river from North Korea, to track a mysterious dumpling machine which may have other more sinister purposes. His quest takes him to Lis......more

Goodreads review by Roxann on November 22, 2017

This is the first book from this author that I have read and I'm not sure what I think about it-I mean I don't know if I liked or disliked it. I could not really follow along well enough to figure out the book. Maybe this is one where the reader needs to have read the previous book or two. I could n......more

Goodreads review by Becky on October 28, 2018

I am done with James Church and his Inspector O series. I started with number one because I like mysteries and I wanted to learn somethings about North Korea. This book took place in China and Spain, which does not interest me at this time.......more


Quotes

“The deeper you get into The Gentleman From Japan, the more educated you become about the dark complexities of international relations and the more indebted you are to Church for creating a series that stands out as winningly as this one.” Chicago Tribune

“Excellent …The pseudonymous Church, himself a former spy, makes all the plot developments chillingly plausible.” Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“As always, O isn’t told exactly what is going on…But O abides, and fans of this fascinating series won’t be disappointed.” Booklist

“Inspector O continues to ferret out significant evidence…Layer upon worldwide layer must be unpeeled to reach the solution. The sixth outing for Church’s wise inspector creates an intriguing synergy, with many insights into international culture and a complex plot.” Kirkus Reviews

“Feodor Chin’s impressive rendering of accents ranging from Russian to Chinese and Portuguese adds to a story brimming with descriptions of diverse locales and food…Chin’s skill at conveying the humor, ideas, and prejudices of multiple cultures adds atmosphere and listening pleasure. It’s especially relaxing to hear Inspector O’s aesthetic appreciation of various trees as he’s being drugged, kidnapped, and blindfolded. Audio is a must to thoroughly appreciate this action-packed thriller” AudioFile


Awards

  • Publishers Weekly Pick of the Week