disclosure: The item mentioned was sent for the purpose of review

Today I’m joining a blog tour to celebrate the recent publication of Chasing the Dragon by Mark Wightman through Hobeck Books. The second novel in the series of Inspector Max Betancourt books, if you enjoy a good historical crime, then this will be one to add to your bookcase.

Chasing the Dragon is set in Singapore in 1940 and follows Inspector Max Betancourt from the Singapore Marine Police department as he tries to solve the murder of American archaeologist, Dr Richard Fulbright, who was discovered by a fisherman at sea, wrapped up in a fishing net.

Betancourt faces the racial prejudices of the time along with the ‘clicky’ confines of the ex-pat community within Singapore.  He unearths archaeological rivalries, opium dens and affairs of the heart as the plot of Chasing the Dragon unfolds. He also has to deal with an establishment hell bent on insisting that Fulbright’s death was an accidental drowning when he can see that clearly that theory makes no sense. With plenty of twists and turns, this novel left me guessing until the end.

I hadn’t read the first book in the series, but that didn’t distract from my enjoyment of this instalment in the series.  There’s clearly history between Betancourt and Dr Evelyn Trevose and I would like to see where the disappearance of his wife will lead, which I’m presuming took place in Waking the Tiger.  It’s left me eager to catch up with the first book.

Having visited Singapore some years ago, I appreciated the scene setting and seeing a country on the fringes of a war that was heading to its shores.  I thoroughly enjoyed Chasing the Dragon and look forward to the next adventure.

You can see what others think of Chasing the Dragon by following the book tour – details below: