The Chinese Assassin by Anthony Grey. In this well-written intrigue, and twisting plot
involving American CIA, Russian KGB, and Chinese agents, a British Sinologist
named Richard Scholfield is approached by a Chinese in 1976 claiming to be the
lone survivor of a plane crash in Mongolia in 1971. Calling himself Yang, he
leaves 8 Folios detailing a deep plot against Mao Tse Tong’s chief rival in
1971. Lin Pao was purported to be on the plane when an explosive brought it
down. But the plot is much thicker than what is on the surface, and Scholfield
is being manipulated by the CIA, KGB, and Chinese agents. At the core of the
plot is the planned assassination of China’s leader, Mao Tse Tong.
Although on first sight this has the appearance of a men’s
action novel of the period, but it is more closely related to the Bourne
series. Schofield studied in China’s universities in the 1950s, and speaks
Chinese fluently, as well as Japanese. He is a 4th degree black belt
in Kyoku-Shinkai karate, founded by the Korean, Mas Oyama. Even the cover
features the beautiful Chinese agent, Tan Sui-ling. It would help draw readers’
attention. We do see Scholfield in a bit of action, but this novel is far more
than what it appears.
The author was a British reporter in China, and held
prisoner for over two years as a hostage in exchange for Chinese prisoners in
Hong Kong. He was familiar with China and its people, and the novel has a touch
of reality as we follow the plot from Britain to America, and finally to China,
where the plot unfolds deep underground where Mao Tse-Tong lies weakened,
waiting for death. Top notch.
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