In the aftermath of the war in Vietnam, thousands of desperate refugees fled the killing fields for new lives in Southern California. But for those who settled in "Little Saigon," the war never really ended. The latest victim of the continuing struggle is Li Frye, a popular singer whose songs of hope and home have made her a heroine to her people. Ripped from the stage by masked gunmen, she has vanished into the dark alleys of Little Saigon, where outsiders are met with suspicion and a stony silence as impenetrable as the steaming jungles of Vietnam. Local surfing legend turned reporter Chuck Frye knows what it means to be an outsider. He's the black sheep of his wealthy family, but Li is his sister-in-law, and he cannot sit back and let them or the clueless police investigate the case alone. What Chuck cannot know is that he stands at the edge of a swirling vortex of corruption and violence that reaches to the highest levels of the United States intelligence community. As he comes closer to the truth, he draws nearer to a terrible secret that many would kill to keep.
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Book Description
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Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
This workmanlike suspense thriller by the author of Laguna Heat takes its name from the populous Vietnamese community in California's Orange County, an intriguing although largely unexplored backdrop for the action. Chuck Frye, a surf bum who has recently failed at journalism, business and marriage, lives in the shadow of his war-hero brother Bennett, and their father, a wealthy real-estate tycoon. Bennett's Vietnamese wife is a singer whose protest music has made her a heroine among anticommunists and Asian expatriates. When she is kidnapped during a performance, Chuck joins the search for her, hoping to end his estrangement from the Frye clan. But the more he learns about the crime's motivepolitics, gang warfare or revenge are all possibilitiesthe more intently his family tries to shut him out of the investigation. Meanwhile, the body count continues to mount. Parker's methodical story moves briskly but permits few surprises, and his novel could do without a silly subplot about Chuck's personal redemption, which apparently lies not only in finding his sister-in-law but also in regaining the courage to ride a big wave after a surfing accident. 125,000 first printing; $125,000 ad/promo.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
"Thickly plotted...a tense thriller that builds to an astonishing payoff!"-Playboy
"Exotic...surprises turn up every five minutes."-New York Daily News
"Thoroughly satisfying...tension that builds wave on wave to a crashing climax!"
-Cincinnati Post
"Memorable...further proof that [Parker's] no flash in the pan, but a glowing fixture in the thriller firmament."-Kirkus Reviews
"Pulse-quickening and thought-provoking...with his second novel, T. Jefferson Parker confirms the talent demonstrated in his first."-San Diego Union
"His plotting and pacing are now essentially faultless."-Miami Herald
"A lesson in the seamless splicing of suspense and terror."-Booklist
"[Parker] is a potent and irresistible writer."--Los Angeles Times
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
"Exotic...surprises turn up every five minutes."-New York Daily News
"Thoroughly satisfying...tension that builds wave on wave to a crashing climax!"
-Cincinnati Post
"Memorable...further proof that [Parker's] no flash in the pan, but a glowing fixture in the thriller firmament."-Kirkus Reviews
"Pulse-quickening and thought-provoking...with his second novel, T. Jefferson Parker confirms the talent demonstrated in his first."-San Diego Union
"His plotting and pacing are now essentially faultless."-Miami Herald
"A lesson in the seamless splicing of suspense and terror."-Booklist
"[Parker] is a potent and irresistible writer."--Los Angeles Times
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First Sentence
CHUCK FRYE, FORMER SECOND-BEST SURFER of Laguna Beach, gazed through his windshield and saw no six-foot waves. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
CHUCK FRYE, FORMER SECOND-BEST SURFER of Laguna Beach, gazed through his windshield and saw no six-foot waves. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
2.7 out of 5 stars
13 reviews
8 of 10 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A surprising hit
Jun 23 1998
By Jayson
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Mass Market Paperback
As a reader of all T. Jefferson Parker's novels, I held back on buying and reading this one for some time, but since I enjoyed his other books I gave this a try.
Boy was I happy! For me this was definetly the sleeper hit for T. Jefferson Parker. The excitement and plot twists kept my attention. I was really bummed to finish. It was a great insight into the Vietnamese culture of Westminister, CA.
A few flashback scenes really helped explain the motivations of some of the key figures.
Exceptional
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars
Vietnam War without end
April 19 2009
By Robert C. Olson
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Mass Market Paperback
Vietnam War without end
Mix in an out of work surfer, a legless Vietnam vet, the largest Vietnamese community in America, lots of money, timeless love, the CIA, and old war grievances and you have the recipe for explosive violence in a big way. That is T. Jefferson Parker's Little Saigon in a nutshell. A good solid read if a bit tedious at times. I enjoyed the host of characters although at times the sheer number were overwhelming and tended to be a little hard to keep track of. All in all a good potboiler with a unique twist at the end.
Character development was above average despite the fact there were so many. All the characters had their demons and nightmares but Chuck Frye had more than most. Eventually he was able to ride to the proverbial rescue, and despite the loss of family and friends, close a lingering, sordid family history of distrust, dismay, love, and familial uncertainty.
Minimal gratuitous sex, violence, and language. Interesting intertwining of Vietnamese postwar culture and American life.
Recommended as a pulp fiction beach read.
Mix in an out of work surfer, a legless Vietnam vet, the largest Vietnamese community in America, lots of money, timeless love, the CIA, and old war grievances and you have the recipe for explosive violence in a big way. That is T. Jefferson Parker's Little Saigon in a nutshell. A good solid read if a bit tedious at times. I enjoyed the host of characters although at times the sheer number were overwhelming and tended to be a little hard to keep track of. All in all a good potboiler with a unique twist at the end.
Character development was above average despite the fact there were so many. All the characters had their demons and nightmares but Chuck Frye had more than most. Eventually he was able to ride to the proverbial rescue, and despite the loss of family and friends, close a lingering, sordid family history of distrust, dismay, love, and familial uncertainty.
Minimal gratuitous sex, violence, and language. Interesting intertwining of Vietnamese postwar culture and American life.
Recommended as a pulp fiction beach read.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
1.0 out of 5 stars
yes, underwhelming indeed.
Mar 2 2009
By maryzeus
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover
I am having a difficult time getting interested in this, I must agree with the other bad reviews on this book. Will drop it and go on to the next on my pile. Too bad other authors are so willing to endorse and promote bad books like this one. It is really boring. I've read Parker in the past and he was so much better.
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2.7 out of 5 stars
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