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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (May 18, 2017)
MAY 18, 2017 // 19 BOOK SHELF // GLIMPSE // WILDLIFE // POP CULTURE // WORDS // Q&A // FOOD // FUN BOOKMONGER International intrigue in Sino-U.S. murder mystery AMAZON.COM D.C. Alexander is back with another smart, con- voluted murder mystery. “Chasing the Monkey King” is absorbing enough to dis- tract you on a cross-country fl ight bedeviled by air turbu- lence, or to make you forget to reapply the sunscreen when you’re reading it at the beach. A former federal agent and part-time Hansville, Washington, resident, Al- exander concocts a tale that begins in the Puget Sound region, but quickly expands to include bureaucratic cov- er-ups in Washington D.C. and corrupt trade practices in China. The hero is Lars Severin, a panic attack-prone former federal agent and self-de- scribed “alcoholic burnout looking to make ends meet.” Recently, that has meant auditing business records for an organic foods certifi er. Dull, dull stuff. But then a former crony from Severin’s law enforce- ment past refers him to a wealthy Seattle business- man. Orin Thorvaldsson’s niece has gone missing in China while working on assignment for the U.S. Department of Commerce. Chasing the Monkey King – D.C. Alexander Createspace – 262 pp - $7.99 So has her partner. Thor- valdsson is dissatisfi ed with the U.S. State Depart- ment’s inconclusive report on their disappearance and wants Severin to investigate further. Relatively speaking, this is a big-bucks alternative to Severin’s agro-gig, and it promises to stimulate what’s left of the gray matter that he hasn’t yet managed to pickle, so he takes the job. He also brings in his old college roommate, Wal- lace Zhang, to serve as his Chinese interpreter. Zhang is another guy who hasn’t lived up to his potential. But as the story goes on, it’s clear that both men are go- ing to have to draw on their long suppressed stores of resourcefulness to conduct this inquiry. They fl y from Seattle to Washington D.C. to investigate why the State Department’s report was so superfi cial, and quickly learn – off the record, of course – that the powers that be didn’t want the disappearance of a couple of mid-level bureaucrats to interfere with a complicated and hugely impactful trade agreement being negotiated with China. They also manage to meet with the missing niece’s husband, who hap- pened to be in China at the time of his wife’s disap- pearance and who seems to be more defensive than aggrieved. With more questions raised than answered in D.C., the duo books a fl ight for China. There, they travel from Shanghai with its gleaming skyscrapers through rural lands with rudimentary housing. In addition to devising a thoroughly satisfying plot and a snappy bud- dy relationship that only occasionally gets annoying, Alexander also excels at scene-setting, describing in sensory detail the complex- ity of life in contemporary China. Through Zhang, who is outraged at Severin’s typically American lack of interest in Chinese history and failure to appreciate China’s current standing, the author gives readers insights into the forces that have been at work in China over millennia, and that continue to shape Chinese ambitions today. And Alexander also provides perspectives into the immensely complicated nature of trade agreements. “Chasing the Monkey King” is entertainment so involving you won’t realize you’re being educated, too. The Bookmonger is Bar- bara Lloyd McMichael, who writes this weekly column focusing on the books, au- thors and publishers of the Pacifi c Northwest. Contact her at bkmonger@nwlink. com 2 0 LANDSCAPE $ BARK (U-HAUL) per yard WARRENTON FIBER 8am-5pm 861-3305 Mon-Fri, 389 NW 13th St., Warrenton NW [roʊ •də•dɛn•drən] the French, which in turn was borrowed verbatim from the Latin, rhododendron, which is a direct translation of the Old Greek όδον, meaning rhódon, or “rose,” plus δένδρον, meaning déndron, or “tree,” which means that rhodo- dendron has literally meant “flower tree” for over two thousand years. noun 1. any fl owering shrub belonging to the genus Rhodo- dendron, part of the heather or heath family. Related to the azalea, the rhododendron can be either evergreen or deciduous, is often used for ornamental planting. And their charming, bulbous fl owers — which can bloom in either white, pink or purple — are mildly poisonous. Origin: Enters English around 1600 borrowed wholesale from “The largest Pacifi c rhododendron, R. macrophyllum, is in the garden of Jeff and Wendy Grant, on the banks of Collard Lake in Florence, a press release said.” — “Florence couple has largest rhododendron ‘tree,’” The World, June 5, 2008, theworldlink.com “Problem: My rhododendron is suff ering from root weevil, both adult and larvae. Suggestion: Use benefi cial nematodes; use chemical control as a last resort.” —“ Master gardeners hold summer plant clinic in Ilwaco,” Coast Weekend, Aug. 17, 2015 word Art Cards, Artisan Crafts, Gallery & Working Studio 1113 Commercial St. Astoria, OR 97103 503-468-0308 nerd By RYAN HUME Rhododendron
