I enjoy reading these Bartle Bull novels for I like the depiction of the period, and in this case the romantic age of travel; luxury trains, exotic locations, glamorous settings, and iconic hotels. Travel during that era was confined to a small affluent class of people, and transpired under a colonial system, but that time still captures the imagination. It is timeless.

I also like what I would call the chivalrous period, when honor and ethics meant something. That is exemplified by a number of the characters in these books whether they are truly noble or not; individuals who would rather die than breach acceptable behaviors, manners and protocols.

The downside of this particular book is that there isn't a single likeable character in the whole thing. The beautiful and charming Mrs. Derrick Hammond is an okay character and is well drawn, and Olivio Fonseca Alavedo, the rich Goan dwarf, has his good sides, but he is villainous at the same time. The main character Count Alexander Karlov is a blithering idiot when it comes down to it. Chased months on end and halfway around the world, with innocent people being knocked off left and right in his stead, he still goes about his business of being fabulous while soaking up the finest of the fine things that a fabulous life has to offer. And his sister Katerina is simply a mindless twit.

The story is also just okay. The underlying story about the China Star, the voyage and the passenger liner and the ports of call are magnificent, but I never liked how it was all put together with these sets of characters. ( )

This exotic adventure story is the sequel to Shanghai Station and takes place around the world starting in Paris, with stops in Egypt, Ceylon and Shanghai. In China Star all the familiar characters are in place, a few new ones are added and we are off on the epic adventure of the White Russian Count, Alexander Karlov.

Count Alexander reunites with his sister in Paris, and although her last four years have changed her a lot, he wishes to take her back to Shanghai and protect her. They embark on the China Star but, of coursed, they are followed and harried on their trip. While on board, Alexander meets and falls in love with the lovely Laila Hammond, a tea planters’ wife from Ceylon, which causes more complications in his life. Eventually they all arrive in Shanghai for a final confrontation with the evil Viktor Polyak.

As in all Bartle Bull stories, there is adventure, greed, romance and lots of sex. His bad guys here have no real finesse, they are violent, brutal murderers. His men are manly, his women sexy, his stories are bigger than life. Pretty much what I look for in a swashbuckling historical adventure. I found China Star to be a real page turner. ( )