This is even before the tiger hunting begins. Simon Lee himself has a fascinating background, beginning with his birth as product of a scandalous relationship between a coloniser and Hongkonger, and then continuing with a romantic scandal of his own that results in his exile to the outskirts of Tai O. The chapters that outshine the rest simply tell the personal stories of various members the cast, and make for excellent short stories in their own right.
However, the plot in fact is often secondary with the main purpose of the novel being an exploration into the colourful setting of 1950s Hong Kong. The mystery side of the story progresses as the officer delves into the underworld of gangs and spies, both Communist and Western, in something of a Cold War satire.
The plot ostensibly revolves around a Eurasian police officer named Simon Lee who is investigating suspicious tiger attacks. Though Hong Kong-especially Tai O-has certainly changed over the past half century, locals will find this world a familiar place even while discovering new surprises and secrets uncovered about the region. Sometimes hilarious, and sometimes deadly serious, most readers should be fascinated by the intrigue and politics of the era. Author John Saeki paints a colourful portrait of Hong Kong in the 1950s, capturing the spirit of the times in this page-turning police thriller. The Tiger Hunters of Tai O is a new historical novel with a unique perspective. John Saeki, The Tiger Hunters of Tai O, Blacksmith Books, 2017. Hong Kong in the Fifties: John Saeki's The Tiger Hunter of Tai O
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