MONGKOK STATION: An Inspector Samuel Tay Novel (THE INSPECTOR SAMUEL TAY NOVELS)

So glad I found Jake Needham’s novels online during a serious illness. For 3 months they were one of my only sources of entertainment and got my mind off other things. As a former teacher of literature, I rank Needham’s novels with the very best currently available in American literature. The settings in Singapore, Thailand and Hong Kong bring these places to life and involve all your senses. The characters are unforgettable.

In Mongkok Station, Detective Tay is at loose ends after his unwilling retirement. To solve a disappearance and find a hidden serial killer, he must relocate temporarily to Hong Kong. Decades ago, I spent a week in Hong Kong as a tourist, but Needham’s Hong Kong is not the city of tourism I remember. I found this novel difficult to put down, and it started me on the Jack Shepard series, also by Needham. I will buy every Tay and Shepard novel Needham ever writes.

I pretty much liked everything about this mystery, especially Samuel Tay himself.
I've only read one prior Samuel Tay novel, but I'll go back and read the rest. In this book, the author has injected the named protagonist from his other series. I found that interesting, not obtrusive at all, but my favorite is Samuel Tay.

Like our man

Inspector Tay is a Classic blend of Sam Spade and James Bond reborn in Singapore. The story is a real page-turner, and its characters, despite the stereotypical nature of the characters, their characterization is very human and accessible. They read like real people, not like stereotypes. If you read this book, you'll just have to back up and read the rest of the series -- and the author's other series. You won't be disappointed.

This book was one of my favorites in the series. A good tale.

This may be my favorite of Tay’s adventures to date, and that’s saying something — I’ve read them all. Within the space of a few pages, there’s real world turmoil on the streets of Hong Kong, international intrigue at a high level, and a perplexing mystery to be solved. Oh, and Sam Tay, now retired, is managing at least a couple of existential crises of his own. Nobody ever paid to watch a man juggle one ball, and Needham manages to keep all of them in the air as gracefully as you’ll ever see. The writing somehow manages to be both evocative and taut, the mystery is enthralling, and the reader gets a real feel for Tay as a human being. For bonus points, we also get to spend time with Jack Shepherd, at his cynical best, and Claire, who both simplifies and complicates things for Tay. This is a great addition to the canon, and I’m already looking forward to Needham’s next.

Impossible mission. Great storyline. Crisp droll dialogue. Deftly etched characters. A major world-class city fast falling apart. An author whose writing just gets better and better. For sheer reading pleasure, Mongkok Station is a winner.

The recently retired senior homicide Singapore detective Samuel Tay is asked by his old friend John August to come to Hong Kong to track down a missing girl. Upon arriving, he finds out her mother is the Chinese-appointed Chief Executive of Hong Kong and her undisclosed father just happens to be the Vice President of the U.S. For political reasons, the search for the kidnapped girl has to be kept strictly under wraps. Tay reluctantly assumes the lead in the investigation with the support of August’s close associate Claire, trouble-shooting lawyer Jack Shepherd and a senior member of the Hong Kong criminal Triad gangs.

The city of Hong Kong plays a prominent role in this novel. Since the turnover of Hong Kong by the British to China in 1997, the Chinese government has been steadily extinguishing the last remaining protections for the freedom of Hong Kong. In response, the city of more than eight million residents has been constantly rocked by large democracy demonstrations. These have intensified since Beijing imposed a tough new security law on Hong Kong this past summer. To say that these actions have profoundly transformed the prior vibrant character of Hong Kong would be an understatement.

Jake Needham has written five novels featuring Jack Shepherd (all set in Thailand and/or Hong Kong), six novels featuring Inspector Tay (all set in Singapore prior to the latest one set in Hong Kong) and one stand-alone novel (set in Thailand). He is a superb storyteller whose style reminds me of Ross Thomas. His knowledge of the Far East is impressive.

I have read and enjoyed all 12 Needham books which can be read in any order....this was another Inspector Tay home run with a grand slam ending....educational and enjoyable...read it !!!

I have read all of Jake Needham's efforts and this one is polished, well thought out, and interesting enough to keep me "Chair bound" while I plowed through the story line. Contemporary Hong Kong, with a Singapore detective summoned to help solve a personal situation involving the top political figure in the former UK Colony.