Hong Kong Black: A Thriller

Hong Kong Black is the second book in Alex Ryan’s Nick Foley series. Alex Ryan, actually a pseudonym for authors Brian Andrews and Jeffrey Wilson, picks up where the first book, Beijing Red, left off. The protagonist of the book, Nick Foley, a former Navy SEAL on a humanitarian mission in China, has just prevented a biological terrorist attack by a crazed scientist and former husband of Dazhong “Dash” Chen, also a scientist working for the Chinese CDC. Foley is at home putting together a puzzle box when he hears a knock on the door. When he opens it, Chet Lankford of the CIA greets him. Lankford tells Foley that a CIA asset has disappeared and tasks Lankford with finding him. As he reluctantly accepts the mission, he soon finds that the CIA asset’s body, along with many others, has washed up on a Hong Kong beach. As he digs deeper, he stumbles upon a vast conspiracy that goes back thousands of years. As a result, he is forced to team up with his old friends from the first book to save Hong Kong, China, and maybe the world.

Just like Beijing Red, Hong Kong Black is quite a captivating read. There are twists and turns at every page, and the authors deftly weave Chinese history and politics into the plot. Character development is also a strong point in the book as many of the characters have a backstory. The two main characters, Nick Foley and Dazhong Chen, have feelings toward each other that sometimes get in the way of the mission, and it definitely shows throughout the book.

Overall, I found Hong Kong Black to be quite an easy read. I was captivated from the very first page, and it was hard for me to put the book down.