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Reviews
| Lair of the
Dragon |
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| Midwest Book Review |
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 Pulls
the reader through a maze of criminals:
March 4, 2003
Reviewer: Midwest Book Review, Oregon, WI USA
A retired detective lieutenant, Frederick Price spent thirty-three years
with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's department. He spent time in
everything from patrol to special investigations, and investigated cases
ranging from organized crime to terrorism. Lair of the Dragon is his first
mystery.
Every portion of police work involves the writing of reports. Combine this
with the years spent in dangerous situations with bad guys, some life
tragedies, and an overbearing lieutenant and you have the beginning of
Lair of the Dragon. Chad Belmontes is a Metro Detective who is still
mourning the loss of his wife and child. When his supervisor threatens
punitive action if he doesn't catch up on his caseload, he fakes some
reports to save his hide, never dreaming that his faked report sets up an
alibi for a murderer. As he and his friend Stanny begin to dig, they
uncover an organization of Triads, a Chinese mob, run by Benny Chi:
"Returning to his chair, Wu accepted Belmontes' offered cigarette. 'Chad,'
he began again, 'these are real fanatics you're dealing with. Triad rites
and ceremonies are based upon 36 Hung Mun oaths. They are...'
'Hung...what?' Belmontes interrupted. 'Blood oaths,' Wu answered. 'These
oaths basically demand allegiance by all members to the Triad. As part of
their initiation ceremony, new members drink a mixture of their own and
other initiates' blood. It's supposed to make them bound for life.'"
Chad Belmontes is a marred cop who is lovable in spite of his warts. The
one thing that stands out is his basic sense of honesty and decency...even
to the point of putting his life in jeopardy for a system all too ready to
pounce on one mistake. Frederick Price does a bang-up job of creating a
real police environment, which translates to overworked men who are
expected to be superhuman in their pursuit of crime and organizations.
They are often outgunned and out manned, and they have to use their wits
to get the better of their adversaries. Price reminds us, via Belmontes'
character, just what a thankless and dangerous job police work is. Lair of
the Dragon pulls the reader through a maze of criminals and murders that
is exciting and frightening. A great read!
Shelley Glodowski
Senior Reviewer
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| A Reader |
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A good read! Fast-paced, interesting
characters, lots of excitement. An easy to read and follow story, with a
more complex plot, with lots of twists which keeps the reader wanting to
read another chapter, another chapter, and yet another chapter. There was
a little something in each character that I recognized in people that I
have personally known which made the book even more interesting. I will
definitely keep my eyes open for more of this author's books. |
| A Reader |
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At the recommendation of a friend, I
bought this book. To make a long story short, I started it one evening and
finished it the next day, as I couldn't put it down. I loved it. It kept
me going the entire time. Both the adventure and realism were there.
Anyway, I hope that the author does a sequel with the same characters, as
I'm hooked. |
| A Reader |
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I have finished the book. I want you to
know that you are responsible for me not getting much of anything done for
2 days! It was riveting!
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| A Reader |
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Price has written a realistic,
enjoyable look into the Asian community, especially in the LA Area. I
found myself learning about another culture, as well as being caught up in
the suspense and intrigue of the story. It is obvious that Price has
worked this area of law enforcement investigation, and is right on with
his descriptions of Chinatown and police policy and procedures. It is an
excellent story, well written, and I look forward to Price's next book.
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| Dragon's
Ghost |
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| A Reader |
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All I can really
say is that it was a wonderfully imaginative mystery, which rapidly
unfolds into a fast-pace action filled story. It's a commendable debut
sequel to Lair of the Dragon and I'm surprised this author did
not receive more recognition as a new mystery writer, upon publication of
his first book. Although Dragon's Ghost does read well without
having read the first book, I recommend reading Lair of the Dragon
first, which captures the personalities of the characters. And by the time
one begins the sequel, he knows the players quite well. A good read that
you won't want to put down until the very end. |
| A Reader |
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I only lost about 6 hrs of sleep over a
two day period reading it. Seriously ... another good read. I enjoyed your
work. |
| A Reader |
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AN ABSOLUTE PAGE TURNER
... Once again,
Frederick Price has written a galvanizing book. I started reading, and
couldn’t stop. This book is a roller coaster that never slows down.
Action, suspense, mystery ... it’s all there in Dragon’s Ghost.
Price is a consummate story teller and his characters are believable and
captivating. I haven’t enjoyed a book this much in a very long time.
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| A Reader |
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Finished the book in the wee hours last night. Enjoyed it and look forward to the next. Keep up the
good work!
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| A Reader |
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"Dragon’s Ghost" keeps one
moving and interested. I had to put it down for several days with things I
had to get done, but would sneak a chance to read a few pages as often as
I could. I did enjoy it! |
| A Reader |
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MYSTERY SPEED READING
... Price is back with a fast-moving, exciting story with his
continuing character Chad Belmontes and Chad's feisty fiancée Cassie Wong.
I really admire her courage in dealing with the gangsters. There is no
putting this book down. I live on a Pacific Island, and I took the book
with me to a fiesta, on a fishing boat, and had my wife drive us to a
wedding, so I could finish the last three chapters on the road. If you
want a close-up look at American-Chinese crime, and some romance and
mystery, and some shooting and dead bodies, this is the book for you. Now
that Chad has retired from the police, and getting married, what's his
next move?
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