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American Bert Mars teaches English at a Bangkok school while dreaming of making it big in Thailand. “I was pure ambition and that’s what Asia was – a place where anything was possible, and we were all going to be tycoons. I was going to be important.” He seizes the opportunity to work for a local television station, CLB. Soon, he is transferred to the network’s new station in a neighboring country. Bert becomes entangled in the politics of this new country, choosing to align himself with the owner of CLB against the country’s prime minister. Bert believes he has found the perfect opportunity for accumulating the wealth and level of importance he craves. The government takeover would afford him power, prestige, and money… if it works.
This first offering in the author’s Bert Mars Series is set in Thailand and a neighboring country never named in the book. Morris pulls the reader into the novel through the narrator’s conversational tone as he tells the story of his involvement in a plot to overthrow a corrupt Asian regime. The book is fast-paced with plot twists that keep readers engaged. The author captures Asia's unique and exotic nature in descriptive language, which enriches the reader’s enjoyment. “There was so much about this country one could never really know, down dusty paths and behind concrete walls where cruel things happened.” Those who enjoy political intrigue, interesting characters, and faraway settings will find it all in this entertaining read. Morris is a master storyteller adept at keeping one turning pages deep into the night.