Flight of the Hornbill

Eric Stone's third Ray Sharp novel is, so far, his best. Once again we are treated to what we've come to expect from Stone: a feast for the senses. Vivid scenes, in which you can almost smell the cigarettes, the perfume, the garlic. Transportation to exotic places. A banquet of sights, sounds, and even tastes; I was constantly hungry while reading it. Stone has mastered the art of local color, so much so that the plot of HORNBILL---the search for a missing person against the backdrop of a gold mine scam---is almost superfluous. After a particularly gluttonous meal, protagonist Ray Sharp states, "As I slump in food induced lethargy in my plastic chair, I wonder why anyone would live anywhere else than Indonesia." After reading Stone's vivid descriptions of the place, I wonder why anyone wouldn't want to visit. His masculine, matter-of-fact writing style will lead you to believe the story he's telling really happened, and happened the way he told it. This is no doubt a result of his many years spent in Asia, but it also speaks to skillful storytelling, a unique talent for making the make-believe seem real.

I've enjoyed both of Eric Stone's previous books, LIVING ROOM OF THE DEAD and GRAVE IMPORTS, and FLIGHT OF THE HORNBILL has all the strengths of the earlier books, plus one of the most vivid evocations of setting I've read in years. Stone obviously knows Indonesia inside out and loves it, and that comes through in his writing -- there are times you can actually see the colors and feel the humidity. He's working with a strong, multiple-layered story based in part on an actual gold scam, but what made the book most compelling for me were the characters, starting with continuing protagonist Ray Sharp, and the sheer quality of the writing. The Indonesians come off especially vividly, always a challenge for a writer who's presenting a culture that's not his or her own. It's appropriate that a shadow-puppet was chose for the cover although no shadow-puppet performance figures in the plot, because Stone shows us a world in which most of what is visible is actually shadow, and the puppeteers are well hidden. Great story, great characters, great pace, great setting. Just a terrific book, and I recommend it highly.