(2012)New series - a fair introduction of John Knox and Grace Chu (forensic accountant) who try to find the books of a Chinese who has accounted for incentives (bribes) paid by Betholod Group and also try to free two kidnapped persons. Pretty good, but will only follow a series if price is right - cheap.Kirkus Review:If you have the right incentives, dollars in the billions can be made in Shanghai, where capitalism wrestles with communism. So says Pearson (In Harm's Way, 2010, etc.) in this first in a new series of thrillers.Of course, ?incentives? means bribery and overpayment. And that means more business for Rutherford Risk, specializing in corporate security. Now Rutherford has only days to free Lu Hao and Clete Danner, an American who had been surveilling Lu for Rutherford. The ransom is meager, but stakes are high. Lu delivered and accounted for incentives paid by The Bethold Group, an American company building Shanghai's Xuan Tower, the world's tallest building. Suspects are plentiful, especially considering entrepreneurs like Yang Cheng were resentful of the American company's success. With private investigation illegal in China, Rutherford reaches out for John Knox, an import/exporter with a long history as a military contractor, and Grace Chu, an American-educated, Chinese army intelligence veteran who's currently a Hong Kong forensic accountant. With subplots involving Grace's muddied love affair with Lu's brother, Knox's need to protect his brother and partner, Tommy, who is autistic, and Danner's shadowy connections, Pearson's narrative grabs readers and rockets through hundreds of pages of nonstop action laced by violence, double-dealing and shady characters. First, there are the Mongolians, exiles working for a chimerical Bejing bigwig. There's Shen Deshi, an inspector for the People's Armed Police, ?the Gestapo of China.? Most mysterious is mainland China itself, ?an anything-goes market economy layered over a police state.? Knox knows China, but he's a waiguoren (foreigner), never to be completely familiar with ?the complexities of the interwoven social and professional etiquette involving the Chinese.? And then there is guanxi (connections), and that untranslatable matter of ?face.? A cunning thriller worthy of the promised series, especially if the fascinating Grace Chu reappears regularly.Exotic locale. Credible heroics. Vicarious thrills.

More like a 3.5 for me. Not nearly as good as some of his mysteries but still a fun read. It is mostly a long chase book. There is a little intrigue but if you don't buy into the two main characters immediately than this book is not for you. I enjoyed it enough to read the next one. ( )

Con el incentivo apropiado pueden hacerse miles de millones de dólares en Shanghai, donde el capitalismo forcejea con el comunismo. De eso nos habla Pearson en Soborno en Shanghai.
Por supuesto, por "incentivos" se entiende sobornos. Y eso a su vez imlpica más trabajo para Rutherford Risk, una empresa especializada en seguridad corporativa. Ahora Rutherford Risk solo cuenta con tres días para liberar a Lu Hao y a Clete Danner, un americano que vigilaba a Lu por cuenta de Rutherford. La cantidad del rescate es insignificante, pero hay mucho en juego. Lu era el encargado de entregar los sobornos que pagaba el Grupo Berthold, una empresa americana que está construyendo en Shanghai la torre Xuan, el edificio más alto del mundo. Los sospechosos son muchos, sobre todo teniendo en cuenta que existen empresarios como Yang Cheng, resentidos por el éxito de la compañia americana. Puesto que la investigación privada está prohibida en China, Rutherford Risk contrata a John Knox y a Grace Chu, una china con educación estadounidense, veterana del departamento de inteligencia militar.

tons of action made this a fun mystery. Would make a good movie. ( )

Private security company hires John Knox & Grace Chu to rescue captured American held in China by corrupt governmental officials and police. ( )