John P. Marquand (1893–1960)

“What is so rare as a day in June? Then if ever come perfect days.”

Fun that this quote is in here, as I am reading this in said month!

It’s my first Mr. Moto book and if his name hadn’t been in the title, I wouldn’t have even noticed his few brief appearances early in the story!

From his reappearance to finding the plane the story bogs down. Way down. Lots and lots of talking. Pretty much from the point that everyone reaches the island, the story just falls flat. I'm not sure if I'll try another book in this series.… (mais)

Young Wilson Hutchings of Salem, Mass. Has been sent to Shanghai to learn the family business of Hitchings Brothers, a financial institution that had been in business for 100 years.

For his first major assignment, Wilson is sent to Honolulu to deal with a branch of the family and the business that has gone off on another direction, and is giving the family and business a bad image.

Going from Shanghai to Honolulu, Wilson finds a difference in lifestyle. Shanghai may have more structure than Honolulu. Honolulu is more alluring and laid back, but both have an undercurrent that can be dangerous and deadly.

Wilson had met Mr. Moto when he visited the Hitching Brothers office in Shanghai. It was suggested Moto was an agent for the Japanese government. When Wilson meets him again in Honolulu, it turns out to be true, and Moto is also interesting in the Hitchings Brothers Honolulu office activities.

Espionage, double dealing, Moto’s changing character and plotting make for a very adventurous read. It is also interesting to note the view of the characters in this story written prior to WWII.

Another in the short series of Mr. Moto adventure/mysteries. This particular edition of the book was printed in 1941, the copyright is 1936. The cover art and overall appearance added to my enjoyment of the reading.… (mais)

This is the first book in the short Mr. Moto series, written in the 1930s.

WWI flying ace and hero, Casey Lee, now a free-lance flyer, finds himself in Japan. He’s been hired by a tobacco company to fly across the Pacific as an advertising stunt. When the flight is cancelled and the company states it will pay his way home by ship. His heavy drinking has taken its toll and this is the latest slam to his deteriorating reputation.

As a result of this current bout, he makes the acquaintance of a Mr. Moto and the beautiful blond White Russian refugee Sonya Karaloff. He immediately falls for Karaloff and is fascinated by Mr. Moto. Moto is an agent of Japan and Karaloff works with Moto…but Casey is unaware of that. . Between these two people, Casey Lee finds himself in a web of intrigue, espionage, danger, romance and a dab of humour.

The Japanese expansionist era is the setting for the story. This was the period before WWII and Japan’s bombing of Pearl Harbor.

It is interesting to note the difference of Mr. Moto’s character in the book and the movies. Being more familiar with the movies, I noticed this. Yet I still enjoyed the read.… (mais)