Dragon fire: Ted Bell

Within this novel there are several complex plots as the author weaves them within two separate time periods. FDR is the President in the past at the heart of the war that will take us into Japan and WWII. Just before the Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor, Tiger Tang becomes the new Ambassador to China with a definite hidden agenda. Roosevelt meets him and wants to vet him out seeing what he is made of. Taking him into his confidence in many ways, explaining what he expects of him, he sees only one side of this dangerous man.

Tiger Tang is a part of a powerful family that comes from China and was promoted to this position by ChangKIechke himself. Charismatic, smart and definitely well educated, Tang makes sure that he learns as much as possible about how the United States is going to proceed after the bomb falls, the Japanese take over Pearl Harbor and a war is about to rage.

Henry Hopkins is FDR’s secretary and a very astute and powerful man who has been instructed to meet with Churchill to learn where he stands and what he wants from the United States. But, beneath the hidden veneer of Tiger Tang is his other side. He is dangerous, cunning and enjoys a fling or two with several women at the same time. We get to see his other or seedy side.

A phone call from an old enemy responsible for the death of his brother, allows him to take revenge on this horrific foe. Tony Chow calls, he invites him to his new estate you might say, and the result proves deadly. Flora enjoys the company of a man and Tiger invited her there as the date for Tony. But, refusing to dress properly, act somewhat civilized he unfortunately allows him to take Flora out on his own, they wind up in the barn and the result is tragic. Threatening to kill the Ambassador little does he know that his end was seconds away. Flora adores Tiger but collateral damage must be dealt with and the result is that Tiger had to use his skills and quick thinking to deal with both Tony and Flora.

In the present, Lord Alex Hawke as we meet him at the start of the novel is seriously injured by an old foe as well as is his guardian, and things take on a sinister turn. But his recovery is cut short first when he learns that this killer was at his cottage and killed someone close to him leaving him wanting to go after him. But, when the Queen calls the head of M16 demanding the Alex drop everything, not really caring that he is seriously injured and still needs time to heal, he has to drop everything to find her missing grandson, Prince Henry last seen at the Dragonfire Club. Meeting with the head of M16 he learns what his assignment is, and both will meet with the Queen. A limo meets Hawke at the airport, and he is taken by one of the relatives of the Tang family to the Dragonfire but not before instructing his pilot and staff to be ready at a moment notice if needed. Just who are these people that own this club, where is Henry and how could he just disappear without unnoticed?
In the Past Tiger has to dispose of the bodies and then hopefully not be found out as his mission is still to be a double agent one as the Ambassador from China and two to learn our secrets to bring back to his government.

In the past Hawke Creates operation Skyhook to take down a German ship, it is crew and sink a plane. Not everything goes as planned but in the end except for one of his crew, they manage to be successful. While battling the waters and hoping to survive the Chinese Ambassador has several battles to face on his own. Winnie Woolworth the daughter of the Woolworth empire , is running circles around Tiger and flaunts herself at him behind Blackie’s back. Things heat up when his father makes an unannounced visit and his demands and requests fall to deaf ears but will Tiger do what is expected of him? A request made by Chiang the Kai Shek

to commit the worst act of betrayal on someone he is grown to respect and admire.

In the present Alex brings his own team to the Dragon fire Club and what he and Stoke find sets them on a dangerous path. China Moon is part of the Chinese Secret Police and taunts Hawke just with her presence and her thoughts. Dangerous and knows why he is there and more plus Zhang Tang the two make a double deadly combination. Hawke killed China’s father and the Stoke retells that many were killed that day and being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Hawke noticed that there are two Chinese PLA Navy missile frigates patrolling what he suspects as a secret Chinese military installation in the Bahamas. What they find when they do their recon is a nuclear submarine pen 180 miles from America’s shores and the information has to be relayed as author Ted Bell goes into detail describing vividly what they found and the why the Pentagon needed to know that this secret Chinese naval base existed. How were they able to operate out of sight for so long unseen? What about the Dragon fire just how explosive was it and what is really going on behind closed doors and just what we are the brothers planning?

Added to the team in the past is Ian Fleming known for his ability to detonate. Operation Phantom Locomotive was what the operation was called and with Hawke and Fleming running it together they scouted for where to strike, what they would need as Alex in the present had some serious recon to stop what the Chinese had in motion.

Flashing back and forth between both time periods the author creates scenes that are filled with high amounts of tens, suspense and hopefully take downs of the opposition: Hawke in the present finally learns where Prince Henry might be and why thy abducted him but will his plan work? In the past Blackie and Ian create a way to blow up the locomotive and take down the railway system which is explosive packed and really keeps you wondering what the result will be. But FDR gets blindsided when someone close to him does the ultimate betrayal but sometimes things do not go as planned and the shockwaves are still coming.

Some endings are bittersweet and some tragic as the author leaves us wondering what is next for both Hawkes in both time periods and the fate of Tank and that of Zhang will their families rise again in the future? Dragon fire: explosive and dangerous! Leaving us wondering about the assassin that attacked him at the beginning, the fate of the Dragon Fire club and if the author is going to bring back characters and new ones from both timelines. Revenge, survival, hate, forgiveness, hope, fear, politics and the fallout from two types of wars brings these issues to life when the truth behind what Zhang is doing will it end or continue?

Fran Lewis just reviews

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