I had been working a lot and was looking forward to finally getting to read something for entertainment--and this was just about perfect. After a gangbuster start, where an oil geologist having a last drink in Bali right after Indonesian independence from the Dutch, is handed a matchbox by a beautiful White Russian who knows he is leaving on the next ship, which she can't get on because the docks are guarded by men who will prevent her from boarding and perhaps kill her. Our hero accepts the matchbox, but as he is heading back to the ship, he finds himself pursued by the bad guys. After that, through a few too many twists and turns, he proves his mettle as he tries to get to the bottom of what is really going on in Bali. To do so, he must sort out a memorable bunch of characters, including the beautiful White Russian, her overweight pursuer, a mysterious Chinese who carries a small bird with him at all times, an American woman (and exhibitionist) who has gone native, a mysterious Brit, a jungle warlord, and a few others through a series of well-drawn locations. Fleischman seems to be writing about places he knows, whether it is a bar, a hotel room with a mosquito net, or the jungle. The books moves on to a satisfying, if not perfect conclusion, that will have you looking up more of his work. (He went on to become a very successful writer of children's books after publishing a series of Fawcett Gold Medal novels.) I plan to read more soon. ( )