On Java Road : a novel

NEW YORK TIMES EDITORS’ CHOICE • A veteran journalist in Hong Kong is caught in a shadowy web of truth and betrayal as he investigates the disappearance of a student protester in this menacing, atmospheric novel written with “shades of Graham Greene and Patricia Highsmith” (Sunday Times) from the celebrated author of The Forgiven—now a major motion picture starring Jessica Chastain and Ralph Fiennes. “Osborne is a startlingly good observer of privilege, noting the rites and rituals of the upper classes with unerring precision and an undercurrent of malice.”—Katie Kitamura, The New York Times Book Review, on Beautiful Animals ONE OF THE MOST ANTICIPATED BOOKS OF 2022—CrimeReads, Fodors After two decades as a journalist in Hong Kong, ex-pat Englishman Adrian Gyle has very little to show for it. Evenings are whiled away with soup dumplings and tea at Fung Shing, the restaurant downstairs from his home on Java Road, watching the city—once overflowing with wine dinners and private members’ clubs—erupt in violence as pro-democracy demonstrations hit ever closer to home. Watching from the skyrises is Adrian’s old friend Jimmy Tang, the scion of one of Hong Kong’s wealthiest families. Just as Gyle prepares to turn his back on Hong Kong, he finds one last intrigue: the mysterious Rebecca, a student involved in the protests, and the latest of Jimmy’s reckless dalliances. But when Rebecca goes missing and Jimmy hides, Gyle feels that old familiar urge to investigate. Piecing together Rebecca’s final days and hours, Gyle must tread carefully through a volatile world of friendship and betrayal where personal loyalties vanish like the city he once knew so well. On Java Road tells the story of a man between the fault lines of old worlds and new orders in pursuit of the truth. NEW YORK TIMES EDITORS CHOICE A veteran journalist in Hong Kong is caught in a shadowy web of truth and betrayal as he investigates the disappearance of a student protester in this menacing, atmospheric novel written with shades of Graham Greene and Patricia Highsmith ( Sunday Times )from thecelebrated author of The Forgiven now a major motion picture starring Jessica Chastain and Ralph Fiennes. Osborne is a startlingly good observer of privilege, noting the rites and rituals of the upper classes with unerring precision and an undercurrent of malice.Katie Kitamura, The New York Times Book Review, on Beautiful Animals ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE The Washington Post, CrimeReads After two decades as a journalist in Hong Kong, ex-pat Englishman Adrian Gyle has very little to show for it. Evenings are whiled away with soup dumplings and tea at Fung Shing, the restaurant downstairs from his home on Java Road, watching the cityonce overflowing with wine dinners and private members clubserupt in violence as pro-democracy demonstrations hit ever closer to home. Watching from the skyrises is Adrians old friend Jimmy Tang, the scion of one of Hong Kongs wealthiest families. Just as Gyle prepares to turn his back on Hong Kong, he finds one last the mysterious Rebecca, a student involved in the protests, and the latest of Jimmys reckless dalliances. But when Rebecca goes missing and Jimmy hides, Gyle feels that old familiar urge to investigate. Piecing together Rebeccas final days and hours, Gyle must tread carefully through a volatile world of friendship and betrayal where personal loyalties vanish like the city he onceknew so well. On Java Road tells the story of a man between the fault lines of old worlds and new orders in pursuit of the truth. New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice • A veteran journalist in Hong Kong investigates the disappearance of a student protester in this “sensual, provocative, and riveting” ( The Washington Post ) novel from the celebrated author of The Forgiven —now a major motion picture starring Jessica Chastain and Ralph Fiennes. “Osborne is a startlingly good observer of privilege, noting the rites and rituals of the upper classes with unerring precision and an undercurrent of malice.”—Katie Kitamura, The New York Times Book Review, on Beautiful Animals ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: The Washington Post, CrimeReads After two decades as a journalist in Hong Kong, ex-pat Englishman Adrian Gyle is ready to turn his back on the city he knew so well. But as Hong Kong erupts in violence with pro-democracy demonstrations hitting ever closer to home, could this be the final assignment Gyle was looking for? Watching from the skyrises is his old friend Jimmy Tang, the scion of one of Hong Kong’s wealthiest families. Through him Gyle uncovers an intriguing lead: the mysterious Rebecca, a student involved in the protests, and the latest of his Jimmy’s reckless dalliances. But when Rebecca goes missing and Jimmy hides, it rekindles in Gyle an old urge to investigate. Piecing together Rebecca’s final days and hours, Gyle must tread carefully through a volatile world of friendship and betrayal. Vividly capturing a city on the brink, On Java Road tells the gripping story of a man between the fault lines of old worlds and new orders in pursuit of the truth. "After twenty years as a journalist in Hong Kong, ex-pat Englishman Adrian Gyle has very little to show for it. Evenings are whiled away with soup dumplings and tea at Fung Shing, the restaurant downstairs from his home on Java Road, that "most melancholy street in the city, the street where the dead congregated." It is through these jaded eyes that Gyle watches the city around him--once overflowing with wine dinners and private members' clubs--erupt in violence as pro-democracy demonstrations hit ever closer to home. But just as Gyle prepares to turn his back on Hong Kong, he finds one last intrigue: the alluring Rebecca, the new girlfriend of one of his oldest friends, and a student involved in the protests. When her body mysteriously turns up in the local morgue, Gyle finds that old familiar urge to investigate. As he pieces together Rebecca's final days and hours, Gyle must tread carefully through a volatile world of truth and betrayal. On Java Road tells the story of a search for a missing woman in a vanishing city, and a man stood between cultures, as an old world breaks to a new dawn"-- Provided by publisher