China Contemporary

Dobson, just one of those names anyone who's anyone in London knows. Elizabeth and her brother James have it all: the clubs, the money, the high life. But after the sudden death of their parents the only thing they really have is each other, and that's the way they're both determined things are going to stay. With help from Michael, James' best friend, it's the way it stays for a while, but time and the violent side of their nocturnal profession are against them at every turn.

The author’s first novel, a tale of debauchery—sex, booze, and drugs— which follows the experiences of an English teacher in China during the happy "boom times" when China won the right to host the Olympics and was accepted into the World Trade Organization. The book also describes the author's time in Beijing during the SARS epidemic. Written in a frank but humorous style, this work provides many insights into modern Chinese society.

Raghu Mehta is a desperate man. His handicraft imports business has unexpectedly collapsed, cash is drying out quickly, his wife thinks he is a loser and society considers him irrelevant. Meanwhile, his closest friends and family all seem to be running flourishing businesses and living luxurious lives in the diamond capital of India. A trip to China to scout a new business offers a glimmer of hope.

A woman wades into the waters of Morecambe Bay in a drunken bid to commit suicide. She finds herself instead saving the life of a young Chinese cockle picker, a survivor of a tragic mass drowning. Wen and Angie share neither language nor experience, but she agrees to let him stay with her and disappear. Within a short time their unlikely pairing blossoms into something darkly passionate.