In 1935, Shanghai is the place to be. Glittering nightlife, bustling business, and a diverse international community are just some of the appeals of the 2Paris of the Orient.3 Douglas Bainbridge, Office of Naval Intelligence, is beginning a two-year immersion in Shanghai when he runs into Tim McIntyre, a childhood friend from San Francisco. Tim is a reporter for the Shanghai office of the Associated Press, and he offers to show Doug the local nightlife....

DI Richard Poole is hot, bothered and fed up. He's stuck on the tropical island of Saint-Marie, forced to live in a rickety old shack on a beach, and there isn't a decent cup of tea to be found anywhere.When a boat explodes in the harbour, Richard and his team soon realise there's a new murderer on the loose. But who is it? And why did the killer leave behind a ruby at the scene of the crime?As the police dig deeper, they uncover secrets that go back...