Dive into the thrilling world of espionage and suspense with this lot of three vintage paperbacks by Eric Van Lustbader. Each book offers a gripping narrative that promises to keep readers on the edge of their seats. The lot includes "Jian," the first installment in the Mortalis Trilogy, where mystery and action collide, and "Shan" and "French Kiss," which continue the exhilarating journey through Van Lustbader's vividly crafted universe.
Perfect for aficionados of the crime, action, and adult & erotic genres, these English-language novels are a testament to the author's skill in weaving intricate stories. Whether you're a long-time fan or new to Van Lustbader's work, this set is an essential addition to any book collection.
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JIAN
The bestselling author who brought Japan to vivid, enthralling life for millions of readers now turns his immense talents to... China! This audacious departure is the most stunning combination of dazzling artistry and literary achievement yet for the amazing ERIC VAN LUSTBADER
The consummate warrior. The man who excels. The supreme master of all the arts-love and combat, strength and wisdom-who holds the fate of all China in his hands. In a vast arena with its vivid scenarios of war and revolution, its intricate loyalties of clan and creed, many vie for total mastery.
Jake Maroc is the top agent for the Quarry, the secretive government agency. Nichiren, Jake's sworn enemy, is a cold killer with a deadly secret. Shi Zilin is a wily Communist minister, a survivor of eras in turmoil. Which one of them will emerge the true Jian?
Four ancient pieces of jade are the key to unlocking the grand scheme of the Jian. The prize is Hong Kong-the glittering jewel that sets the KGB, the Communist Chinese, and the Americans in deadly battle.
"BRILLIANT... Perhaps no other piece of fiction since Shogun illuminates the mind, machinations, and mores of Eastern peoples with the style and intensity of JIAN."
-The Miami Herald
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ERIC VAN LUSTBADER is the grand master of fiction that bursts forth on the sumptuous and treacherous meeting ground where East encounters West.. He introduced his enthralled readers to the sprawling seductiveness of modern China - and to hero Jake Maroc - in his towering bestseller JIAN. Now he plunges even deeper into the world's largest and most exotic land, as both superpowers and extraordinary individuals struggle for conquest in wealth and war, espionage and love.
SHAN
The Place A high plateau in the heart of Asia, Shan has long been the holy site where men are tested and the deepest secrets of Eastern mysticism are revealed. But Shan has been violated by a vast shadow organization of opium warlords, whose tentacles threaten to strangle China as a nation...and to destroy the carefully built balance of world power, perhaps forever.
The Challenge
This is the legacy of Jake Maroc - to help China fulfill its ancient destiny. In this mission he is emboldened by his father's vision, and impassioned by Bliss, the woman who has raised the act of love to its most exquisite form. But at this most crucial moment in his life, Maroc has lost ba-mahk-the inner spiritual strength that acts as a powerful telepathy, a weapon he must use against his deadly enemies: the KGB, the Japanese Yakuza, and the divisive forces within China herself. With the future of the world hanging in the balançe, Maroc must conquer a mysterious force more threatening than any he has ever confronted-a resisting force within himself.
"Eric Van Lustbader is an author who gets better with every book he writes....SHAN may be the best yet?"
-Associated Press
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FRENCH KISS
In a small village in the South of France, an American has been brutally murdered.... In a Connecticut church, a priest has been sacrificed.... In the jungles of Indochina, the opium warlords clash.... All are part of a desperate search that will unleash mystic forces, madness, and violence on all who join it.
FRENCH KISS
When colonial France reached out to enslave Indochina she calmed the native population with the addictive, subjugating kiss of opium. Now the ruthless drug lords of the region search for a trio of weapons - the Prey Dauw-that are so awesome, so imbued with mythic power, that whoever possesses them can dominate Indochina and control its most precious commodity.
Two men have already been murdered for the Prey Dauw. Their brothers, New York lawyer Chris Haye and NYPD detective Seve Guarda, are relentlessly drawn into the intrigue. Both men will put the women in their lives in peril. Both will face the sins of the past and risk their future salvation. And both will be stalked every step of the way by a savage madman whose only pleasure is inflicting pain....
"Lustbader has honed the brooding, goose-bumply sensation of sudden, violent death likely to burst out of the darkness at any moment into a unique art form. And with French Kiss he is in fine fettle with a suspense that is sustained to the final page"
-Los Angeles Times