Riding the Snake

by Stephen J. Cannell

Book Overview

A Beverly Hills golden boy whose glow is fading, Wheeler Cassidy, an aimless, hard-drinking womanizer, is partying toward dissipation. But after his brother's mysterious death, Wheeler embarks on a... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0688158056
• ISBN13: 9780688158057
• Release Date: September 1998
• Publisher: William Morrow & Company
• Length: 383 Pages
• Weight: 1.58 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.4" x 6.5" x 9.6"

Customer Reviews

A thrill ride - and a joy to read

After having slogged my way through a couple of books lately this one was a real pleasure. Now, don't get me wrong with the 5 star rating here - it's not a life-changing book. It's just a whole lot of fun. And it should be since it comes from famed television producer and writer Stephen J. Cannell. One can tell that he has plenty of experience (what kind of experience? How about working on 'Adam-12' and 'Columbo', creating the 'Rockford Files', 'Baretta', '21 Jump Street', 'The A-Team' , 'The Greatest American Hero' and at least a dozen more) with creating likeable, interesting characters and putting them over their heads in difficult situations. In this case, a white ne'er-do-well playboy from Berverly Hills and a black female street-hardened cop from South Central team up to take on the Chinese Triad criminal syndicate. Sound hoaky? sure, it does. But, it works anyway. Lots of fun and a breeze to read means that this reader gives this one an 'A'.

I...

Loved this book! Great writing with descriptive details. Now, I would love to read a sequel!

Trials and Tribulations

What a good story. This is the first novel of his I have read. I will read more. I found the information on China and their triads, gangsters, and tongs to be very informative. The book was well researched. All in all a great fiction story with a non fiction base. We can beleive today the real enemy will be China in the future. I hope not for many years.Best of all it shows how our country is not protecting us by allowing all the illegal immigrants and now talking of their rights. Fiction is a close brother of non fiction, actually Siamese twins. Read it and weep.

Never a dull moment - action from first page to the last

Wheeler Cassidy is an alcoholic rich boy whose only aim in life is to hang out at the Country Club bar to get drunk and pick up on member's wives. Living off estate money yet often running short, his decline on the steep side after the death of his father, he lives one day just as the last until his up-and-coming, successful, brother Prescott is killed.Shortly following his death, his secretary Angie Wong is brutally murdered; and beautiful black Tanisha Williams from the LAPD Asian Crimes unit is called to the scene. Tanisha grew up in the gang infested streets of the LA `hoods' and watched her five year old sister die from a gunshot wound. She wanted to fight back by becoming a police officer but soon became untouchable on the force and under IA investigation when transferred to the Asian Crimes unit, the worst place for a black female officer.Tanisha and Wheeler make a very unlikely team as the hunt begins for Prescott and Angies murderers; both of them out of luck and out of time and out of patience. From LA to Hong Kong they search for clues to the murders, soon becoming targets themselves.Interwoven into their desperate man hunt is the story of Fu Hai, an innocent man imprisoned for crimes his father did not even commit. He finally frees himself from Khotan and step by step begins his journey to America, trying to `Ride The Snake' as an illegal immigrant. His journey is brutal and degrading and yet filled with hope that he will be able to someday also free his sister who is trapped in poverty. Fu Hai must sell himself to the tongs to ride the snake, and so his journey is a long series of hardships, deceptions, beatings, and illness.With amazing descriptions of Hong Kong harbor, streets and ghettos, palaces and The Walled City, Mr. Cannell takes you on an incredibly face paced adventure in this non-stop action novel. The suspense stays with you right to the ending, each page packing a punch. Great book for airplane travel or a weekend snuggled in your favorite chair.

Very Interesting; Moves Quickly

I wasn't sure if I was going to like this book, but I couldn't put it down. I liked the descriptions of China. It was up to date with China taking over Hong Kong. It was very interesting. I would like to read more of his books now.