The most recommended books about opium

You may know Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for his basketball prowess, but did you know he was also an author and admirer of Sherlock Holmes? Jabbar and Anna Waterhouse have created a very entertaining series starring Mycroft and Sherlock Holmes.

In this second book, the Holmes brothers must solve a mystery involving opium and Mycroft’s best friend, Cyrus Douglas. I really enjoyed the backstory presented for both Mycroft and Sherlock, though I have to say that Sherlock was very annoying.

From 1965 onwards, the USA, conducted a covert anti-communist war in Laos. While the CIA created a clandestine hilltribe army, the air support for these troops was provided by Air America, ostensibly a private airline that was owned by the agency. Small spotter planes flew to 100s of airstrips across Laos to distribute troops, aid and weapons while collecting vast amounts of opium grown by the mercenaries the US had hired, later refined into heroin and sold to US troops fighting in Vietnam. Robbins’ book, which is somewhat revisionist, nonetheless brilliantly tracks the history of the airline from its beginnings in 1950s Indochina and demonstrates the courage of its pilots who frequently flew under fire and whose motto was "Anything, Anywhere, Anytime, Professionally".

A fascinating journey. The Good Earth is a richly told tale of Wang Lung, from his beginnings as a soon-to-be marrIed young man through the utter poverty he and his growing family endure, to his eventual wealth and the complexities that arise thereafter.

The novel is a detailed depiction of Chinese tradition pre-revolution, the likes of which probably was never revealed to Western culture before in such detail and likely has not been done in such an engaging way since. A must-read.

A brilliant account of the two Opium Wars showing how they have been remembered in particular ways in order to make modern political points. Lovell shows us how political operators on both sides used the question of the opium trade to further their own interests. It exposes the nasty business of imperialism but also takes down a lot of myths about the wars. The book allows us to see the conflicts both in terms of what happened at the time, and how views over those events changed over the following century and a half. She explores the international history of opium and how it became linked with racist representations of Chinese overseas and how this continues to affect relations between peoples and governments today.

I love weaving history into my mysteries so I was drawn to this dark tale of Paris in the Belle Époque. An English girl goes to Paris to study art but, desperately poor, throws her fate into the hands of some shady characters. The atmosphere and scene-setting of Paris during a terrible rainy winter are unforgettable. 

Drug trafficking has become entwined with Afghanistan in the minds of many, though the true situation is often misunderstood. Bradford’s meticulous research not only clearly explains the present situation, it places it in the broader historical context that is almost always missing. The legal trade in opium has deep roots in Afghanistan, and even in the present day, there are as many senior government officials benefiting from it as there are insurgent leaders. He also explores the growing problem with addiction that plagues Afghanistan, humanizing a complex problem.

Razzmatazz is a sequel to Noir, both novels recounting the adventures of one Sammy Two Toes and his girl Stilton (a.k.a. The Cheese) in 1940s San Francisco. I was writing a noir spoof when I read the first book and looked forward to Moore’s take on it.

The books are less noir and more Guys and Dolls—comical low-life characters attempting to sound sophisticated as they dance the line between law and outlaw. I love Guys and Dolls, so these books worked for me. Not only did Razzmatazz maintain Moore’s high standard of humor, but it also included the usual dose of paranormal fun.

This book was given to me by a friend who traveled the Sierra Madres of Western Mexico. I’d phone him after turning a page on each spine-stiffening episode to screech, “Are you crazy?!”

The landscape envelopes with stark beauty. The glimpses into the lives of the people who try to survive the human dangers helped me understand why families are willing to risk crossing the U.S. border. The human threat, on both sides of “the law” and the natural threat of the rough landscape, makes for a heart-pounding read.

I was sucked in by Richard Grant’s “Whew! We survived that one” style of writing. Laugh while their lives hang before your reading eyes. 

The seven-book saga featuring the Eden family by Marilyn Harris is an amazing read, but I found The Prince of Eden to be the most moving. Not only is Edward Eden the most likable (though still questionable) of the men in the family, the book sheds light on an era of British history I wasn’t very familiar with, the 1830s-50s. I became a spectator of the social unrest, opium dens, and more within these pages. The fictional characters move alongside historical people and events, leaving their own footprints in the world of possibility within this emotional read.

The Regency romance genre is still in its early years of ethnically diverse characters, so I’m always thrilled to find books that break the mold of the white British aristocrat – while still delivering really fun reads.

Glory and the Master of Shadows does just that. At its core, it is everything we love about a historical romance: the heroine rebels against the role society has assigned her, our couple has to work together to thwart a bad guy, and throughout, the sexual tension keeps on ratcheting up.

Layered on top of those lovely bones are characters who struggle with what it means to be Chinese or biracial in British society. Oh, and the scene that stopped me in my tracks? When meditative breathing turns sexy…