Matarese
espionage thriller
Series · espionage thriller
China Maroc
The China Maroc series by Eric Van Lustbader has 2 books and is best read in publication order, starting with Jian (1985).
- Books
- 2 books
- First published
- 1985
- Status
- completed
- Last checked
Start here: Jian (1985) — then read straight through in publication order.
Reading order
The order the books were released — the default way to read the series.
About the China Maroc series
A shorter, denser companion to Van Lustbader's Nicholas Linnear books, the China Maroc novels follow Jake Maroc, a top agent of the Quarry -- a secretive American intelligence agency -- as he's drawn into the fight over Hong Kong's future in the last years of British colonial rule. Jian (1985) sets four ancient pieces of jade as the key to a decades-old scheme, with Jake caught between his sworn enemy Nichiren and the calculating Communist minister Shi Zilin, while the KGB, Chinese intelligence and the Americans all maneuver for control of the colony. Shan (1986) follows Jake deeper into betrayal and Hong Kong's hidden power structures, into the inner circle poised to shape China's future, before sending him to a remote plateau in the Burmese highlands where Eastern mysticism and Cold War tradecraft collide.
As in the Linnear books, Van Lustbader treats Asian settings, martial philosophy and clan/family loyalty as load-bearing plot material rather than exotic backdrop, but China Maroc trades ninjutsu for Cold War espionage and Hong Kong's geopolitics -- a tighter, more overtly political two-book run rather than an open-ended series.
Frequently asked questions
How many books are in the China Maroc series?
Two: Jian (1985) and Shan (1986).
What order should I read China Maroc in?
Jian first, then Shan, which picks up directly from where Jian leaves off.
Is China Maroc connected to the Nicholas Linnear novels?
No -- different characters and a different agency (the Quarry rather than Linnear's corporate/martial-arts world), though both series share Van Lustbader's dense approach to Asian settings and espionage.
Is the China Maroc series finished?
Yes -- it's a complete two-book story. Van Lustbader did not continue Jake Maroc's story beyond Shan.
When is China Maroc set?
In the final years of British Hong Kong, against Cold War maneuvering between American, Soviet and Chinese intelligence over the colony's future.
If you like the China Maroc series
Reading order last verified .