San Diego author Vic Warren was born and raised in Seattle, Washington, attended the San Francisco Academy of Art majoring in graphic design and art direction, and then worked as an advertising executive in the travel industry for 30-plus years. In support of his educational background he worked as a book packager, editor, designer and writer - creating in conjunction with illustrators more than 100 children's books. His `hobby' is traveling - Asia, Europe and the South Pacific - and it is likely his fascination with Asian countries spurred his interest in several of the novels he presents to the public. History, mystery and science fiction fill out his pallet and he is successful in all three categories.

After completing his novel HONG KONG BLUES the characters he had created called for further adventures and thus the INSPECTOR KWONG MYSTERIES of which THE QUARTZ is the first installment. Lawrence Kwong is the 300 pound Chief Inspector with the Hong Kong Police who sports a Harris tweed suit and a silver tipped cane and is assisted by tall and handsome 21 year old Matson Tai, fresh from University studies in both Law and Criminology and at book's opening the two are searching for Charlotte Lin, a teenage girl kidnapped by the Two Feathers Triad - a search that through the aid of a brief cell phone call from Charlotte leads them to the hideaway: their reward, a visit from Charlotte's congratulatory parents.

Jump sites to the villainous Vice Premier Xiao Mingyu about whom we learn his background and his lascivious ways. We also encounter Kwong's friend museum director Gordon Leung who explains the ultrasonic evidence finding of a chamber beneath the Mount Li archeological dig (the site of the thousands of terra cotta soldiers guarding the tomb of Qin Shi Huang Emperor of China) that contained a near life-sized quartz carving of the emperor - the Qin Quartz - that is due to be exhibited in Hong Kong. Leung engages Kwong to act as security for the treasure. But as the story rolls along the Qin Quartz lands in Beijing where the wiles of Xiao Mingyo cross the path of Kwong and what to this point has been a series of introduction of personalities and history and seeds of intrigue blossoms into a struggle for the Qin Quartz getting into the wrong hands and we are privy to he world of high crime and political intrigue in the setting of the Forbidden City and surroundings.

Vic Warren succeeds in blending an obviously keen sense of humor and creating colorful characters with a strong propulsive sense of word painting, and even if it takes a while for the reader to grow accustomed to the Chinese names and places, the story is so well sculpted that it soon becomes as comfortable as his characters interactions with the theme. This is very fine, skillful writing and a movie pleading to be made. Grady Harp, August 14