The Blue Pearl

Summary

John Gordon Brandon (1879-1941) was an Australian-born writer who started life as a professional heavyweight boxer.

He moved to England after the First World War and wrote more than 120 novels, and numerous short stories.

"The Blue Pearl" is an adventure story set in the Dutch East Indies. "Bad Luck" Jim Barton is slaving in a chain-gang and facing five more years penal servitude under the Dutch. Suddenly, on a short break, his neighbour on the chain gang - an evil looking Frenchman - slips something hard and round into his shoe and gives him a Chinese coin with a strange character on it. He whispers quickly that Barton is about to be released and that he must take the mystery object and the coin to Quong Meng, the richest Chinese tycoon in the district. The object turns out to be a breathtaking flawless blue pearl.

There follows a breathless and racy series of daring adventures, brutal murders, narrow escapes and pirate attacks as Barton attempts to deliver the pearl to its destination.