Dean Barrett

An Introduction

By C. T. Atherton

"On the maindeck of the nearest clipper, wealthy men in top hats and frock coats strode about with a proprietary air, and as Adams observed them, he reflected on the irony of his position. He was one of the few people living in Hong Kong who actually liked Hong Kong. Yet he disliked most of the people in it. The snobbish merchants and traders and their equally snobbish wives treated the place like a kind of whore, a variety of low-class prostitute, which was to be exploited but never respected; a convenient place in which to revel in a life cushioned by punkah-pullers and servants and stables and carriages; while grabbing as much money in any way they could. After which they would scamper off to England or to some other foreign shore with their ill-gotten profits to live the lives of cultured ladies and gentlemen."

--Dean Barrett
Hangman's Point

Hangman's Point has all the makings of a blockbuster novel. Set in Hong Kong in 1857, torn between Imperial China and Victorian England, the characters are dynamic, and the landscape is vivid. Hangman's Point is a visceral, insightful, and at many times humorous mystery, thriller, and high adventure populated with gun runners, bakers, pirates, seamen, opium addicts, English high society, Triads (Chinese underground secret society), and low-class unsung heroes. It is a multicultural novel including British, Irish, Portuguese, Chinese, and Americans who clash, scheme, and duke it out, with an underlying plot to overtake the British colony on the island. There is much to learn from costumes to ships to customs and dialects. The book educates as much as it entertains.

Immediately lost in the novel, I discovered an exciting, tumultuous world Barrett had recreated which included a prison escape, torture, a mass poisoning, and a unique courtroom drama many of which were based on historical incidents. Reading the book reminded me of my reaction to James Michener's Hawaii, in that I was immersed in another time and place.

I eagerly followed American ex-seaman, Andrew Adams, the hero of Hangman's Point, who lived above an apothecary shop with his girlfriend, and co-owned the Bee Hive Tavern. He accepted a dare to steal onto a captured Chinese war junk and fire off cannons as a New Year's prank that set all his misadventures in motion. I found my heart pounding as each new challenge accelerated into life-threatening risks.

To me, the most fascinating attribute of the protagonist was that Andrew Adams spoke fluent Chinese dialects, and this was where the author's expertise showed since Dean Barrett was trained as a Chinese linguist at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California. I also cared about the people Andrew Adams loved and hated, and respected the country he admired despite all his tribulations. I routed for him, suffered with him, and laughed at the ironies in his life that he accepted with a sense of humor and humility throughout. And yet this novel was not told from a single viewpoint. The writer explored many fascinating characters in a fictional technique sometimes described as cinematic. Considering the fast paced, pitch-perfect dialogue, lush costuming, daring setting, driven characters, and meticulous historical detail, I often imagined this novel as a major, award-winning film.

I also appreciated Barrett's meaningful descriptions: from the brands of pills to the methods of birth control, to the tilt of a woman's bonnet to methods of execution. Barrett served with the Army Security Agency in East and Southeast Asia, lived in Asia for a total of 20 years, and his experience shone through the entire novel.

So the question is, why haven't we seen Hangman's Point in every major bookstore, watched people line up to receive the author's autograph? As writers we are again reminded of the struggle involved for a book to realize its full potential no matter how well written or well researched it is. As readers many of us feel disturbed the publishing industry is often so unapproachable it might be cheating us out of great reads like Hangman's Point. The only way we may find a jewel like this one is if the author is gutsy enough to publish and promote the work himself or can find an agent or small press willing to go the extra mile. According to Alex Ross of WriteMovies.com, "if Dean Barrett had taken no for an answer, he would never have gotten a movie option nor any of the other interest in the works. The moral of the story being: never take no for an answer."

Read Dean Barrett's interview and bio to learn more about this fascinating man, his publishing company, and his other writings which include more novels, screenplays, plays, a satirical column in Thailand, and a musical. If you entertain any ideas of writing an historical novel one day, Hangman's Point could serve as your guidebook.

Cathy Atherton founded One Woman's Writing Retreat in 1996 in order to create a network for writers at all stages in their careers. Read more about her here.

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