Valley of Terror

Was hoping this was going to be a great pulpy Indiana Jones meets Sherlock Holmes in China romp, but the prose is so pedestrian and cliche ridden it's an agony to read. The story is fine, and a film version could be fun, but the execution (in English, anyway - I can't speak for the original) is no good at all.

This book has different layers of mystery. I admit it puzzled me when the plot took another direction, and I was kinda confused because I didn't see the point of it. However, in the end I realized it was a good move. If you want to start reading this book, I suggest you to be patient. The ending is satisfying, and it's definitely worth the read.