Tea with the Black Dragon

Tea with the Black Dragon is an interesting book. A fantasy book, with a lot of computer technology. The computers now date it, but the fantasy elements don't.

Martha Macnamara has been called to California by her daughter, for some unknown reason. On arriving, she meets the mysterious and exotic Wayland Long, who lives in the upmarket hotel where she is staying. She is concerned that her daughter, Liz, a software engineer, is in some kind of trouble, and with Wayland's help goes to look for her. Things get complicated from there, and Wayland is not what he seems.

It is quite a slim book, and I blasted through it in a weekend, but that's no criticism at all. It's the characters that bring it to life. Martha, Liz, Wayland and the other key characters are rounded and interesting. It's rare that the liveliest character is a 50 year-old woman.

An enjoyable quick read.