Augustus John Polly is a restless academic, uncomfortable in the colonial environment of 1950s Hong Kong. Prompted by sexual fantasies, he is drawn into a conspiracy that unfolds disastrously. Amidst the decline of empire, a restless colonialist in Hong Kong debates the meaning of history. By turns funny and philosophical, this story of one man s whimsy but also courage in taking a side challenges our own complacencies with political notions of right and wrong, as well as the inequalities of our own time. Cyril Wong, poet and fictionalist. Mr. Polly s world is a rich tapestry. The reader is transported to a world already gone, but not forgotten. It s a cornucopia of themes, impressions, and moods. Like preparing a magical potion in a sorcerer s cauldron, Malcolm Jack s prose effectively uses a number of fascinating ingredients: The blend is sensuous, lascivious, delicious, funny, witty, ironic, intellectual, philosophical, political, historical, and human a true cornucopia of life. Joao Mendonca, translator and author. Malcolm Jack s latest is a page-turner, a taut political thriller that never loses its momentum. The text has a cinematic quality, the protagonist a quiet Briton who contemplates the end of history and the fragility of empire. Hong Kong is lovingly and nostalgically depicted in glorious Technicolour as a city on the brink of change, at once beguiling and inscrutable. Kennie Ting, historian and curator.