$a "作者出身小康家庭，但因為生於戰亂時代，從小就經歷了上海與香港之間的往來顛沛，即使畢業於聖約翰大學，也只能離家來港謀生，當時身上只有六元多港幣。在香港，從商行小職員做起，卻無意學做商人而心儀文藝，尤其喜愛音樂和電影，於是開始自修自學。接著就在報紙上投稿寫影評。繼而編雜誌、入電台當節目編導、又參與開創香港的首家電視台。繼而由電視進入國語電影界，當過編劇、作曲、作詞、製片和導演，兼管宣傳和發行，寫過國語時代曲歌詞，也翻譯過電影英文字幕，同時還寫了多年音樂和戲劇評論。步入中年，忽感今是昨非，改為投身促進亞洲國家經濟發展，並且經八年苦讀而取得了與工作有關的博士學位。二十年後重返傳媒界，在香港「九七倒數」的十年期間在《信報財經新聞》擔任總編輯的職務。退休後到美國定居，閑來周遊世界，雖曰不問世事，其實仍不忘求知。這是一部個人回憶錄，一部自傳，然而從作者的人生經歷中，也能看到一部香港為何成就往日繁榮的傳奇"--Cover p. 4.

One June night, in a small town gripped by a sweltering heat wave, a young man is forced off the road and into the river. Robert Bell, a disillusioned local journalist with a dry sense of humour and an escalating drink problem, leaves behind the banality of his quiet office to investigate the mysterious death. Simmering racial tensions in the town threaten to boil over and local Serbian immigrants become the easy targets for blame. Robert's own brother, Frank, is the investigating police officer, but they have a problem sharing information. And another darker, hidden problem; Robert's in love with the one woman he can't have: Frank's wife Irene. Their affair continues through the stifling heat until one morning Irene vanishes. Is her disappearance somehow linked to the young man's death? Soon Robert is drawn deeper into the desperate hunt for a murderer and, as the storm clouds gather, finds some uncomfortable truths about his seemingly quiet community.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)