NewYorkTimesBookReviewEditors’Choice-AveteranjournalistinHongKonginvestigatesthedisappearanceofastudentprotesterinthis“sensual,provocative,andriveting“(TheWashingtonPost)novelfromthecelebratedauthorofTheForgiven--nowamajormotionpicturestarringJessicaChastainandRalphFiennes.“Osborneisastartlinglygoodobserverofprivilege,notingtheritesandritualsoftheupperclasseswithunerringprecisionandanundercurrentofmalice.“--KatieKitamura,TheNewYorkTimesBookReview,onBeautifulAnimalsONEOFTHEBESTBOOKSOFTHEYEAR:TheWashingtonPost,CrimeReadsAftertwodecadesasajournalistinHongKong,ex-patEnglishmanAdrianGyleisreadytoturnhisbackonthecityheknewsowell.ButasHongKongeruptsinviolencewithpro-democracydemonstrationshittingeverclosertohome,couldthisbethefinalassignmentGylewaslookingfor?WatchingfromtheskyrisesishisoldfriendJimmyTang,thescionofoneofHongKong’swealthiestfamilies.ThroughhimGyleuncoversanintriguinglead:themysteriousRebecca,astudentinvolvedintheprotests,andthelatestofhisJimmy’srecklessdalliances.ButwhenRebeccagoesmissingandJimmyhides,itrekindlesinGyleanoldurgetoinvestigate.PiecingtogetherRebecca’sfinaldaysandhours,Gylemusttreadcarefullythroughavolatileworldoffriendshipandbetrayal.Vividlycapturingacityonthebrink,OnJavaRoadtellsthegrippingstoryofamanbetweenthefaultlinesofoldworldsandnewordersinpursuitofthetruth.
