The Emerald Buddha Conspiracy

This is a novel of international intrigue based largely in Thailand and inspired by the actual existence of a jade statue of Buddha that is venerated and carefully guarded as a national treasure. The story describes the secret theft of the statue, the replacement of the actual statue with a close reproduction of it, and the threat by a revolutionary force to reveal the secret and thus topple the government. A former U.S. Military Intelligence agent, now an Asian art dealer in Texas, takes on the duty of recovering the actual statue before the announcement of its theft and the attempted coup take place.