Paul Mason is an agent with British Naval Intelligence.
He is in the Royal Marines, holding the rank of Captain when the two-book series begins, and though as his undercover work forces him to take the role of a civilian in dress and manner, when at home he is decidedly happy with his chosen career in the military and can snap back into attention without hesitation. He is definitely a man who can fit in both worlds.
He is of average height, just touching 6'. His white skin has bronzed nicely after years in the SouthEast Asian region, a hue that makes his sharp blue eyes even more vibrant. When not in uniform, he was partial to bright colored loose-fitting shirts, often with a light cravat around the neck. While his posture would not qualify as slouching, he usually appeared extremely relaxed and at ease, trying for and achieving the appearance of a rich, slightly spoiled rich 'kid' a tad bored with it all. Good looking without being considered handsome, he got his share of attention from the fairer sex and enjoyed their company. Beneath his casual clothing, though, was a rock hard body that could dole out an impressive amount of pain and take it as well.
He is in his mid 30s determined by the fact that he had been an agent with Intelligence for at least eight years. Virtually all that time has been in the Far East. His permanent headquarters, working for a Lt.Commander named Kendall, is in Hong Kong and he knows the back streets and alley ways of it and Macao intimately. But he is also comfortable in the jungles of Burma or the mountainous Himalayas or the hot clime of India.
As mentioned, he presents an image of relaxed ease but he lives for the adventure that his job presents and though danger can lie in wait in any doorway he might pass, he loves the challenge.