Pricing
Paperback $15.95
Description
When the murder of a woman is reported to the Shanghai police while Inspector Chen is on vacation, Sergeant Yu is forced to take charge of the investigation. The victim, Yin Lige, a novelist known for her banned book, has been found dead in her tiny, humble room off the stairwell of a converted multi-family house. It seems that only a nei...
When the murder of a woman is reported to the Shanghai police while Inspector Chen is on vacation, Sergeant Yu is forced to take charge of the investigation. The victim, Yin Lige, a novelist known for her banned book, has been found dead in her tiny, humble room off the stairwell of a converted multi-family house. It seems that only a neighbor could have committed the crime, for the building is kept locked at night. But there is no apparent motive. Sergeant Yu tries to unravel the reclusive woman’s past and begins to realize it may have larger political implications. The Cultural Revolution might be more than 30 years in the past, but its effects can still be felt at every level of Chinese society.
Media
“The travelogue aspects of the novel don’t overwhelm it’s critical intelligence. As in all hard-boiled [mysteries], the murder and mayhem provide a cover story for a larger investigation of social mysteries.”
—Chicago Sun-Times
“Sublime . . . complex and riveting.”
—Maureen Corrigan, The Washington Post Book World
“A vivid picture of modern Chinese society . . . a work of real distinction.”
—The Wall Street Journal
“[A] terrific series. . . . [Qiu’s] perspective on China gives the mystery genre a cultural twist and unusual direction that make his books unique and well worth reading.”