Summary | Excerpt | Reviews | Beyond the book | Read-Alikes | Genres & Themes | Author Bio
Critics' Opinion:
Readers' Opinion:
First Published:
Nov 2006, 320 pages
Paperback:
Oct 2007, 320 pages
Book Reviewed by:
BookBrowse Review Team
Buy This Book
The fourth book in the Inspector Chen series, this unusual and compelling crime novel blends character, poetry, insights into Chinese society and culture, and food with a compelling plot.
Inspector Chen Cao of the Shanghai Police Bureau is summoned by an official of the party to take the lead in a corruption investigation - one where the principle figure and his family have long since fled to the United States and beyond the reach of the Chinese government. But he left behind the organization and his partners-in-crime, and Inspector Chen is charged to uncover those responsible and act as necessary to end the corruption ring. In a twisting case that takes him from Shanghai, all the way to the U.S., reuniting him with his previous cohort from the U.S. Marshall's service - Inspector Catherine Rhon.
Chapter One
Chief Inspector Chen Cao, of the Shanghai Police Bureau, was invited to a
mega bathhouse, Birds Flying, Fishes Jumping, on a May afternoon.
According to Lei Zhenren, editor of Shanghai Morning, they would have all
their worries luxuriously washed away there. “How much concern do you have?
/ It is like spring flood / of a long river flowing east. This ultramodern
bathhouse is really unique. Characteristics of the Chinese brand of
socialism. You won’t see anything else like it in the world.”
Lei knew how to persuade, having quoted for the poetry-liking chief
inspector three lines from Li Yu, the Southern Tang emperor poet.
“Characteristics of the Chinese brand of socialism” was a political
catchphrase, which carried a discordant connotation, especially in the
context of the unprecedented materialistic transformation sweeping over the
city of Shanghai. As it happened, Chen had just read about the bathhouse in
...
In such a climate as modern-day Shanghai it could be argued that, in such a climate, it is not possible to remain strictly honest to the letter of the law, and thus it is up to the individual's own conscience to toe that very fine line between what is morally right and wrong. Inspector Chen's awareness of this quandary and his desire to do the right thing, coupled with his frequent revulsion at his occupation, are what make him a truly noble figure. The potential for corruption is constantly presented to him like tasty dim sum, but he resists, even though so many around him are gorging themselves on the opportunities...continued
Full Review
(1247 words).
This review is available to non-members for a limited time. For full access,
become a member today.
(Reviewed by BookBrowse Review Team).
This "beyond the book" feature is available to non-members for a limited time. Join today for full access.
If you liked A Case of Two Cities, try these:
by Qiu Xiaolong
Published 2022
The legendary Judge Dee Renjie investigates a high-profile murder case in this intriguing companion novel to Inspector Chen and the Private Kitchen Murder set in seventh-century China.
by Elsa Hart
Published 2016
On the mountainous border of China and Tibet in 1708, a detective must learn what a killer already knows: that empires rise and fall on the strength of the stories they tell.
The Mostly True Story of Tanner & Louise
by Colleen Oakley
A “wildly surprising, entertaining ride of a novel.”
—Jodi Picoult
Once We Were Home
by Jennifer Rosner
From the author of The Yellow Bird Sings, a novel based on the true stories of children stolen in the wake of World War II.
Last House Before the Mountain by Monika Helfer
A spellbinding, internationally bestselling family saga set in a fractured rural village in WWI Austria.
Your guide toexceptional books
BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.
