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Summary: A Chinese Take on the Police Procedural
Review: As a mystery writer with my first novel in initial release, I have been quite impressed as Qui Xiaolong's DEATH OF A RED HEROINE has swept nominations for every major first novel award in the mystery genre. It deserves this recognition. On one level, it is a simple police procedural. A police detective (who happens to also be a scholar and a poet) is investigating the death of a "model worker." While presenting this story, Qui Xiaolong paints a portrait of contemporary China as it and its people are lured into world affairs and a market ecomony. Fascinating work.
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Summary: Outstanding, and highly recommended
Review: China's modernization has proceeded so rapidly this story (set in the early nineties) may be soon out of date, but its plot, characters and writing style all score high points, and most important, thanks to its Chinese author, it rings completely true to life. I found much to recommend and hardly anything over which to quibble. For mysteries set in ancient China, first read Robert van Gulik's Judge Dee stories. Then enjoy the contrast in Qiu Xiaolong's excellent work!
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Summary: A fine reading experience for the fan of detective fiction.
Review: Contemporary Urban China. Written from within, and with great detail, this "police procedural" is as much an education as it is a languid pleasure. The characters are not only believable, but offer diverse perspectives of a highly "political" world. I recommend this book to the reader who can take his time. The investigation must move more cautiously the case begins to show results. Resources and manners often dictate choices. Like the Russian policeman Renko,in Martin Cruz Smith's novels, Inspector Chen must withstand pressures from the very culture he has sworn to protect. *the poet as a policeman angle seemed like a novelty at first, it was nice to see that it actually became a viable element within the story.
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Summary: excellent,flavorful mystery
Review: Death of a Red Heroinetakes a police procedural to a new place: Modern china. Inspector Chen Cao is a poetry writing and loving special investigator,and here he lands a dangerous case. The "model party worker" who is fishes out of the water is not what she appears to be,and the inspector must go against his superiors and the "party interests" to solve the case. All of this is pretty mundane in this genre, though the locale,the heavy stench of mao and the cultural revolution linger throughout,along with the marvelous meals, and the excellent descriptions of daily life in "modern ' China. The delicacy of chinese manners comes across very well, the sexual retinence,the deep repect of elders still alive. Part sociology,part history mostly a damn good read. Unlucky in love,lucky in work, inspector Chen Cao is an interesting addition to the genre .The novel has many conventional mystery formulas, then takes different turns. Highly recommended!
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Summary: This is a must for rainy day reading Two readers review:
Review: HERS: This is a mystery novel to be enjoyed in cozy comfort: a plush chair, a favorite bevarage on the side, a throw on the lap and nasty weather outside. The pace of narration gives the reader a chance to be curious about the murder, to perceive contemporary China from within and to brush up lightly on Chinese poetry. It is a delight, and like good wine to be tasted slowly, steadily and to the last drop. Chen is the perfect detective-hero: young, intelligent, learned and a little rebellious, smooth but a reluctant hero. His rendition is masterful, so we feel we understand him and learn to care like he does for China and Chinese literature. We also care for his tender heart and for his loneliness. Through the Red Heroin we learn about China's recent past and about the fast pace of change in the country. And we also learn what it is about Western culture that the Chinese, and others want to reject. We can only agree with them. This is of course more than a murder mystery, it is an attempt to explain a moment in China and it is very successful. A must read.
HIS: This is a well-written mystery, which might deservedly win the Edgar, for which it was nominated; but I don't know the competition. I enjoyed the book immensely. The manner of introducing relevant Chinese history was clever. While it was a narrator's function, it occurred only during an excursus on a character--that is, it was introduced to amplify and explain characters. Qiu is a very talented writer. The political forces at work in the contemporary scene in China is represented with such depth and clarity that we cannot but assume the writer is living the scene in the moment. The beauty of the narrative is that the humanity of the characters as well as the politicians (and their machinations) is made perfectly clear. They are in other words brought within the realm of the familiar. They finally are not foreign or different. We have our problems, they have theirs; this mystery evolves amid their problems and stuggles with those. I would recommend the book strongly to any reader, whether a lover of mystery novel or not.
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Summary: I thoroughly enjoyed this book
Review: I enjoy reading historical novels more than murder mysteries. That's why I enjoyed this book so much. It is a very good description of average people living under the oppressive regime in China during the 1980's. The reader will know that the writer is someone who has lived it because of the vivid descriptions. There are many different aspects of the book I enjoyed; the struggle of someone who is promoted to a leadership position at a young age; the generation gap; the problems of a society transitioning to the age of technology; plus the beauty of chinese poetry. I think this is one of the best books I have read in the last few years.
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Summary: Shanghai Surprise
Review: I picked up the book because it was an Edgar award nominee and I was pleasantly surprised to really, really enjoy it. Inspector Cao is an interesting character, a poet who is also a cop,,, the chinese version of Dalgliesh? His poetry is quite good, not a surpise as the author teaches Chinese literature in the US. In between spouting his own poetry, Inspector Cao recites traditional Chinese poetry, which makes the book even more interesting.
Inspector Cao is grappling with the dilemna of living in a time when China is catching up with capitalism and the West while struggling to remain true to its former ideals.
A savvy copy who can combine political maneuverings with honesty and straightforward detective work. A three dimensionsal character that I look forward to seeing again!
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Summary: Shanghai Surprise!
Review: I read books to either A.) be entertained, or B.) to learn something. In The Death of a Red Heroine, I got both. While not a traditional whodunit, it still provides plenty of mystery. I also learned something about Chinese culture and politics, without having to read a dry textbook. I highly recommend this book, and look forward to the next installment with Inspector Chen.
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Summary: A Wonderful Way to Spend a few Hours
Review: In an unusual mystery genre work, the author tells an interesting story that isn't exactly a heart pounding thriller but treats the reader with some wonderful insights of a contemporary China. Although the story took place in 1990, many of the issues facing the hero, Chen Cao, still apply today. Nepotism, corruption, and a high-cadres-network are as, if not more, rampant. The author's depiction of the forces influencing the contemporary Chinese is subtle, detailed, and sensitive. This reader especially appreciates the verbal gems that Mr. Qiu flashes throughout the book - "A room is like a woman. It also possesses you. Besides, you have to spend a fortune to make it love you." However, some aspects of the writing in the book are disappointing. The passage about the American couple, "the Rosenthals" is almost amateurish. Some translations from Chinese are curious too. The editor failed to point out that Guangzhou Opera is generally known as Cantonese Opera in these parts. Like many speakers of the Shanghai dialect, the author often mistook the "wang" sound for the "huang" sound. It's "Wangfujing", not "Huangfujing". Knit-picking aside, reading "The Death of ..." is a wonderful way to spend a few hours.
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Summary: Hailed as Literature, but a Fine Mystery Nevertheless
Review: Inspector Chen Cao of the Shanghai Police Department, who is also a published poet and translator of T. S. Eliot, is celebrating his new private apartment. It has no kitchen, just two gas burners and the bathroom is small with only a toilet, a shower head and no hot water, but Chen is feeling pretty good as the occupancy of a private apartment is proof of his privileged status. However his celebration is cut short when a beautiful young woman turns up naked in a garbage bag in a canal. Detective Chen and his assistant Detective Yu soon identify her as Guan Hongying, whose name literally means 'Red Heroine.' And indeed the murder victim had lead an exemplary life as a Model Worker of the Communist party. The autopsy reveals she had been sexually active shortly before her death, but as far as anyone knows, she was single and uninvolved when she was murdered. With no evidence of sexual trauma, the murder seems a puzzle. During her life, Guan Hongying often appeared in magazines and newspapers and had her photo taken with party leaders, so as soon as they identified the body it was assumed her murder was politically motivated. Yet as Chen and Yu investigate they discover that the young woman had a secret life. Then, when the investigation points to the most privileged group in the country, the case does indeed become political. This novel was nominated for an Edgar Allen Poe award when it first came out. It has also been hailed as fine literature. I suppose it is, but it's first and foremost a mystery and a darn good one at that. Like with the novels of Martin Cruz Smith, Mr. Qui Xiaolong has delivered a fine story about a place most Americans will not be familiar with and, like with Mr. Smith's work, that is part of the beauty of the story.
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