Murder in China Red: A Chinaman Mystery

Rating:
Summary: Excellent!
Review: Murder in China Red stars a Chinese detective in New York City
and while the plot is good, it is the writing itself
that is excellent. The detective is tough and a real
loner who,having come from China, sees the USA through the eyes
of someone who has seen another culture. This is tough,
Raymond Chandler-type writing and I really enjoyed it.

Rating:
Summary: Edge of the Seat Thriller
Review: The detective in this one is a real pro with a sense of humilty and a sense of humor. He is determined to track down the bad guys who killed a former lady of his. The author's knowledge of China is obvious so he is able to create a Chinese gumshoe in the streets of New York City. The humor is great so is the characterization. The plot ranges from unexpected twists and turns in the case to his seeking revenge for someone else. He doesn't talk much about 9/11 and its aftermath on NY but when he does it is quite moving.
A fine read.

Rating:
Summary: A Real Thriller!
Review: The detective in this one is a real pro with a sense of humilty and a sense of humor. He is determined to track down the bad guys who killed a former lady of his. The author's knowledge of China is obvious so he is able to create a Chinese gumshoe in the streets of New York City. The humor is great so is the characterization. The plot ranges from unexpected twists and turns in the case to his seeking revenge for someone else. He doesn't talk much about 9/11 and its aftermath on NY but when he does it is quite moving.
A fine read.

Rating:
Summary: A great detective!
Review: The story of this book is well plotted but it is the characterization that I like best, esp. of the main character. "Chinaman" as his friends call him is tough, sensitive, funny but never politically correct. He came from Beijing and doesn't quite fit in with American pop culture anymore than he buys into the complaints of American Chinese he meets (or has an affair with). The author obviously knows New York City like the back of his hand. This is supposed to be a series with Murder in Dominatrix Black next. That should be a corker! Chinaman is no Charlie Chan but he has some of the best traits of Charlie: integrity, honesty, brains.

Rating:
Summary: A great detective!
Review: The story of this book is well plotted but it is the characterization that I like best, esp. of the main character. "Chinaman" as his friends call him is tough, sensitive, funny but never politically correct. He came from Beijing and doesn't quite fit in with American pop culture anymore than he buys into the complaints of American Chinese he meets (or has an affair with). The author obviously knows New York City like the back of his hand. This is supposed to be a series with Murder in Dominatrix Black next. That should be a corker! Chinaman is no Charlie Chan but he has some of the best traits of Charlie: integrity, honesty, brains.

Rating:
Summary: A Very Fine Detective Novel
Review: This book really is refreshing in that besides being well written and well plotted, it really concentrates on the detective himself and the atmosphere in which he works. That is what Raymond Chandler did and even when his plots went just a bit weird or got away from him, Chandler's books are still great. Barrett also seems to have a natural gift of talent to create a detective we want to see involved in more cases. This Chinese detective from Beijing scraping by in Manhattan is a winner.