Red Mandarin Dress
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'[Xiaolong] vividly details the human cost of a city (the new consumer crazy Shanghai) devouring itself . . . Yet even in these dangerous surroundings, culture and beauty endure and an honest man can still chart a path for good, no matter how perilous'
(Economist )'The creation of Inspector Chen Cao of the Shanghai Police Bureau is a very successful addition to the detective genre . . . a fresh, fast-paced detective thriller that will keep you turning those pages'
(Sunday Express )'Atmospheric and rich in behind the scenes detail, Qiu Xiaolong's mysteries pit the poetry-loving Inspector Chen of Shanghai against criminality and corruption in the new China . . . Morse of the Far East'
(Independent )'Qiu gives a fresh perspective on the forces shaping a new China and the influences of the Cultural Revolution and then Tiananmen in 1989.'
(Sunday Morning Post, Hong Kong )'A luminescent synthesis of thriller and literary novel'
(Independent on A LOYAL CHARACTER DANCER )'Stupendous'
(Fresh Air, National Public Radio, USA on DEATH OF A RED HEROINE )'With strong and subtle characterisation, Qui Xiaolong draws us into a fascinating world where the greatest mystery revealed is the mystery of present-day China itself.'
(John Harvey )'Compelling . . . this fast-moving crime novel admirably depicts the intriguing struggles of characters grasping a foothold in a new and rising China.'
(TLS on A CASE OF TWO CITIES )'A great read.'
(Guardian on WHEN RED IS BLACK )'Chen is an irresistible protagonist . . . Qiu's portrait of China in transition, a potential eye-opener for many of his Western readers, is an equally compelling attraction.' (Kirkus Reviews on DEATH OF A RED HEROINE )
'A vivid portrait of modern Chinese society ... full of the sights, sounds and smells of Shanghai . . . A work of real distinction.'
(Wall Street Journal )'A great read'
(Weekend Australian on DEATH OF A RED HEROINE )'In a word: brilliant'
(Herald Sun on DEATH OF A RED HEROINE )'Chen is a great creation, an honourable man in a world full of deception and treachery'
(Guardian )"fascinating and essential reading... Chen is a delightful and humane guide."
(Reviewing the Evidence )Sunday Express
'The creation of Inspector Chen Cao of the Shanghai Police Bureau is a very successful addition to the detective genre . . . a fresh, fast-paced detective thriller that will keep you turning those pages'
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
`Red Mandarin Dress' begins with the discovery of a young girl who has been murdered and dumped in a very public area of Shanghai, just outside the Shanghai Music Institute. She has not been sexually assaulted, but she is wearing nothing but the red Mandarin dress which is associated with the bourgeoisie. As Inspector Chen is away working on his literature paper, it falls to his trusty sidekick, Yu, to begin the investigation. However, when another body is discovered and an undercover operation involving a member of the Police bureau goes horribly wrong, he is brought back into the fold.
I have enjoyed this series tremendously, but felt that the last couple of books in the series had not lived up to the brilliance of the initial novel, `Death of a Red Heroine.' However, this novel really does spark a return to form. The plot is interesting and involving, incorporating the wonderful mix of history, politics, gastronomy and Chinese Literature that made the earlier books so great and so unique.
I will include my usual minor moan, that I would appreciate a note on the pronunciation of names. Also, it's a shame that the publisher seems to have abandoned the striking illustrated covers too!
I have enjoyed this series tremendously, but felt that the last couple of books in the series had not lived up to the brilliance of the initial novel, `Death of a Red Heroine.' However, this novel really does spark a return to form. The plot is interesting and involving, incorporating the wonderful mix of history, politics, gastronomy and Chinese Literature that made the earlier books so great and so unique.
I will include my usual minor moan, that I would appreciate a note on the pronunciation of names. Also, it's a shame that the publisher seems to have abandoned the striking illustrated covers too!
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I have read all of the Inspector Chen stories so far. Death of a red heroine was a strong book and "A loyal character dancer" was as well. "When red is black" started to loose momentum (Chen was not even involved in the case) and "A case of two cities" lost it all completly. The whole case of anti corruption ends abrubtly with no tension built before hand to be relieved Which brings me to "Red mandarin dress".
This books picks up the old spirit of the first. I could not put the book down because I wanted to discover who the killer was. Admittedly the climax was not the best but over all this book is possibly the best in the series and a good thriller in general. This would be the one I would recommend for people who do not want to read all of the books. Lets hope that Qiu Xiaolong does not repeat the mistakes he made and writes another edge-of-the-seat, complex thriller
This books picks up the old spirit of the first. I could not put the book down because I wanted to discover who the killer was. Admittedly the climax was not the best but over all this book is possibly the best in the series and a good thriller in general. This would be the one I would recommend for people who do not want to read all of the books. Lets hope that Qiu Xiaolong does not repeat the mistakes he made and writes another edge-of-the-seat, complex thriller
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Murder seems to follow our lead detective Chen around no matter how hard he tries to avoid it by hiding away emerging his self in his classical studies. Seemingly unrelated events gradually merge together until it all becomes clear, and going against his unbelieving colleagues Chen works toward the final showdown.
Unlike the police in Shanghai I have known, Chen seems less at home in a KTV bar. A traditionalist through and through.
This is the sixth installment in the Inspector Chen detective series. Although you certainly don't need to have read the earlier stories, why not start at the beginning and get a feel for how the Inspector Chen character develops?
I have lived in Shanghai for four years, and I love the pondering whimsical style of policing here; answers are rooted in the classics. This is detective work on the edge. There are no police databases and fancy technology to help here. Shanghai is where detective work is still done on gut instinct. Just like Poirot, Chen is expert at making people to talk!
The first Inspector Chen installment:
Death of a Red Heroine
Unlike the police in Shanghai I have known, Chen seems less at home in a KTV bar. A traditionalist through and through.
This is the sixth installment in the Inspector Chen detective series. Although you certainly don't need to have read the earlier stories, why not start at the beginning and get a feel for how the Inspector Chen character develops?
I have lived in Shanghai for four years, and I love the pondering whimsical style of policing here; answers are rooted in the classics. This is detective work on the edge. There are no police databases and fancy technology to help here. Shanghai is where detective work is still done on gut instinct. Just like Poirot, Chen is expert at making people to talk!
The first Inspector Chen installment:
Death of a Red Heroine
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
a gem
You need to be patient with this book. It's not written in the style we expect of detective novels. Read more
Published 1 month ago by B. Lowe
Not the best
Completely new to this author, I picked up this book in the mood for a change of genre to crime. I found the storyline reasonably interesting and read throughout to reach the... Read more
Published 16 months ago by Mrs Mitten
excellent picture of life and death in modern shaghai
An inspector Chen mystery a serial killer loose in ShangHai. There are tantalising links back to former times in China's post WW2 history . Read more
Published 22 months ago by A. Browne
Unfortunate outcome - but excellent service
I ordered the book 'Red Mandarin Dress' on 13 November 2009 and was pleased to be informed that the book had shipped the following day, the 14th. Read more
Published on 16 Dec 2009 by Graham Mcgregor
A Cultural Experience
I loved reading this book and sliding into the lives and minds of the mainland Chinese post cultural revolution. Read more
Published on 12 Dec 2009 by Book Worm
Can the crimes of the Cultural Revolution ever be resolved?
A woman has been found murdered wearing nothing but a red mandarin dress that dates back to the 1960s. Read more
Published on 21 Oct 2009 by Parvati P.
Red Mandarim Dress
I have been reading all books from this author:my overall apreciation is
that some detective authors should not be seen as part of a minor category of fiction,since their... Read more
that some detective authors should not be seen as part of a minor category of fiction,since their... Read more
Published on 31 Jan 2009 by Querubim Ramalho
puzzling
I found this book puzzling because I don't understand the author's harping on the Chinese predilection for eating live food prepared at the table. Read more
Published on 17 Aug 2008 by Arthur Koch
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