| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Did you know you can trade in your old books for an Amazon.co.uk Gift Card to spend on the things you want? Plus, get an extra £5 Gift Certificate when you trade in books worth £10 or more before June 30, 2012. Visit the Books Trade-In Store for more details. |
Frequently Bought Together
Product details
|
More About the Author
Product Description
Review
Praise for Qiu Xiaolong
(: )'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 )'Intriguing . . . pertinent . . . intelligent'
(New York Times on RED MANDARIN DRESS )'The usual enjoyable mix of murder, poetry and contractions of contemporary Chinese culture. Chen is a splendid creation, with his facility for quoting Tang Dynasty poetry and T S Eliot, his quiet devotion to his duty, his unhappy love life and his appreciation of good food.'
(Independent on Sunday )Product Description
Tucked away from the building sites of modern
The owner is an old painter who holds a glittering party each night: swing jazz plays for his former neighbours, who dance, remember old times and forget for an evening the terrors that followed. But questions are being asked. How can he afford such a lifestyle? His paintings? Blackmail? A triad connection? Prostitution?
Inspector Chen is asked to investigate discreetly what is going on behind the elegant façade. But, before he can get close to anyone, one of the girls is found murdered in the garden and another is terrified she will be next.
Chen's quest for answers will take Chen to a strange businessman, triads, Chairman Mao himself and a terrible secret the Party will go to any length to conceal.
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
Beware, however, that Qiu's English has improved substantially, and although his style remains wonderful, and wonderfully Chinese, it has lost its awkwardness. I feel the author is thinking in English now, rather than in Chinese, and then translating. I'm not sure if this is good or bad, it's just different.
Inspector Chen is both a poet and detective. Cultured and educated, he is entrusted with investigating the suddenly affluent lifestyle of Jiao, granddaughter of a disgraced movie star. But as he begins his investigation, the body of Jiao's friend is found in the garden of a gently decaying Shanghai mansion.
The case is politically sensitive, due to the connection between Jiao's grandmother and Chairman Mao. In fact, Internal police are convinced that Jiao holds some secret material from Mao, which cannot be allowed to resurface and tarnish his beloved and treasured image.
This is a crime novel of a different ilk. Originating as it does from a different culture, Xiaolong's story offers a different type of crime novel - intellectual and educated. It is wistful, literate and utterly unique.
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
|
