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Laurence Westwood

The Willow Woman: A Philip Ye Novel (1) (Philip Ye Novels) Paperback – 7 Jan. 2019

by Laurence Westwood (Author)

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Chengdu: a teeming, modern metropolis.

Yet China’s painful turbulent history still leaves its mark on the minds of all who live there.

Philip Ye, half English, half Chinese, is a homicide detective with the Chengdu Public Security Bureau who suffers his own anguish from a life blighted by tragedy and the unsettling appearance of ghosts that often intrude in on his investigations.

On a misty grey morning one such apparition leads him to a busy street corner during the rush hour where he bears witness to a shocking event. Against his better judgment, Phillip is drawn into the search for a missing, vulnerable boy. His investigation brings him into contact with Xu Ya, a brilliant and beautiful public prosecutor. She is new to Chengdu, determined not only to make her mark but to also leave behind her own personal heartbreak. They have crossed paths before. He has no memory of her, but she remembers him very well indeed….

Soon enough Philip Ye has a vicious murder on his hands, and then another – the boy’s disappearance seemingly sparking a chain of violent events. With the help of Xu Ya – dedicated to upholding făzhì,the Rule of Law, in China ‒ and her indefatigable and worldly-wise assistant Fatty Deng, Phillip Ye is quickly on the trail of a mysterious figure known as The Willow Woman. But, unbeknownst to them all, there are secretive and subversive forces at work within the dark heart of the city and tremendous danger awaits....

Print length

454 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Shikra Press Limited
Publication date

7 Jan. 2019
Dimensions

12.7 x 2.34 x 20.32 cm
ISBN-10

1916456944
ISBN-13

978-1916456945
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Product description

About the Author

Graduating from the University of York with a (probably ill-advised) degree in Theoretical Physics, Laurence commenced upon a varied career in law enforcement and management consultancy. After a few years with Birmingham Trading Standards where he specialised in anti-competitive practices investigations, he led an investigation team for the software industry tasked with intellectual property enforcement across the United Kingdom as well as the provision of training in computer law and computer forensics to all UK law enforcement authorities and the military. In 2001, he set up his own management consultancy firm providing training and advice to both the public and private sectors on legal risk and information security. He regularly lectures at the University of Warwick on computer law and IP enforcement. He has had a long-standing fascination with the political, military, social and legal history of China. He lives just outside of Stratford-upon-Avon.

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Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Shikra Press Limited (7 Jan. 2019)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 454 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1916456944
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1916456945
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 12.7 x 2.34 x 20.32 cm

Best Sellers Rank: 2,820,974 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- 8,726 in Legal Thrillers (Books)
- 27,880 in Police Procedurals (Books)
- 179,590 in Mysteries (Books)

Customer reviews:
9 ratings

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Drummer

An unusual, absorbing read!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 10 February 2019

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Anyone expecting a run-of-the-mill police procedural or a modern psychological thriller full of twists and turns is going to be surprised by this novel. It is a police procedural, of sorts, but it is so much more than this - it is part complex family saga, part ghost-story, and also part exploration of recent Chinese history. The author is also trying to tell us something important about the rule of law, and what can happen when the people are in thrall to one man, crazy or otherwise – a commentary, if there ever was one, on Maoist China and maybe the China of today under Xi Jinping.

It is occasionally a dark story, with serious points to make, but there is also great humour in it. And the characters are a joy – especially Fatty Deng, former police, and now a special investigator for the very ‘high-maintenance’ Prosecutor Xu Ya. But, even though there are dozens of characters appearing in the story, it is Philip Ye, the enigmatic homicide detective, who is the glue that holds the story together, and who all the other characters revolve around – even if (in my humble opinion) he does not necessarily provide the novel’s moral core. So, to conclude, if you are looking for a fast-paced American style thriller this novel is not for you. But if you want to lose yourself for hours and hours in deep and intricate tale of modern China, and really feel like you have learned something at the end of it, then The Willow Woman is definitely for you. Oh, and did I say that I am totally in love with Fatty Deng….??

An interesting and well thought-out novel. I look forward to the next!

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Jenny Hutton

What an incredible read!!!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 10 March 2019

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Was so disappointed when I had finished this wonderful book.... I need the next one. I got so wrapped up in the characters, that I completely forgot they were not real....or were they? They certainly were to me, so much so that when Fatty Deng was killed, I felt as if I had lost someone close to me. Loved the twist though. Won't give anything more away...Just buy this clever, intelligent and very descriptive book NOW, you won't be disappointed.....only when you have finished reading it. So good, it's a book you can read again and again. Thoroughly enjoyed it...many thanks to the Author 😏 best book I have read for a long time.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 5 May 2019

Verified Purchase

Excellent story

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marjorie mallon

Great read - an entertaining crime novel set in China

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 18 June 2020

My rating: 4.5 stars
This isn't my usual genre but when I read the cover and synopsis I knew The Willow Woman would be for me. I was lucky to win a copy, (this in no way influences my review - all opinions are my own,) and I wasn't disappointed.

What a great novel. The Willow Woman is well written, engaging, and thoroughly researched too. There are masses of characters in the novel, but don't let this put you off. The author kindly gives us a detailed list, so we don't get confused who is who! Within the cover of this book you'll find: touches of the paranormal and the mystical, police procedural, China's historical past and the frailties of what it means to be human and vulnerable set amongst the cliques, violence, cults and mysteries of China.

There are many characters in this tale to keep the reader entertained. Laurence Westwood introduces them with care and such detail that the reader is immersed in this world.

My personal favourites are Fatty Deng, Constable Ma, Mouse, the main protagonist Philip Ye and the Prosecutor Xu Ya.

In fact, I wish we had more of Fatty Deng...

Moreover, there are the lovely touches of spontaneous humour that bring a smile from time to time.

The ending what can I say - read it and see!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 25 May 2019

Admittedly, it took me a little while to be in the mood for The Willow Woman because of its setting: China. While that felt rather unique and while I was curious to see how the setting would influence the story, I’d been having busy, brain-foggy days and I was a tad worried about the Chinese names: I’m not very good with names, let alone names in a language I don’t know. I haven’t read many books with an Asian setting, frankly I only remember two: Memoirs of a Geisha (which I loved) and Wild Swans (which I DNF’d), so I thought I’d have to be clear-headed and clear-scheduled. Folks, let me tell you: I needn’t have worried! Laurence even had the foresight to include a list of characters at the beginning of the book, which did come in handy in the beginning of the book, when I did sneak a peek every once in a while to check who someone was, or how they were connected to the main character, but after the introductory pages had ended and the story was in full force, I had zero problems remembering who everyone was. So if like me, you’re bad with names, no worries!

Speaking of names, these are the most important ones. Philip Ye, son of an English mother and an (in)famous Chinese father. His looks are English but his heart is Chinese. He is often made fun of because of his movie star looks, but he couldn’t care less about his own handsomeness, he isn’t the least bit arrogant and he’s not a womaniser. There’s Xu Ya, the new prosecutor. She may be beautiful, but first and foremost she is sharp as a tack and has an extreme sense of justice, she’s kind, she’s brave, she has quite a dark history and I enjoyed the glimpses into her former life. There’s Fatty Deng with his Hawaiian shirts, little Mouse who’s terrified of her own shadow but steps up all the same, Constable Ma whom I pictured as a Chinese Brienne of Tart. By the end of the book, I had become so invested in these people that they had ceased to be mere characters, they had become my friends.

Like I said above, I’m not well-versed in Asian-based books. The majority of the thrillers I read are set in the UK or the US, places I may not have been yet, but close enough to my own world for them to seem familiar. And they often feel a tad interchangeable in terms of setting, too. Take a thriller set in, say, Brighton, and put the characters and their story in a Belgian seaside town, most of the times, it would work. So I was very curious about the setting in China, and how much it would influence the story, if at all. As it turns out: you could not take this story out of China. At all. Chinese culture is intricately and masterfully woven into the storylines, so much so and in such a way, that I feel I have learned a lot with very little effort. Laurence is obviously quite the sinologist and interlaces a superb detective story / thriller with Chinese history, law, traditions and customs. The long and short of it is: if you’re at all interested in Chinese culture in the broadest sense, do yourself a favour and pick up The Willow Woman!

One last remark: the blurb mentions ghosts, but if you’re looking for a paranormal thriller, this isn’t it. Ghosts are but an itty-bitty part of the story, they are mentioned more as a kind of cultural phenomenon than anything else, and rather in passing too, so don’t let that scare you off if you’re not into ghosts, and don’t let it be the reason to pick up this book if you are.

A brilliant book with brilliant characters that took me completely by surprise. Highly recommended! I for one am keeping everything crossed that this won’t be Philip Ye’s last outing. Although the story is nicely wrapped up at the end I do feel there is lots more to tell, and, let me tell you, if there’s a second instalment I will be first in line to get my mitts on it!

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