A Loyal Character Dancer: Inspector Chen 2

Description

Former dancer and party loyalist Wen Liping vanishes in rural China just before she was to leave the country. Her husband, a key witness against a smuggling ring suspected of importing aliens to the US, refuses to testify until she is found and brought to join him in America. A few days later, a badly mutilated body turns up in Shanghai's Bund Park. It bears all the hallmarks of a triad killing. The US immigration agency, convinced that the Chinese government are hiding something, send US Marshal Catherine Rohn to Shanghai to join the investigation. Inspector Chen, an astute young policeman with twin passions for food and poetry, is under political pressure to find answers fast. When Catherine Rohn joins him he must decide what is more dangerous: to hide the truth, or to risk unleashing a scandal that could destroy his career.

Qiu Xiaolong was born in Shanghai. He was selected for membership of the Chinese Writers' Association and published poetry, translations and criticism in China. He has lived in the United States since 1989 and has an M.A. and Ph.D. in Comparative Literature awarded by Washington University. He has been the recipient of the Missouri Biennial Award, the Prairie Schooner Readers' Choice Award, a Yaddo and a Ford Foundation Fellowship. He lives in St. Louis with his wife and daughter.

'Qui's second mystery is a treat' -- St. Louis Post-Dispatch 'A Knockout.' -- Poisoned Pen Booknews 'A sequel that in many ways is even more impressive...we begin to realise that Chen is ideally suited not only to police work but also to the fine art of political survival. [Qui] has moved from the poetic, exotic milieu of his first book (although plenty of both elements remain) into a tougher, wider, probably more commercial and modern vision of China as seen by America.' -- Chicago Tribune 'The miracle is that, while he provides good suspense, Qui Xiaolong has transcended his genre [while] fulfilling all genre expectations by solving and linking two triad-related crime cases.' -- Persimmon 'Enchanting...Shanghai under the masterful literary talents of Qiu Xiaolong, is described with breathtaking realism...[contains] all the elements for a good crime drama.' -- Tampa Tribune 'Unusual in [its] vivid sense of an author exploring an alien genre, fusing it with Chinese literary traditions and taking it with him to strange new places...Chen's life is a delicate dance between trying to be an honest cop and trying to stay on the right side of the party.' -- January Magazine 'The sequel to Death of a Red Heroine, which won the Anthony in 2001 for best debut novel, Qui Xiaolong's latest mystery is another winner...If you like mysteries with both a brain and heart, read A Loyal Character Dancer.' -- Rocky Mountain News 'Another wonderful novel featuring Inspector Chen of the Shanghai Police Bureau.' -- Maureen Corrigan, FRESH AIR, NPR, and Th 'Intriguing...Gang wars, rampant prostitution (even in Karaoke clubs!), and the slavish greed and trend-sucking of China's rising entrepreneurial class almost overcome the erudite, but never pedantic, detective's belief in his country's ancient wisdom and current potential.' -- Raleigh News and Observer 'Qui's books carry satisfying characterisations and a ring of authenticity about life in China.' -- Japan Times 'Engaging realism and charm, even while showing the underside of China in transition.' -- Publisher's Weekly 'When I read Qui Xiaolong's Death of a Red Heroine I was enchanted...Now, with A Loyal Character Dancer Qui has given us an even more lyrically written, wide-ranging, bitersweet story.' -- S.J. Rozan, Mystery News 'What a relief! Book two in the Inspector Chen saga meets the high expectations aroused by Qui Xialong's first...a damn good mystery - a police procedural of the first water.' -- The Midwest Book Review 'The combination of ancient and modern Chinese history with modern police work has produced and excellent procedural novel, filled with atmosphere and carefully illustrating life in China today. Inspector Chen is likeable, thoughtful, and appealing.' -- Dallas Morning News 'An unlikely but very likable pair of strangely assorted cops - Shanghai police inspector Chen Cao and U.S. Marshal Service Inspector Catherine Rohn. There are lurking triads and international intrigue-mongers, there's exotic background and history...the plot is wonderfully complex.' -- The Courier-Gazette 'The travelogue aspects of this novel don't overwhelm its critical intelligence. The murder and mayhem provide a cover story for a larger investigation of social mysteries - in this case the fate of educated Chinese, many of whose lives were made a waking nightmare by the cultural revolution, and the future of Chinese communism itself.' -- Chicago Sun Times 'Likeable, admirable Chen makes a sturdy protagonist, but it's China in transition - always interesting, often bewildering - that gets the star turn here.' -- Kirkus Reviews 'Engrossing insights into contemporary China in an intricate mystery.' -- Booklist '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 'This is a luminescent synthesis of a thriller and a literary novel' -- Barry Forshaw, Independent 'This is a fascinating and thought-provoking read, rich in descriptions of delicious meals, beautiful gardens and impossibly cramped housing. Not to be missed.' -- Guardian 'This is a luminescent synthesis of a thriller and a literary novel.' -- Independent 'Another wonderful novel featuring Inspector Chen of the Shanghai Police Bureau.' -- Maureen Corrigan, Washington Post 'A sequel that in many ways is even more impressive' -- Chicago Tribune 'Likeable, admirable Chen makes a sturdy protagonist, but it's China in transition - always interesting, often bewildering - that gets the star turn here.' -- Kirkus Reviews 'The travelogue aspects of this novel don't overwhelm its critical intelligence. The murder and mayhem provide a cover story for a larger investigation of social mysteries - in this case the fate of educated Chinese, many of whose lives were made a waking nightmare by the cultural revolution, and the future of Chinese communism itself.' -- Chicago Sun Times 'The combination of ancient and modern Chinese history with modern police work has produced an excellent procedural novel, filled with atmosphere and carefully illustrating life in China today. Inspector Chen is likeable, thoughtful, and appealing.' -- Dallas Morning News 'The miracle is that, while he provides good suspense, Qui Xiaolong has transcended his genre [while] fulfilling all genre expectations by solving and linking two triad-related crime cases.' -- Persimmon 'Intriguing...Gang wars, rampant prostitution (even in Karaoke clubs!), and the slavish greed and trend-sucking of China's rising entrepreneurial class almost overcome the erudite, but never pedantic, detective's belief in his country's ancient wisdom and current potential.' -- Raleigh News and Observer