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Other titles in the Detective Inspector Chen Novels series:

The Shadow Pavilion: A Detective Inspector Chen Novel (Detective Inspector Chen Novels)

by Liz Williams

ISBN13: 9781597801225
ISBN10: 1597801224
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Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

The Snake Agent returns in The Shadow Pavilion, the fourth Detective Inspector Chen novel from Liz Williams! When Chen's partner, the demon Seneschal Zhu Irzh, disappears, along with Chen's wife Inari's guardian badger, Chen must enlist all of his allies and assets in order to locate them. From the strange streets of Singapore Three to the rough and tumble world of Bollywood, where money flows fast and emotions flare even faster; from the realms of the Celestial to the haunts of the Infernal and all the spaces in between, The Shadow Pavilion delivers the thrills, excitement, and near-future occult action fans have come to expect.

Review:

"The fourth Det. Insp. Chen mystery (after 2007's Precious Dragon) adds a bit of Bollywood to the high-stakes intrigues of Celestials and demons in Williams's clever mix of Chinese folklore and police procedural. Chen, of Singapore Three, is the city's 'liaison officer... between Earth and Hell and Heaven.' His latest set of troubles starts with the disappearance of his partner, the demon Zhu Irzh, along with Chen's wife's badger familiar. Then Chen learns that someone has hired the bigendered demon assassin Lord Lady Seijin to murder Mhara, the new Emperor of Heaven, and that a rising Bollywood star is actually a tigress demon escaped from the harem of the demon who's trying to steal Zhu Irzh's fiance. The plot zips along via short, tightly written chapters, growing more and more intricate with each scene. Williams seamlessly blends the occult with modern issues like feminism and illegal immigration to create a thoroughly original fantasy." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

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: Jvstin, December 26, 2009 (view all comments by Jvstin)
nspector Chen has been to Hell, dealt with a misguided invasion of Hell by Heaven, corporate takeovers in Hell, and even overseen the ascension of a new Emperor of Heaven.

What does "Snake Agent" Inspector Chen, his demon wife, his demon senechal partner (and new fiance!) and other allies do next?

Well, would you believe get caught in the machinations of demonesses and a demigod from a different Hell (a Hindu one!) as well as deal with an assassination attempt on the (new) Emperor of Heaven himself?

Shadow Pavilion is the fourth novel in Liz Williams' Inspector Chen series. Set in the early 21st century in the Chinese city Singapore Three, where the divine, demonic and real life intersect in very real ways. Not very assessable to those new to the series, Shadow Pavilion continues to expand the playground. While we have had hints there are other heavens and hells in the previous novels, but in Shadow Pavilion we not only meet denizens from them, but we actually have the characters travel to them. Williams does an excellent job making these new realms distinctly different than the bureaucratic-mad Chinese Hell, and the change in venue makes for an interesting contrast.

I enjoyed this volume in the series overall, as always. Inspector Chen and his world are clearly subjects that Ms. Williams has found a niche in writing in, and I look forward to subsequent novels.

My only complaint with this novel is its length. While the other novels are approximately the same short length, in this case, it feels like Williams was writing a bit to that length, rather than to the end point of a story. The pacing felt just a little bit off to me. This is not a serious flaw, but it is a noticeable one.

Recommended to fans of the series. For others, I suggest trying out Snake Agent to see if you like Williams brand of modern Chinese supernatural urban fantasy.
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Product Details

ISBN:: 9781597801225
Author:: Williams, Liz
Publisher:: Night Shade Books
Author:: Night Shade Books
Subject:: Fantasy - Contemporary
Subject:: Mystery & Detective - General
Subject:: Mystery-A to Z
Edition Description:: Hardcover
Series:: Detective Inspector Chen Novels
Publication Date:: 20090631
Binding:: Hardcover
Grade Level:: General/trade
Language:: English
Pages:: 240
Dimensions:: 9.30x6.24x.96 in. 1.22 lbs.

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