Synopses & Reviews
A serial killer is stalking the young women of Shanghai. The killers calling card is to leave the victims bodies in well trafficked locations, each of them redressed in a red mandarin dress. With the newspapers screaming about Shanghais first serial killer, Party officials anxious for a quick resolution, and the police under pressure from all sides, something has to give. Chief Inspector Chen Cao of the Shanghai Police Department, a rising party cadre, is often put in charge of politically senstive cases. But this time, theres a catch—Chen is on leave, ostensibly to study for his Masters degree, but also to sidestep being dragged into a messy corruption case with political overtones.
But when the murderer strikes directly at the investigative team itself, Chen must take over the investigation himself discovering that this, his most dangerous and sensitive case to date, has roots that reach back to the countrys tumultuous recent past.
Review
"His characters are expertly drawn, his prose superb and interlaced with thought-provoking poetry that depicts what is being lost in China." --Library Journal (starred review) on A CASE OF TWO CITIES "Qiu Xiaolong's series about Inspector Chen Cao is one of my favorites, for the way it tells exciting stories while revealing fascinating details of Chinese life--everything from food and poetry to politics." --Chicago Tribune on A CASE OF TWO CITIES "Shanghai is vividly drawn, crackling with energy and a scintillating cast." --The Economist on A Case of Two Cities
Review
"The first-rate characterizations and elegant portrait of a society attempting to move from rigid Maoist ideologies to an accommodation with capitalism will keep readers engaged and eager for more." --Publisher's Weekly "In this fifth entry in an outstanding series...author Qiu captures the bustling atmosphere of modern China coming to grips with its Communist roots. Patrons who enjoy mysteries set in today's China, such as those by Peter May, will want this one." --Library Journal (starred review) "The author's heady plot highlights his strenghts, elegantly capturing China in transition. A fascinating read." --Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
Synopsis
Chief Inspector Chen Cao of the Shanghai Police Department is often put in charge of politically sensitive cases. Having recently ruffled more than a few official feathers, when he is asked to look into a sensitive corruption case he takes immediate action - he goes on leave from work. But while on vacation, the body of a murdered young woman is found in a highly trafficked area and the only notable aspect is that she was redressed in a red mandarin dress. When a second body appears, this time in the People's Park, also in precisely the same kind of red mandarin dress, the newspapers start screaming that Shanghai is being stalked by its first sexual serial killer. With the Party anxious to resolve the murders quickly, Chen finds himself in the midst of his most potentially dangerous and sensitive case to date.
About the Author
QIU XIAOLONG was born in Shanghai and, since 1988, has lived in St. Louis, Missouri. A poet and a translator, he has an MA and a Ph.D. from Washington University. He is the author of several previous novels featuring Inspector Chen, including the award-winning Death of a Red Heroine and A Case of Two Cities.