Synopses & Reviews
"Rozan again proves that the private detective novel thrives in the 21st century." -- Oline Cogdill, The Sun-Sentinel on On the LineAmerican-Born Chinese PI Lydia Chin is called in on what appears to be a simple case. Jeff Dunbar, art world insider, wants her to track down a rumor. Contemporary Chinese painting is sizzling hot on the art scene and no one is hotter than Chau Chun, known as the Ghost Hero. A talented and celebrated ink painter, Chau's highly-prized work mixes classical forms and modern political commentary. The rumor of new paintings by Chau is shaking up the art world. Theres only one problem - Ghost Hero Chau has been dead for twenty years, killed in the 1989 Tianamen Square uprising.
But not only is Ghost Hero Chau long dead, but Lydias client isn't who he claims to be either. And shes not the only PI hired to look for these paintings. Lydia and her partner, Bill Smith, soon learn that someone else - Jack Lee: PI, art expert, and, like Lydia, American Born Chinese - is also on the case. What starts as rumors over new paintings by a dead artist quickly becomes something far more desperate - a high-stakes crisis the PI's will find themselves risking everything to resolve.
Review
"S.J. Rozan is a good old-fashioned mystery writer, and I mean that as a high compliment."
--Maureen Corrigan, The Washington Post "...excellent ... Engaging characters, crisp dialogue, intelligent storytelling, and a minimum of violence add up to another winner for Rozan."
--Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) "Rozan picks up the pace and adds a new plot twist to pull off another coup."
--Marilyn Stasio, The New York Times "Rozan delivers another thoroughly entertaining, meticulously plotted and utterly riveting installment of her Lydia Chin/Bill Smith series.... rival PI Jack Lee is a delightful addition."
--RT Book Reviews (Top Pick!) "...more cons and double-crosses than The Sting."
--Kirkus Reviews
Synopsis
After a dry spell and verging on desperate for work, Chinese- American P.I. Lydia Chin agrees to take a case different from her usual fare. A man calling himself Jeff Dunbar hires her to track down a rumor about a very unusual Chinese painter. Contemporary Chinese painting is blazing hot in the art world and no one is hotter than Chau Chun - Ghost Hero Chau. A brilliant and widely-recognized artist, known for mixing classical forms and contemporary political comment, his works are highly prized. The rumor of new paintings by Chau is racing through the Manhattan art world. Theres only one problem - Ghost Hero Chau has been dead for twenty years.
Something is clearly amiss. Not only is the Ghost Hero dead, but Lydias client isnt who he claims to be. And shes not the only PI looking into the case—Bill Smith and Lydia discover that Jack Lee, also Chinese-American, a PI and an art expert as well —has been hired to chase down the same rumors. What starts as buzz over new paintings by a dead artist quickly becomes something far more complex and dangerous, involving secrets that more than one person seems willing to go to extremes to protect.
About the Author
S.J. ROZAN is author of many critically acclaimed novels which have won most of crime fiction's greatest honors, including the Edgar, Shamus, Anthony, Macavity, and Nero awards. Born and raised in the Bronx, Rozan now lives in lower Manhattan.