Red Mandarin Dress (Paperback)

Bringing 1990s Communist China alive, Qiu's masterful fifth Inspector Chen mystery (after 2006's A Case of Two Cities) finds Shanghai terrorized by its first-ever serial killer. The murderer dresses his victims' corpses in fancy red mandarin dresses before leaving them in public places. Insp. Chen Cao of the Shanghai Police Department has taken a step back from his professional life to pursue an advanced literature course instead of investigating a politically sensitive corruption case, but now he must return to active duty and help in the manhunt. He learns that the symbolic garb may be connected to the corruption scandal, but not before a young female officer falls prey. The solution may strike some as a little pat, but 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. (Nov.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --Ce texte provient de la Hardcover édition.

'[Xiaolong] vividly details the human cost of a city (the new consumer crazy Shanghai) devouring itself ... Yet even in these dangerous surroundings, culture and beauty endure and an honest man can still chart a path for good, no matter how perilous' -- Economist 'The creation of Inspector Chen Cao of the Shanghai Police Bureau is a very successful addition to the detective genre ... a fresh, fast-paced detective thriller that will keep you turning those pages' -- Sunday Express 'Atmospheric and rich in behind the scenes detail, Qiu Xiaolong's mysteries pit the poetry-loving Inspector Chen of Shanghai against criminality and corruption in the new China ... Morse of the Far East' -- Independent 'Qiu gives a fresh perspective on the forces shaping a new China and the influences of the Cultural Revolution and then Tiananmen in 1989.' -- Sunday Morning Post, Hong Kong 'A luminescent synthesis of thriller and literary novel' -- Independent on A LOYAL CHARACTER DANCER 'Stupendous' -- Fresh Air, National Public Radio, USA on DEATH OF A RED HEROINE '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 'Compelling ... this fast-moving crime novel admirably depicts the intriguing struggles of characters grasping a foothold in a new and rising China.' -- TLS on A CASE OF TWO CITIES 'A great read.' -- Guardian on WHEN RED IS BLACK 'Chen is an irresistible protagonist ... Qiu's portrait of China in transition, a potential eye-opener for many of his Western readers, is an equally compelling attraction.' -- Kirkus Reviews on DEATH OF A RED HEROINE 'A vivid portrait of modern Chinese society ... full of the sights, sounds and smells of Shanghai ... A work of real distinction.' -- Wall Street Journal 'A great read' -- Weekend Australian on DEATH OF A RED HEROINE 'In a word: brilliant' -- Herald Sun on DEATH OF A RED HEROINE 'Chen is a great creation, an honourable man in a world full of deception and treachery' -- Guardian "fascinating and essential reading... Chen is a delightful and humane guide." -- Reviewing the Evidence 20080331