Customer Reviews

Death of a Red Heroine

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This novel merits attention not only because it is excellent, but also because it is groundbreaking. As fas as I know, it is the first English-language police procedural set in contemporary China that is written by a Chinese author. Of course, I would love to be proven wrong on this since it would mean that there was other material out there for me to read. To my knowledge, most previous mysteries and thrillers set in China have been by Western authors. The most famous are probably van Gulik's classic Judge Dee mysteries. Unfortunately, more recently we have suffered from inane thrillers in which a Western protagonist becomes entangled in some sort of incomprehensible and fundamentally absurd political intrigue, confronts a series of diabolical but paper-thin villains, and receives assistance from some sort of beautiful and exotic love interest. Finally, with Red Heroine, we have a detective novel written by an insider with Chinese protagonists, Chinese villains, and only incidental roles for Westerners. I hope very much this is the beginning of a trend.

Now for my discussion of the novel itself. The novel worked well on three levels.

First of all, it was the sort of slow-paced, atmospheric police procedural that I like the most. In many ways, it reminds me de Wetering's Grijpstra and de Gier series, Mankell's Kurt Wallander novels, or Sjowall and Wahloo's Martin Beck novels. It uses a criminal case and the accompanying investigation as a lens through which to view contemporary society. The pace is leisurely, it provides a very strong sense of place, and has nicely realized, complex, and mostly authentic characters. So if you like reading about Grijpstra and de Gier, Wallender, or Beck, you will like this book.

Second, I thought it was an excellent and very authentic portrait of life in urban China in the 1990s. The author takes advantage of the possibilities offered by the narrative form of the procedural to introduce characters from many different walks of life and show how they have been affected by the turbulence of previous decades and by the uncertainty created by the rapid economic and political change of the 1990s. Generational conflicts, economic and social clevages, and political change all play a role. The portrait of life is so complete that I am weighing the possibility of assigning the novel when I teach my class on Chinese society next year. The book's focus on the mundane details of everyday life sets it apart from much of the other English-language fiction about China that seems to focus so much on the exotic.

Third, I really appreciated the quality of the prose. Reflecting perhaps the author's apparent background in literature, the imagery in many of the passages was really evocative. I have spent a fair amount of time in China, and the authors' descriptions of people's homes, restaurants, typical street scenes, and so forth all really resonated.

The novel is not perfect, reflecting perhaps the fact that it is the author's first published detective novel. I would like to have seen more of the intricate details of police work that help 'authenticate' procedurals. While interviewing and the gathering of forensic evidence was handled adequately, there were one or two places where the description fell flat. For example, on a couple of occasions when a character needs to go somewhere without being followed, the author simply states that the character 'made sure he wans't being followed.' This is a marked difference from, for example, Wahloo and Sjowall's "The Man Who Went Up in Smoke" where we get ample details of Martin Beck's attempts to evade surveillance while in Budapest. In this particular case, I was completely mystified as to how anyone in China who knew they the subject of special attention from the government could 'make sure they weren't being followed.'

Another very minor quibble I had was that the romanization of some of the names seemed problematic. A historical character named Liu Xiahui (the Liu Xiahui of "Zuo huai bu luan") was repeatedly referred to as Liu Xiawei. The Shenzhen SEZ was repeatedly referred to as Shengzhen. These point are of course minor, perhaps they will be dealt with when the novel is reprinted.

Overall this is an excellent mystery, and a nice picture of urban life in changing China. I am looking forward very much to the author's next work.

The first book in the Inspector Chen series (followed by A Loyal Character Dancer) is a spellbinding meld detective procedural and portrait of China in transition following the Tiananmen Square massacre. Set in Shanghai in the Spring of 1990, the story starts with the discovery of the body of a "national model worker." The case falls into the hands newly promoted Det. Inspector Chen Cao and his subordinate Detective Yu, who work under the watchful eyes of old Commissar Zhang and Party Secretary Li.

Communist China makes for an instantly compelling and intriguing setting, as the police must wend their way through labyrinthine political considerations in a country where one's standing in the Party is paramount but change is clearly underway. The mystery and investigation proceed in a leisurely fashion, and the true challenge is not identifying the murderer, but being able to gather the necessary evidence and piecing together a motive.

Inspector Chen and Detective Yu are instantly likable and deeply-drawn characters, as is their circle of friends and family. Woven into the story are the their personal lives, which the author uses to paint a vivid picture of China just a decade ago. Most memorable are the cramped housing conditions, the continued reverence for elders, and the many many mouthwatering descriptions of food. Hardest to imagine for Western readers will be the influence of Party standing and its intrusion into personal relationships, especially when it comes to love.

This is a long, but never boring story that deserves wide readership amongst mystery readers as well as those with an interest in China. A well-deserved winner of the Edgar for best first novel.

I am not normally a fan of mysteries as a category of fiction but my wife makes up for my lack of interest with stacks of mysteries around the house. This first book by Qiu Xiolong struck my interest with its setting in Shanghai, China in early 1990 a year after Teanammen Square. The book does not disappoint; it is a splendid mix of historical fiction, political and social observation, with a newly appointed Chief Inspector Chen who is a wonderfully fully developed character (as are all the characters in the book). You're not going to read this because of the case, a rather traditional murder. Although the victim, the red heroine of the title, is compelling because she was a "model worker" member of the "Party" and thus a part of the elite. All this Xiaolong points out comes with a price. The fun begins as The Party, via Chen's superiors are all over him and his partner Yu attempting to direct, control, delay and halt the investigation to protect the Party, and thus the country. How this all plays out in the plot are the twists and turns one expects from a good mystery. The book's structure is basically just a police procedural. However, this outstanding book is much more as it delivers the reader into the world of 1990 Shanghai with details in character and environment in a strange landscape of a political and economic system in a paranoid transition. The basic plot point is the decline of privileges of the old guard and their sense of entitlement vs. capitalism that Chen and his generation realize requires fairness and justice if it is to work. My only negative comments are that the actual murder case and motive is not that creative although it works and services the story. And, don't your just hate it when a compelling character and love interest, in this case a local reporter named Wang, just keeps calling Chen and....... (Well I won't spoil it for you except to say in my opinion Xialong missed the boat on the Wang/Chen relationship). I can not convey how much I both enjoyed this book and how I am sure you will too.

The Death of a Red Heroine felt like a breeze of fresh air. This mystery novel is quite different from its Western cousins. There is one suspect, but neverthless mystery shrouds the way the crime was commited and whether or not the suspect is going to be brought to justice. This novel does a splendid job in entertwining personal conflicts, political shenanigans, and cultural-artistic aspects of Shanghai society with the murder mystery. The result is spellbinding reading, and cultural-political enlightenment about modern day China.

Death of a Red Heroinetakes a police procedural to a new place: Modern china. Inspector Chen Cao is a poetry writing and loving special investigator,and here he lands a dangerous case. The "model party worker" who is fishes out of the water is not what she appears to be,and the inspector must go against his superiors and the "party interests" to solve the case. All of this is pretty mundane in this genre, though the locale,the heavy stench of mao and the cultural revolution linger throughout,along with the marvelous meals, and the excellent descriptions of daily life in "modern ' China. The delicacy of chinese manners comes across very well, the sexual retinence,the deep repect of elders still alive. Part sociology,part history mostly a damn good read. Unlucky in love,lucky in work, inspector Chen Cao is an interesting addition to the genre .The novel has many conventional mystery formulas, then takes different turns. Highly recommended!

Inspector Chen Cao of the Shanghai Police Department, who is also a published poet and translator of T. S. Eliot, is celebrating his new private apartment. It has no kitchen, just two gas burners and the bathroom is small with only a toilet, a shower head and no hot water, but Chen is feeling pretty good as the occupancy of a private apartment is proof of his privileged status. However his celebration is cut short when a beautiful young woman turns up naked in a garbage bag in a canal.

Detective Chen and his assistant Detective Yu soon identify her as Guan Hongying, whose name literally means Red Heroine. And indeed the murder victim had lead an exemplary life as a Model Worker of the Communist party. The autopsy reveals she had been sexually active shortly before her death, but as far as anyone knows, she was single and uninvolved when she was murdered. With no evidence of sexual trauma, the murder seems a puzzle.

During her life, Guan Hongying often appeared in magazines and newspapers and had her photo taken with party leaders, so as soon as they identified the body it was assumed her murder was politically motivated. Yet as Chen and Yu investigate they discover that the young woman had a secret life. Then, when the investigation points to the most privileged group in the country, the case does indeed become political.

This novel was nominated for an Edgar Allen Poe award when it first came out. It has also been hailed as fine literature. I suppose it is, but its first and foremost a mystery and a darn good one at that. Like with the novels of Martin Cruz Smith, Mr. Qui Xiaolong has delivered a fine story about a place most Americans will not be familiar with and, like with Mr. Smiths work, that is part of the beauty of the story.

This is a basic mystery, with a plot that's very linear with few surprises; thus it's mainly a story of two men overcoming the system around them, a bureaucracy of Red China with the accompanying human foolishness that goes with impersonal, bureaucratic pretense. The characters are its main strength, with the exception of the female lead, who is introduced too late in the story. Its pacing is exciting in that every event is a deadpan, with the conclusion announced early, and then focus building around how it is overcome. Quotes from mostly Chinese poets throughout build a sense of metaphor and background that is both random and highly focused. While it is verbose and often meanders, this is a pleasant book which focuses more on revealing people than mysteries.

I read books to either A.) be entertained, or B.) to learn something. In The Death of a Red Heroine, I got both. While not a traditional whodunit, it still provides plenty of mystery. I also learned something about Chinese culture and politics, without having to read a dry textbook. I highly recommend this book, and look forward to the next installment with Inspector Chen.

Qiu Xiaolong's Chen Cao novels are not traditional detective novels. Rather, they use the detective novel genre to paint a portrait of contemporary Shanghai as it slowly transforms itself from the center of the cultural revolution in the 1960s to its new role as the center of China's capitalist revolution. It is this struggle between the handful of winners and, apparently, hordes of losers in this transformation which give his series their dramatic tension. If you wanted to know more about China in general and Shanghai in particular from a person who clearly has a profound insight into both these topics, this is your book.

Having just read this book (May, 2007) I'm a bit late to the party. I bought a copy speculating that it might be a good series (or at least not the typical mystery that I usually read) and I was very, very pleased.

Set in the critical early years of the transition of China from communit to free market, this is as much a review of Chinese society of the time as it is a detective novel. The characters are likable, the plot sound, and the setting leaves you wondering how anything could get done in a fluid political and social setting as Shanghai resides. But rest assured Inspector Chen delivers, finds the bad guy, and can still look at himself in the mirror when it is all done.

All accomplished pretty much without hidden codes, high speed chases, blazing gunfights, or some sex kitten extravaganza.

It satisfied me enough to buy "A Loyal Character Dancer" (second in the series) and I'm enjoying it as well.

So if you need a change of pace from your cozy or hard-boiled mystery reading, Qiu Xiaolong takes you to a totally foreign setting (for an American) for a very satisfactory tale of crime.