Customer Reviews

The Demon And The City: A Detective Inspector Chen Novel (Detective Inspector Chen Novels)

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3 star:		(1)
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I loved the first Inspector Chen novel, Snake Agent. This one I just liked.

The central character for most of the novel seemed to be demon-in-exile Zhu Irzh. While I like this character (for some reason, my mental image is of a six-foot-tall version of the eraly 1960s movie monster "Gorgo."), the novel lacked some of the magic of the first. While probably important for establishing the demon character for later books, Chen's presence was missed. The Inspector didn't arrive on the scene until about the halfway point, and even then it seemed like he was being carried along by events, rather than mastering them.

The plot was suitably fantastic, the stakes are high, and there is a very satisfactory ending. It also leaves the reader wanting more information about the universe in which the characters reside. So don't get me wrong, it is a good read.

I'm not turned off by the book, but it didn't quite meet my expectations for being an "Inspector Chen" novel - more like a "Novel of Singapore 3."

I had the impression that there might have been more to the Chen-side of the story, but that a ruthless editor pruned the pages. Hopefully, Liz Williams has a more complete version that gives Inspector Chen more literary space. Hey, I'd buy an "unplugged" edition. I'm also ready to reserve the third book in the series.

Ironically it was the cover art that first drew me to this series. But I soon found the books to be as wonderful as the artwork on the cover. Liz's way with the written word weaves a beautiful and very detailed story. I enjoyed the demon's major role in this book and do not mind that Chen took a "back" seat. In fact I am greatly looking forward to the next book in this series and hope it is as wonderful and rich a world as this one.

In August of last year I reviewed the first book in a new series by author Liz Williams, Snake Agent. My introduction to that review read:

"Take a healthy dose of mythology and eastern religion, mix in the humor of Big Trouble in Little China and the buddy-cop banter of Lethal Weapon and adorn with a fantastic Jon Foster cover and what do you get? Well, you get the beginnings of an entertaining new mystery series by author Liz Williams."

Described as "John Constatine meets Chow Yun-Fat", the series follows the exploits of Detective Inspector Wei Chen and his demonic law enforcement counterpart, Seneschal Zhu Irzh, as they solve occultic crimes set in a near-future city called Singapore 3.

The Demon and The City is the second in this series of buddy-cop/mythological/supernatural thrillers.

One of the things I mentioned in the Snake Agent review is that these books are pure fun, and that hasn't changed one iota. Liz Williams writes these novels in such a way that they feel like movies and comparisons to films like Big Trouble in Little China and any Chow Yun-Fat film make me long to see one of her novels translated to the big screen.

The Demon and the City starts off by focusing on the character of demonic detective Zhu Irzh, recently reassigned to the human realm because of events that occurred in Snake Agent. While I enjoy this character tremendously, the first novel hit its best notes when Detective Inspector Chen and Seneschal Zhu Irzh were together on the page, and that holds true for this novel as well. Although it takes awhile for Chen to make an appearance, the story flies by at a rollicking pace up to and following the point of his insertion into the mix. Liz Williams writes very short chapters, some a mere page in length, that dart back and forth amongst the various characters in the tale, deftly bringing them all together at crucial moments in the story. Reading a book like this is fantastic as there are so many natural stopping points that you can grab a few quick chapters throughout the day, making her books easy to read even with a busy schedule. If, however, you have the reaction I did to these books, you will get sucked right in and not want to stop until you see the words, "The End".

I won't reveal anything else about the plot, because to do so would ruin a very fun experience. Suffice it to say that Liz Williams is a very talented writer who mixes in a wide and diverse range of influences, genres, and plot devices to create a unique world in which to house her stories. In the Snake Agent review I said:

"...William's novel is hard to classify...the story abounds with magic as does a typical fantasy novel. It is a mystery, set in a near future science fiction universe replete with technology that would be at home in a story by Phillip K. Dick. It is also a primer for eastern mysticism and a view of earth, heaven, and hell steeped in ancient mythology. In addition there are elements of horror reminiscient of the aforementioned John Constantine and a wry humor similar to that in the very best cult classic comedies."

Being this type of book I can see it appealing to people with a broad range of interests. The Demon and the City is not as strong a novel as Snake Agent, in my opinion, as I felt that the opening novel contained a much more well balanced story. That being said, I would rate this second volume quite high on my list of recommendations. One of the things I really enjoyed about this book is that Williams resisted the urge to spend significant page time rehashing the events of Snake Agent. If you want an introduction to this world, you need to read the first book, it is as simple as that. And while I believe anyone could pick up Demon and enjoy it for what it is, it is a much more rewarding experience to read once you've grown attached to the characters in the first book.

I think that is my primary reason for seeing this second effort as a little less complete than Snake Agent. Snake Agent focused much more on characterization, in my opinion, whereas The Demon and the City goes right into the action. I would have liked to see a little more growth in the characters and their relationships in this one.

You should be reading this series. It is very good.

The Demon and the City is a Detective Inspector Chen novel, although Chen doesn't enter the story until the midpoint of the book. Seneschal Zhu Irzh, a demon on loan to the Singapore Three police department, is sent to investigate a suspicious death. The attack was so savage that it took some investigation by the coroner to determine that the body was female. Once the victim is identified as Deveth Sardai, daughter to a wealthy family with lots of connections, Irzh is pulled off the case since they don't want a demon dealing with the upper class of Singapore Three.

Meanwhile Irzh continues to investigate and interrogates Jhai Tserai, a Paugeng heiress, and finds his control of his sexual appetite is not as strong as he thought or Jhai is not as she seems. There are a lot of threads that interweave: Irzh was responsible for a feng shui practitioner, Paravang Roche, loosing his license; Robin Yuan, who was Deveth's girlfriend, works for Jhai Tserai; Mhara, who is an experimental person, is being tested upon by Robin; Senditreya, the Goddess of the feng shui practitioners, seems to be missing; Kuan Yin, the Goddess that Inspector Chen prays to, is also absent; and heaven seems to be unreachable.

From page one, we're dropped into this strange city with real gods and goddesses, where denizens of Hell can get a work permit and visa and come to Singapore Three. The dead can call you up and tell you about their day in hell or heaven if they want. It's confusing but internally consistent so you eventually get your bearings for the story but since the major character Irzh isn't used to Singapore Three and its customs and mores either, you can sympathize with his confusion. It seems the Chinese mythos is real, and people live in it in Singapore Three. Only, as usually, the myth and the reality are a bit different in application.

While it is a mystery and there is a murder and therefore a murderer to find, you learn who did it early on and the rest of the book deal with the underlying problem. Someone is trying to drive heaven into closing its doors and ignoring us. Together Irzh and Chen must find and stop a Goddess from upsetting the status quo and throwing the world into chaos.

The world is vividly realized and the characters each have interesting quirks and personalities. There is plenty to like about this world in its off kilter weirdness and plenty to thank your lucky stars that you won't have to deal with it -- pay the company a fee for every day I'm out sick, I don't think so. I hadn't read the first book with Inspector Chen but found that I could follow the story line and the characters without difficulty. It's a well written book that will keep you turning the pages to find out what happens next especially to find out what weird thing this world will have happen next.

This is the second Detective Inspector Chen book, but really it's Demon Policeman Zhu Irzh's book, and I liked it more than the first, SNAKE AGENT. I'm not going to bother with a plot-summary here -- it wouldn't make sense, and wouldn't help me convince you what a cool book this is. Hmm, how to do that?

First, Liz Williams is a helluva storyteller. The pages turn, the characters take life, the plot twists... This is a very entertaining book. Well-written, explicitly adult, sometimes startlingly sexy, it unfolds like a lucid dream....

Second, the Chinese mythic backstory is just totally cool. I have no idea how close she hews to the real thing. Here's the author: "It's all based on actual Chinese mythology, however, which suggests the numerous levels, and which is also very bureaucratic. One reviewer hated the bureaucratic nature of hell and wondered why I'd been so unimaginative - but it is as faithful a reflection of Chinese myth as I can make it...

I've always been interested in Chinese mythology but what really started [this series] off was a visit to Hong Kong in the early 90s. A friend of mine is a reporter for the South China Morning Post and at the time, she was writing two books about the colony, one on murder and the other on sex, and she was briefly going out with a cop on the HK vice squad. So there was plenty of material to draw on!" -- Author interview, see comments for link.

If you haven't tried this series, or Liz Williams, this would be a fine place to start.

Happy reading--
Peter D. Tillman

While the book itself is pretty good (focusing on Zhu Irzh), I was completely off-put by the hard-core porn scenes (like you can get in Penthouse Letters [though with only 2 demons]).

If I want good porn, I'll hit the internet. Otherwise, it's just filler (or a bad excuse to prop up sales?)

This is #2 in the series and better than the first (although that was quite good in its own way). It continues the fantasy/police procedural combination, there are a lot of very interesting characters, it moves forward briskly, and the demon Zhu Irzh is a sly addition to the "buddy" team with Chen, a sort of "demon with a gold plated heart."

Once again there are fascinating glimpses into Heaven and Hell, Chinese-style, and I must say that at least some parts of Hell seem far more interesting than all of Heaven; after all, wouldn't you want to be able to "phone home" from time to time and catch up with those you left behind?

There is also an undercurrent, somewhat present in the first book, of social commentary, both through the vastly different lives of the high and low characters in the "real" world of Singapore 3, and in the infighting and backstabbing among the Heavenly host, as well as condemnation of the "holier than thou" hands off attitude of Heaven's elite over their human creations.

Made me want to read more misadventures of Chen/Irzh and smile again at the sly digs and slightly cynical outlook of the author.

While Chen is off vacationing in Hawaii with his demon wife Inari, Seneschal Zhu Irzh has been stuck doing police footwork: notifying Feng Shui practitioners of lapsed licenses and locating the ghost of the recently murdered Deveth Sardai, daughter of a powerful and rich Singapore Three family.

Zhu has been accepted tenuously with the department, and Sergeant Ma, who has developed more composure in dealing with those from Hell, assists the investigation. However, Zhu's dedication to his job may be more due to the seductive attractiveness of Jhai Tserai, ruthless head of the Paugeng Corporation. Or maybe it's just the hot, tangled sex that Jhai and he share that clouds his mind?

While Snake Agent was essentially Chen and Inari's story, City is from Zhu's view. It's his perspective of being from Hell, and interacting with Live people, that keeps the sly humor throughout, making the book a stand out, even when the pace can be slow.

This book starts off with a slow start, despite the mayhem and murders piling up - Williams lays her bricks carefully one by one to build the story's foundation. World building in Snake Agent pays off and you can feel the ease the author has in further developing the characters of Zhu, Ma, and Badger.

The pace picks up about halfway through, when Chen cuts his vacation short due to a disturbing phone call from Badger (tattletale!). Chen is Zhu's partner but also his conscience. When Chen discovers that his demon colleague might have been turning a blind eye to what Jhai has been up too: developing a drug that would change Celestial Beings, he knows it's time to pull in some heavy reinforcement of the Heavenly kind.

Meanwhile, researcher Robin decides to free her unearthly subject, Mhara, from the experimentation project being done by her employer, Jhai. While their journey and story is important to the final resolution of the story, being chopped back and forth between Robin/Mhara and Chen/Zhu does become frustrating on the first read of the book. Robin just never did it for me as a character.

More interesting is the story of Dowser and Feng Shui practitioner Paravang who serves the goddess Senitreya. His anger at Zhu for revoking his license, results in Paravang's bad decision to pay the Assassin Guild to rectify his loss of face by killing Zhu. However, killing a demon, especially one employed by law enforcement, isn't an easy thing and comes with a price, a heavy price that only Paravangs' dead and controlling mother can rectify.

One of the difficulties of reading the Chen series is that the stories are not told or read easily - the plot is a thick stew with many parts. Various subplots and characters (which Williams expertly paints with few brushstrokes) hold keys to the mystery. These books are not fluff pieces to be read quickly, but to be absorbed and processed slowly.

Unlike other reviewers, I actually liked Demon better then Snake Agent. I also don't see Chen as an "action" hero and he plays best when he and Zhu work together so their differences and strengths are highlighted.

In her Detective Inspector Chen novels, or at least the two that I've read, Liz Williams has created a wonderful tableau of science fiction and fantasy, bringing together such diverse elements as Heaven and Hell, demons and various deities, and created intriguing characters to go along with the whole thing. The Demon and the City, her second Chen novel, continues the excellence that Snake Agent achieved, though it's not quite as good as the first book. While I normally don't mind a slow pace if everything else in the novel holds my interest, there were a few too many moments that dragged for my taste. Even so, this is a must-read series if you have any interest in the subject.

The demon Zhu Irzh, recently re-assigned from Hell to be Chen's partner on the Singapore Three police force, is having a difficult time of it. He's bored, he's lonely, and Chen has gone off to Hawaii with his demon wife for a much-needed vacation. Thus, he's has to deal with the police bureaucracy and anti-demon prejudice without Chen's interference. So when a murdered renegade heiress turns up, he's chomping at the bit to begin the investigation. It leads to the beautiful head of an extremely powerful drug manufacturing company, Jhai Teserai, a woman who's holding many secrets of her own. Intrigued, Zhu Irzh finds her irresistible, despite the fact that she might be implicated in the whole thing. Is this part of some sinister plan from Hell to further influence the "real" world? Or is there something more Heavenly involved? What will Teserai's questionable experiments unleash? And will Chen return in time to save Zhu Irzh from himself?

My favorite character in the first book was Zhu Irzh, so I began the book reveling in the fact that I'd get some one-on-one time with him, without Chen in the picture, to see how he interacted with other characters. Sadly, while he was still very interesting, some of these scenes at the beginning weren't as good as they could have been, and I realized that it was the byplay between the two characters that I really loved. I did love Zhu's attitude toward everything, and how his reflections on his few months on the force and outside of Hell ultimately result in him concluding that he just needs a girlfriend. Who knew sex was the cure-all for everything that's bothering you? I guess if you're a demon, it can be.

Williams' characterizations are again wonderful, and these slow parts are few and far between. They're just enough to be annoying but not enough to mar the book otherwise. Once again Williams has brought together a collection of interesting characters, from Chen and Zhu Irzh, to Teserai and her secrets, and many others as well. Williams writes them all with wit and intelligence, not only in their dialogue but also in her narration as well. When Paravang, the Feng Shui dowser, calls his mother's spirit back because he needs the money that he's been providing her, he quickly discovers that death hasn't stilled her ability to chatter:

"Paravang thought that it was a good thing that his mother was already dead, because otherwise he would surely have slain her. She had now been a resident at his little apartment for a day and the fact that she no longer needed to draw breath was severely evident."

In the process of the story, we learn a lot about the world these characters live in as well. We actually get to visit Heaven, if only briefly, and discover the true hierarchy there, as well as spending more time in the Night Harbor, where souls go to be processed. Williams' imagination is quite vivid in this sense, but we also see the science fiction elements in some of the experiments that Teserai's company is performing. Her prose once again makes you feel like you're living in this world, from the oppressive heat in some areas to the ethereal atmosphere of the Night Harbor and the terrors within certain districts, where certain souls who are stuck there have congregated and prey on others.

The only other thing that mars this otherwise excellent novel is the climax of the book. The entire plot culminates in a nightmare of destruction and a rampage that's destroying not only parts of the city but also the energy lines that criss-cross it. It all just seemed a bit over the top and didn't fit the tone of the rest of the novel. While Williams does allow her characters to shine through this destruction for the most part, I did feel that too often they were submerged to the action and the book began to drag again. I much preferred the lower-key ending of Snake Agent, even if the possibility of mass death was still there in that book.

Overall, though, The Demon and the City is a fitting second novel in the series, giving us more information about the main characters and the world they inhabit, as well as telling a great story. There are enough twists and turns that the book doesn't become predictable. While the ending isn't as compelling as it could be, it's still a great book. I look forward to reading the next two.

Originally published on Curled Up With a Good Book © David Roy, 2008

Liz Williams' take on near future sci fi and the occult/supernatural is at the top of its relatively narrow genre. Her writing is crisp and elegant, the characters, believe it or not, are so convincingly drawn, with dialogue that coveys both the scene and individual idiosyncrasies, that the reader can become totally immersed in the "reality" of her plots. The only problem is that the plots become a bit predictable (a problem with the larger crime novel genre as well). Nevertheless, a fine read and worth the money spent on her books (4 so far).