Customer Reviews

Fourth Sacrifice

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A clever mystery set in Beijing and X'ian, China, that takes place in all the spots tourists would go on their first trip there. The reason for the decapitations, the starting point, becomes clear quite early, although the reason for the fourth one does not reveal itself until the end. May's plotting is clever but his handling of Chinese history is clumsy. Can one believe that the clever protagonist, the forensic scientist who has lived in China for three months, would not know who Ch'iang Kai Shek is or would not have seen the Terracotta Soldiers and known their history?

In Beijing, China, the police are investigating a series of heinous murders. Four men have died in what appears to be ritual sacrifices. Margaret Campbell is a forensic pathologist and wants to return to the Unites States. Her plans are put on hold when she is asked to help the police with the murder of Yuan Toa. She agrees to help, only because she wants to prevent another murder.

Margaret learns she is to team up with detective Li Yan and she isn't happy about the prospect of working with him. They met during a previous investigation and began a relationship with each other that was cut short by Li Yan. Margaret is unaware of the reason behind Li Yan's termination of their relationship.

When Margaret meets an American archaeologist, Li Yan becomes jealous of the budding relationship. The tension between Margaret and Li Yan builds as they follow the clues and the truth of the murders.

Peter May's novels are always exciting and The Fourth Sacrifice is no exception. His characters are richly drawn, the plot sizzles and the tension between Margaret and Li Yan is delicious. From the beginning, the reader is propelled into the action and when the book reaches its conclusion, it is a letdown because you just don't want the story to end.

Armchair Interviews says: The Fourth Sacrifice is a must read, and you'll want to check out his previous novels. You won't be disappointed.

In Beijing, the police are baffled by the serial killing with the fourth beheading having just occurred. Forensic pathologist Margaret Campbell is tired of China especially her hotel room so she asks the American Ambassador to help her leave immediately. Her plans to go home to the states change when the American Embassy asks her to help the cops with the latest murder, an employee, Yuan Tao. Reluctantly she agrees as she knows her skills might help prevent another beheading.

To her dismay, Margaret is teamed up with Chinese police detective Li Yan. They met during an investigation into a murder in nearby Ritan Park and fell in love, but he ended their relationship abruptly. She is unaware why he did that as he has not told her that his superiors warned him to do so or face termination of his career. Angering Li is that renowned archeologist Michael Zimmerman, whom Margaret met at a party in his honor, seems to want her as he shows her the exciting terra-cotta figures found at nearby Xi'an. A jealous Li and upset Margaret argue over Michael's attention even as they begin to find clues that prove THE FOURTH SACRIFICE was done by a different person than the previous three and the tie between the four is the death of the last victim's father during the Cultural Revolution. Michael proposes while he, Margaret and Li rendezvous in a hidden chamber where death waits for them from a friendly source.

This is an excellent Chinese police procedural starring a strong American protagonist and a powerful support cast. The story line is fast-paced yet enables the reader to understand the emotions especially of the heroine and the cop, who return from the terrific FIREMAKER tale. However, the star of this exciting thriller is China as Peter May brings to life the rich heritage and present of a wide awake giant.

Harriet Klausner

First Sentence: By now he knows he is going to die.

Chicago forensic pathologist is anxious to leave Beijing and the Chinese policeman with whom she fell in love but hasn't heard from since their return to the city when she is asked by the American Ambassador to perform an autopsy on an American state department employee found beheaded. Detective Li Yan has been ordered not to contact Margaret or he could lose his job and is investigating the beheading death of two Chinese when he is thrown in contact with Margaret. In spite of he friction between them they need to find the killer before more people die.

May's first book "The Firemaker," was plot-driven and very suspenseful. This book, is character-driven and doesn't work as well. The relationship problems are based on the cliché "big misunderstanding' that five minutes of conversation could have resolved. There are rather large holes in the plot of information it's hard to believe the protagonists wouldn't have known. The villain was apparent very early in the story. What I did really enjoy about the book, and made it worth reading, is the incredible sense of place May provides the reader, cultural look at present day China and fascinating information on its history. In spite of its flaws, I enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone with an interest in China.

In Beijing one does not have to look far to find a contradiction or a contrast. There is one on every corner. The nearest street vendor might well be a learned ex-university professor that has been transformed by the cultural revolution into a producer of wonderful jian bing, a breakfast pancake as well as riddles for Li Yan, a senior detective with the Beijing Municipal Police as he rides his bike to work.

"If a man walks in a straight line without turning his head, how can he continue to see everything he has walked past? There are no mirrors involved." Asks Mei Yuan.

Today Li Yan has been called to what appears to be a ritual killing. A man had been beheaded, as he knelt with his hands tied behind his back with a silk cord. He has a placard around his neck with an apparent nickname on it, scored through by a single line and the number three. He is the fourth victim found in these circumstances. The main difference is that this man is an American. He has returned to China after many years of living and working in the United States at a prestigious University and has taken a lowly job at the US embassy going through visas. Another part of the mystery is that he is found at an apartment of his own, not the one given to him by the embassy.

The American Embassy has requested that Dr. Margaret Campbell assist in the autopsy of the sacrificial victim. The Chinese are not especially happy about this but they accept with good grace because Margaret Campbell has helped them before. They know that she sees things with a different and very perceptive eye, which gives them a distinctive edge in solving the crime. Li Yan, on the other hand is perturbed because he has had feeling for Margaret that developed during a previous case and had been warned that he must avoid any kind of a relationship with her.

Margaret does the postmortem on this last murder victim and does indeed open new avenues of investigation. She also begins to pursue a new relationship with an American archeologist working in China who is intent on soothing the feeling Li Han has trampled. The American Embassy is interested in assisting in the investigation and wangles Margaret onto the investigating team as well.

Another stress is placed on Li as his sister abandons her daughter and leaves her with him as she goes off to a secret location to have a forbidden second child, a boy. Li loves the little girl and is grateful that she does not suffer from a new Chinese syndrome known as `the little emperor' quite commonly seen now a days as the one child allotted to Chinese families is quite doted upon and very spoiled. These children are acting like oh no !! Western children. But at the same time they are also growing up without cousins, aunts uncles or extended families. The young men are increasing in preponderance, as girls are not wanted because they are seen as not being there to help in the parent's old age.

The answer to the riddle is that the man is walking backwards. Just as to solve this crime, the investigators have to look to the past for clues to solve a murder that is based very much in the present.