The first in the series of mysteries featuring Shanghai Detective Inspector Zhong Fong, Fong must solve the bizarre and puzzling murders of a New Orleans police officer and an African diplomat in modern-day Shanghai.
--This text refers to the
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Review
The ingredients of this first thriller by Canadian acting teacher David Rotenberg are so unusual--everything from the techniques of putting on a production of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night in China to the connection between a sliced-up corpse and the art of making dim sum--that you might miss a basic fact: Rotenberg is a sly, masterful storyteller who knows that having fun is an important part of the job. His local color is splendid, and his cast of lead characters (a very smart cop named Zhong Fong, an expert killer known as Mr. Lo, a Canadian producer with more than a few similarities to the author) come to full-size life very quickly. And the motives for the death by filleting knife of a New Orleans policeman and an African diplomat turn out to be understandable, if not entirely logical--a condition that seems to describe most of Zhong Fong's life. --Dick Adler
From Publishers Weekly
Irresistibly exotic, this dark thriller pits love and justice against sinister agendas in fast-changing Shanghai. Inspector Zhong Fong investigates the murder and dismemberment of American Richard Fallon. Within days, the Consul of Zaire meets a similar, brutal end. Fong wonders what Fallon, a New Orleans cop, could have in common with an African diplomat. The puzzle deepens when Fong's boss, Commissioner Hu, and the American Consul hint that something more than murder is afoot. As Fong investigates, he remains haunted by the death of his wife, actress Fu Tsong, four years ago and by the recent return to Shanghai of her lover, Canadian stage director Geoffrey Hyland. With help from Fallon's widow, Fong draws out the killer, but police bosses resist his solution. While the murders seem somewhat implausible, people and place, not plot, are the strengths in this debut by a Canadian acting instructor. Mystery conventionsAe.g, the independent hero, the world-weary sidekick, cynical power brokersAring true in this most unconventional setting, a city of 14,000,000 people making the tricky transition to capitalism. Rotenberg's ShanghaiAwhere historic charm mingles with modern energy, Chinese actors learn Shakespeare, assassins are trained from childhood and cobras rise up in shop windows to startle unwary passersbyAis a place full of effective, unexpected entertainment.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A gem of a murder mystery,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Shanghai Murders : A Mystery of Love and Ivory (Hardcover)
A librarian friend recommended this to me and with good reason. It has all the ingredients I look for: exotic setting; intriguing characters; gory deaths; smooth, tight writing style; interesting tidbits of information; heartbreak; and a healthy dose of humor. A perfect reading experience.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
First Rate Read!,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Shanghai Murders : A Mystery of Love and Ivory (Hardcover)
I am astounded at the negative reviews here at Amazon. In my (humble) opinion, this book is full of accurate insights into acting, Chinese opera, Mainland Chinese political thinking and the underworld... a very terrifying and off putting underworld. I was fascinated with this book... couldn't put it down...
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fascinating and compelling,
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Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: The Shanghai Murders: A Mystery of Love and Ivory (Paperback)
Although there are times when the menace of Shanghai's social setup makes for uncomfortable reading, I found this book to be utterly enthralling. I would rate it right up there with Andrea Camerelli's work as not only a good mystery, but a satisfying window into another culture.
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