Customer Reviews

When Red is Black

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This third book in the "Inspector Chen" series strays even further from mystery genre conventions with its portrayal of economic and social upheaval in modern China. Set in Shanghai in what appears to be the mid-1990s (it is definitely not set in the present day, as some people seem to think), capitalism is on the rise and everyone is trying to figure out what it all means. For Inspector Chen, it means taking a week of vacation from the Special Homicide Squad to work for a wealthy businessman with triad connections. He is hired to translate a business proposal for an "Old Shanghai" themed shopping and entertainment zone into fluid English that will impress American investment bankers. Meanwhile, his deputy, the capable Detective Yu is assigned to solve the murder of a minor dissident author. Yu is a hard-working policeman, a husband and father struggling to convince himself that being a policeman is a worthwhile job in the new economy. Although Chen is busy working on the translation, he calls in for updates and does some sleuthing on the side as well.

The mystery itself isn't particularly fascinating, but it does provide an interesting perspective on modern Chinese history for those who aren't particularly familiar with it. The murdered woman had written an autobiographical novel ("The Death of a Chinese Professor") about her forbidden love affair with an intellectual poet when they were in a reeducation camp during the Cultural Revolution. She had been a Red Guard who was then denounced, and he was an intellectual, and thus politically"black" (ie. an enemy of the working class). The Cultural Revolution looms over the proceedings, and proves to have a powerful legacy even three decades later. Detective Yu is reduced to probing the political past of the people who lived in her building in order to try and learn of the motive for her killing. These political nuances will likely be rather complex to the general reader (despite the author's best efforts to explain all), which diminishes from the story somewhat. The investigation never really gathers any momentum, and there's never much of a sense of urgency about the matter. It's also weakened by a rather belated effort to follow what most readers will perceive to be a rather promising lead.

As in the previous books in the series, classical Chinese poetry is cited ad nauseam, and any scene involving food is lovingly lingered over and described in great detail. But perhaps the most interesting element of the book is its portrayal of the rise of capitalism in China, complete with rural to urban migration, conspicuous consumption, and overpopulation. While I was reading this, the New York Times ran a lengthy series of articles about rising class inequities in China and social and political unrest this has led to as the establishment benefits from corruption and factory and farm workers are left behind. The book does a nice job of showing the seeds of this, and how Chen and Yu struggle with the implications of this new economy. Chen is very clearly aware that he is being vastly overpaid for his translation and waits quietly to see what the quid pro quo will be. When it comes at the end, it reveals just how murky the ethical waters can be as Chen walks a fine line between grabbing a piece of the pie and falling in bed with the leaders of the new economy. So don't read this if you're looking for a gripping mystery, but do read it if you're interested in a nuanced account of the beginnings of Chinese capitalism and what life is like in a huge Chinese city populated by cast of well-realized characters.

This Chinese mystery (written by a man who left China 15 years ago) was most interesting to me because of the Shanghai setting and the theme of how China has changed in the past fifty or so years, particularly with the radical egalitarianism of the Red Guards being replaced by entrepreneurial values, where everything seems to be turned upside down. In this book, "Red" is a metaphor for the Maoist/communist and "black" is a metaphor for "capitalist/right wing." During the cultural revolution, intellectuals and anyone with "capitalist" (defined broadly) relatives were persecuted as black by the Red Guards. Now the new business owners are flourishing, the young want Western lifestyles, and the promised pensions of the heroes of the revolution are going unpaid because of the economic changes of privatisation. Hence "The Red Is Black" -- everything in society is suddenly changing -- what was out is in and vice versa.

This is a literate mystery, with lots of Chinese poetry and talk of Chinese philosophy, politics, and literature. The plot involves a woman who had been sent to the countryside during the Cultural Revolution who is found dead. She is regarded as sort of a dissident because of a book she published about a professor who perished as a result of the Cultural Revolution. The powers that be fear that they will be blamed for her death by the foreign press, although they insist they had nothing to do with it. They want Inspector Chen to solve this crime quickly to prove that it was not a political death. Inspector Chen has taken a couple of weeks off work, however, to translate a document (for big bucks) and can only get involved in an advisory capacity -- it's his subordinate Yu (and Yu's wife) who are doing the footwork.

This is a book that talks a lot about life in China (a lot of poetry and descriptions of Chinese delicacies like nothing we eat in Chinese restaurants!) I'm planning to go back and read the two earlier books because I find descriptions of faraway places quite interesting. If your only motive for reading a mystery is the plot, you may find the relatively slow pacing and digressions in the book (like the poetry) annoying. If you want to get an idea of what life is like in Shanghai, I think this book provides a fascinating glimpse -- it made me want to visit (except for the food described!)

Anthony-award winner Xiaolong's third Inspector Chen procedural continues to explore the ups and downs of life in turbulent Shanghai. Yu, Chen's subordinate, has just had his promised apartment snatched away - perhaps as a slap to Chen whose rapid rise has sidestepped his own boss. Yu, with his wife and son, will continue to occupy one small room.

The murder plot also carries political complications. The victim, Yin Lige, was known as a dissident writer for a novel she wrote about her politically doomed love for a "Black," or intellectual, poet Yang. A Red Guard in her youth, Yin was then denounced and sent to a reeducation farm during the Cultural Revolution, where she met Yang. Her book sank without notice until American interest in publishing it labeled her a dissident.

She died in a tiny room partitioned off a landing in an old dilapidated Western style house - the type of house that, ironically, is making a comeback in an expensive real estate project evoking the heyday of pre-revolution Shanghai. In fact, Chen has been recruited to translate a 50-page prospectus for the Triad-connected developer, who is paying him an amount equivalent to 30 years of his police salary, bonuses included. This leaves Yu in charge of the investigation.

The background, which incorporates Chinese love poetry and the subtle gradations of noodles and eels, as well as political fencing, class striations, economic upheavals and the uncertainty of change, provides plenty of murder suspects from the past and present. And if Xiaolong stints a bit on the mystery, she more than compensates with her fascinating portrait of a society in flux.

Party Secretary Li cannot find Chief Inspector Chen Cao, so he assigns the investigation of the murder of author Yin Lige to detective Yu Guangming. Though Yu needs to find an apartment in overcrowded Shanghai, he cannot "politically" refuse a case given to him by the Party Secretary. He quickly learns that Yin wrote a banned book on falling in love during the Cultural Revolution.

Meanwhile the Shanghai New World Group CEO Yu provides Chen with an offer he cannot refuse. He will pay Chen an exorbitant fee to do him a favor by translating a major business proposal into English.

Yu pursues threads that lead nowhere while Chen earns money translating the business documents. Still Chen advises his junior partner on how to proceed. Soon Yu finds out that Yin shared a romance during the Cultural Revolution with Professor Yang Bing. Could someone have silenced the author because of something that occurred when Yin and Yang were together at a time when the Red Guard reeducated or killed the Black (anti worker)?

The third Chen tale is an exciting Chinese police procedural, but somewhat different than that of the two previous novels (see DEATH OF A RED HEROINE and A LOYAL CHARACTER DANCER) as Yu leads much of the investigation. The deep look at modern day Shanghai and brilliantly incorporating Chinese poetry into the love story of Yin and Yang enhance the story line. Though the ending seems soft, perhaps because the rest of WHEN RED IS BLACK is so powerful, Qiu Xialong provides a deep look at how historical events impact the present inside a terrific murder mystery.

Harriet Klausner

This is the third novel in Qiu Xiaolong's Inspector Chen mysteries.

The murder of a dissident author comes at an inconvenient time for Inspector Chen. He has just taken a break from his "iron rice bowl" job to engage in some highly paid free-lance translating. At first he is content to leave the investigation of the murder to his deputy, Sergeant Yu, but pressed by Party Secretary Li and by his own growing curiosity, he becomes fully involved in the unravelling of the murder case.

His translating job, however, continues. He has been given the task by Dynasty karaoke club owner Mr Gu (introduced in the previous novel A Loyal Character Dancer). Mr Gu, who has Triad connections, has also supplied Chen with a xiaomi, or personal secretary, the young and attractive White Cloud.

By coincidence, the murder has taken place in a shikumen, one of the traditional styles of housing created during the era of the Foreign Concessions in Shanghai; the translation undertaken by Chen is of an investment proposal for a major commercial, retail and residential precinct in the heart of Shanghai designed in the shikumen style. The author creates an interesting tension between the reality of life in the shikumen that is the murder site (no privacy, too many families living in incredibly cramped conditions) and the proposed New World project, the success of which, according to Chen "would depend on a myth - on nostalgia for the glitter and glamour of the thirties, or to be exact, on the recreation of that myth - blending the past into a delicious brew, a cup of cappuccino, to delight customers in the nineties" (p. 23).

Having been to Shanghai's model renovation in the shikumen style, the area known as Xintiandi, I can relate to the author's bemused sense of contradiction: the little museum and founding site of the Chinese Communist Party (my destination) is hardly noticeable among the yuppified coffee shops and bars of the new New China!

As with his previous novels, Qiu Xiaolong intersperses his narrative with insightful sociological observations. Some of these relate to the Cultural Revolution, which forms a backdrop to the murder, whilst others clearly reflect the author's concern with the growing gap between rich and poor that emerged in the wake of Deng Xiaoping's reforms: "The New World could turn out to be like present-day China, full of contradictions. On the outside, the socialist system under the rule of the Communist Party, but on the inside, capitalist practice in whatever disguise. Could the combination of the two really work?" (p. 139).

Nor would it be a Chinese novel without reference to food. White Cloud turns out to be an accomplished cook: "She finally emerged, carrying a large tray with a broad smile. `From the Dynasty Club,' she announced, placing on the folding table an impressive dinner that included some delicacies he had never seen before. One was a small dish of fried sparrow gizzards, golden crisp. How many sparrows had gone into the making of that dish, he wondered. The other dish, of duck, was also original - it was duck heads with the skulls removed, so people could easily reach the tongues, or suck out the brains. It was the sauna shrimp, however, that really impressed him. River shrimp were brought to the table in a glass bowl, live, still jumping and wriggling. She also provided a small wooden pail whose bottom was covered with red hot stones. She poured some wine into the bowl of shrimp, then took the drunken shrimp from the bowl and put them into the pail. There was a shrill hiss, and in two or three minutes, a plate of sauna shrimp appeared." (p. 108).

Some western reviewers have found the narrative pace and unexpected thrills of the mystery genre lacking in this novel; however, it is an intriguing tale and a pleasure to be transported back to a familiar Chinese setting.

Michael Williss

It's hard to explain as to why I didn't find this book as rewarding as the first two, but it may be that it lacked the 'smooth' transitions that made them so intriguing. Many of the 'eureka' moments of the book seem to come out of nowhere, while others seem way too long in coming to the fore. It just may be that I expect too much from the author, or that he rushed this one into publication. I have noticed that his books have gotten drastically shorter, and that might reflect a lack of attention to details. (The first book was over 400 pages, the second over 350, this one is 320.)

There was much less character development and explanation in this book than the previous two, though the poetry was as strong as ever and very appropriate to the story. His major additional character ('white cloud') is always referred to by her english translation, and she tends to be a very one-dimensional person. His does do a good job is rounding out his partner Detective Yu and his wife Peiqin.

But all in all (except for some of the comments on the 'Cultural Revolution') I found this novel lacking the interest of the first two.

Another great book featuring Inspector Chen. This book also features more of Detective Yu's point of view, as well as a chapter or two following his wife. It was different to have so much more of the case given through Yu's perspective, but it worked with the story line, and I enjoyed getting to know his character even better. As usual, Chen is full of wonderful lines of ancient poetry, which really adds something unique to the novel. Also, I enjoy the real-life look at modern China. The casework in this book had me wondering what really happened right up until the end. I've found that this series mixes the general murder-mystery genre with a sort of peacefulness in the pacing of the story. There is urgency, but at the same time, it's not a crazy, action-packed thriller. For me, it's a nice change of pace, since I don't typically read mysteries. I'm definitely going to keep picking up these novels. Can't wait to read the next one!

Qiu Xiaolong's novels do not fit the average mystery bill.His precise, thoughtful and slow-paced novels are precious information about modern day China. The uneasy mix of communism and profit driven capitalism is a perplexing problem. How do you combine the impossible ingredients?
" When Red is Black" is not much of a mystery. It is a somber picture of the ever changing landscape of China. Some people prospering, some stay far behind crushed by the wheels of history. The murder of Yin, dissident writer and teacher seems like a sideplot, a device to break the narrative of the confused main characters, trying to find the meaning in the meaningless. Still a good book, if not a compelling crime story.

First Sentence: Detective Yu Guangming of the Shanghai Police Bureau stood alone, still reeling of the blow.

Inspector Chen Cao is taking time off from his role with the police. He has been asked to translate a business proposal for a triad-related businessman. The proposal is for the construction of a new shopping/residential complex in Shanghai called the New World. Both the salary and the benefits are too good to resist, but Chen ultimately finds everything has strings. With Chen unavailable, Sgt. Yu must take charge of the newest investigation.

Yin was a college teacher and novelist living in a tiny room in a multi-family house. While she wasn't well liked, she kept to herself. With the house locked at night, was she murdered by a neighbor? If so, why did they ransack her room but not take her money?

Qiu Xiaolong (pronounced "chew shao-long") has become one of my favorite authors. He creates such a strong sense of place with wonderful descriptions, from the largest panorama to the smallest detail. The inclusion of both Chinese and western poetry is something I so appreciate and enjoy.

Food plays such a significant role in China. Its inclusion is so well done and, even if some of the particular dishes may not appeal to my western palate, I always end up hungry while reading. There is one particular scene when Chen goes to a restaurant with 1930s European style serving supposedly western food which was very interesting.

I learned so much about life during the Cultural Revolution; a period about which I know virtually nothing. It is interesting to read about the lasting impact on those who lived through it as well as the confusion of living in a rapidly changing China.

I very much enjoy Qui's characters. While I was glad Chen wasn't completely absent from the scene, it was nice to have Yu and his wife, Peiqin, move to the forefront. Not only did I learn more about them and their lives, but saw all the major characters grow and develop as the book progressed.

The story's plot is very effective. I find the difference in the style of questioning fascinating but the process of following the leads is the same in all cultures. My one criticism would be that the confession of the killer seemed abrupt, but that could be a cultural difference as well. I did think the ending was excellent.

I highly recommend "When Red is Black" although, as always, I suggest starting the series at the beginning.

WHEN RED IS BLACK (Pol Proc-Sgt Yu/Insp Chen Cao-Shanghai,
China-Cont/1990s) - VG
Xiaolong, Qiu - 3rd in series
Soho Press, C2004, US Hardcover - ISBN: 1569473692

This is the third in a series about Inspector Chen Cao and police work in contemporary China. Even in modern Shanghai, there are ghosts and nasty, evil memories of Mao's vicious times, and of course, this is interwound with Chen's murder investigation of a middle-aged teacher. I liked the description of the food and smells, and enjoyed the history and the poetry, and the accounting of the neighborhood and the scene of the crime, and the way the author describes and weaves his prose. I liked it and will hunt up the past two books in this series. This will be an excellent series to review on the plane while on my next trip to China. The book shows that sometimes "when red is black."