The Eye of Jade

A Mei Wang Mystery #1

by Diane Wei Liang

Present Day, Beijing, Mei Wang is a modern, independent woman. She has her own apartment. She owns a car. She has her own business with that most modern of commodities - a male secretary. Her short career with China's prestigious Ministry for Public Security has given hew intimate insight into the complicated and arbitrary world of Beijing's law enforcement. But it is her intuition, curiosity, and her uncanny knack for listening to things said - and unsaid - that make Mei Beijing's first successful female private investigator.
Mei is no stranger to the dark side of China. She was six years old when she last saw her father behind the wire fence of one of Mao's remote labor camps. Perhaps as a result, Mei eschews the power plays and cultural mores - guanxi - her sister and mother live by ... for better and for worse.
Mei's family friend "Uncle" Chen hires her to find a Han dynasty jade of great he believes the piece was looted from the Luoyang Museum during the Cultural Revolution - when the Red Guards swarmed the streets, destroying so many traces of the past - and that it's currently for sale on the black market. The hunt for the eye of jade leads Mei through banquer halls and back alleys, seedy gambling dens and cheap noodle bars near the Forbidden City. Given the jade's provenance and its journey, Mei knows to treat the investigation as a most delicate matter; she cannot know, however, that this case will force her to delve not only into China's brutal history, but also into her family's dark secrets and into her own tragic separation from the man she loved in equal parts.

Genres: Mystery, China, Fiction, Crime, Asia, Asian Literature, Mystery Thriller

272 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

Diane Wei Liang was born in Beijing. She spent part of her childhood with her parents in a labor camp in a remote region of China, and the other part in Beijing with her mother when her parents were forced to live and work in different cities. She studied psychology at Peking University. In 1989 she took part in the Student Democracy Movement and was in Tiananmen Square. Later that year, she left China for the U.S. Liang has a PhD in Business Administration from Carnegie Mellon University and was a business professor in the U.S. and U.K. for over ten years. She lives in London with her family."

Reviews

[Oz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though it provides an interesting look at present-day Beijing and the lasting effects of China’s Cultural Revolution, this book left me unsatisfied and was not at all what it was marketed to be. It was mysterious, but hardly enough to classify it as a mystery novel. It read more like a family drama which, though I found interesting, was not what I expected from a book about a girl starting her own detective agency.

The mystery aspect of the novel was second to Mei’s relationship with her mother (and her sister, and her old college friends, and her ex-boyfriend…) yet despite all the detail, their relationship did not actually grow or change throughout the book. Instead, the reader gets a whole lot of background without seeing much present-day interaction. Though Mei acquires more knowledge, she is ultimately in the same place at the end of the novel as she was in the beginning.

As for her detective work, I was somewhat skeptical of the very limited resistance Mei met with as she questioned person after person in this novel. The majority of characters were all willing to help her and give her, a stranger, many details about their lives before becoming suspicious of her inquiries. It seems all the answers were just there for her, all she had to do was ask.

Ultimately, this book reads as an intro to what the author obviously intends to make a series. It spent so much time setting up characters and background that there was hardly much plot. Still, because of the details on Beijing-living and an assumption that her relationship with her family would somehow alter, I liked reading the book until I realized I was nearing the end and then I thought, “oh, wait, that’s it?”
NOTHING gets resolved.

[Juha · Rating 2 out of 5]

Strictly speaking, this is not a very good book. It's supposed to be a mystery, but that plot really is only introduced on page 55. It's supposed to shed light on the moral ambiguities of the Cultural Revolution and while this is hinted to at various points it only comes together at the last twenty pages of the book. The rest is description of life in contemporary Beijing and the protagonist's relationship with her mother who suffers a stroke (in the end, their relationship is portrayed in light of the choices the mother made during Cultural Revolution), sister (an obnoxious materialistic striver that the new China has empowered) and ex-boyfriend (who has made his fortune in America). All rather pertinent, but not terribly well crafted. Having said that, the book is still interesting enough. It is also worth noting that Diane Wei Liang, a business professor based in London, wrote this first novel when she was already in her 40s.

[Kirsten · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very enjoyable first in a mystery series. Set in Beijing, it deals with Chinese social mores and political life, murder, art theft, and a troubled past. The Cultural Revolution and the Capitalist Revolution both make an appearance.

Written by someone who is actually from China, it is fascinating not just for the mystery, but mainly for the feeling of life in Communist China.

[Takoneando entre libros · Rating 2 out of 5]

Investigación e intriga, nulas. Está curioso por saber un poco del modo de vida chino y poco más.
Aún así, daré otra oportunidad al siguiente de la trilogía a ver qué tal.
He echado mucho de menos más notas a pie de página sobre términos chinos, es engorroso ir cada poco a Google y parar la lectura...y menos mal que está Google!

[Antonia Roehl · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ich würde sagen, ein durchschnittlich gutes Buch ohne besonderheiten sollte drei von fünf Sternen erhalten. Dieses ist aber klar unterm Durchschnitt und hat die Besonderheit, keinerlei Emotionen an mich weitergetragen zu haben und erst im vorletzten Kapitel (die Kapitel sind kurz, es gibt ca. 30, wenn ich mich recht erinnere) etwas spannend zu sein. Das ganze Buch ließt sich eher wie die Einleitung eines besseren Buchs. Schätze, das ist auch der Grund, warum es als Mängelexemplar verkauft wird und hier bei Goodreads nichteinmal ein Cover eingefügt worden ist.

Empfehlen würde ich dieses Buch tatsächlich nicht, da ich finde, dass man daran nur seine Lebenszeit verschwendet.

[José Luis Parra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poco policiaca pero interesante

La sensación general tras terminar su lectura es satisfactoria.
Por la sinopsis (y el calificativo en la propia portada), esperaba una novela con más acción, más intriga y, en definitiva, más policiaca.
Por contra, me he encontrado con una novela tranquila, que no aburrida, pero interesante. Desconozco cómo sería la obra original, pero en la traducción me ha gustado mucho cómo está narrada.
Un argumento atrapante que te sumerge perfectamente en el ambiente Chino y, a mí en particular, me ha mostrado cantidad de información que desconocía. Una narrativa bastante descriptiva y explicativa de los sucesos presentes y pasados que no se hace nada pesada al estar muy bien distribuida a lo largo de la trama y te invita a continuar leyendo tras cada capítulo.
En cuanto a la maquetación, hay un "PERO" importante para mí, y es que no contiene índice de capítulos ni información acerca de los mismos, por lo que el Kindle no me ofrece la estimación de tiempo restante de cada uno, algo que me gusta conocer habitualmente.

[CarolineFromConcord · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a novel about dealing with the contradictions of life in today's capitalistic China under the shadow of the Cultural Revolution. Full of rich detail and thoughtful characterizations, it is not in my view a mystery. Yes, the central character is a kind of detective; yes, when someone asks her to find a certain antique, she looks for it off and on; yes, there's eventually a dead body.

But the "page-turner" aspect touted on the cover never materializes. (I searched the web unsuccessfully to find the original *W* magazine review and see if it maybe said "not a page-turner.")

Mei never learns what happened to the antique, and when she discovers who's responsible for the murder, nothing happens. There is even a bizarre moment when she goes to a really tough suspect without a weapon, backup, or anyone knowing where she is and asks him, "Did you kill Z--?"

But although I was disappointed, I couldn't give this two stars as author Liang really gave me a powerful sense of what life in China is like and how the past is still the present there.

[OSCAR BAGAN · Rating 4 out of 5]

El ojo de jade es una novela singular ya desde su punto de partida: aunque su autora nació y se formó en China, está escrita originalmente en inglés, y constituye la primera novela de Diane Wei Liang. Esta elección lingüística no es un detalle menor: marca una distancia crítica que permite observar la realidad china desde dentro y desde fuera al mismo tiempo, con una lucidez poco complaciente.
Aunque el libro suele presentarse y venderse como una novela policiaca, ese rótulo resulta, en el fondo, insuficiente e incluso engañoso. La intriga criminal existe, pero su función es claramente instrumental. El verdadero propósito de la autora —y ahí reside el valor profundo del texto— es la construcción de un retrato social, político y económico de la China contemporánea.
La trama de misterio actúa como excusa narrativa para mostrar el horror cotidiano de vivir bajo una dictadura: un mundo atravesado por la corrupción estructural, la pobreza visible y la invisible, el miedo constante, la inseguridad moral y material, la traición como mecanismo de supervivencia y una tristeza de fondo que impregna todas las relaciones humanas. La novela transmite con fuerza la falta de expectativas reales, la sensación de que el futuro está clausurado o, como mínimo, vigilado.
Uno de los aspectos más logrados del libro es la idea de que todo el mundo tiene algo que ocultar. No se trata solo de secretos criminales, sino de emociones, opiniones, recuerdos y vínculos. Esta cultura del silencio y la desconfianza está retratada con sobriedad, sin necesidad de subrayados ideológicos.
Desde el punto de vista literario, El ojo de jade se lee bien: es una novela ágil, escrita sin alardes, con capacidad para recrear ambientes y para captar la forma de hablar y de relacionarse de los personajes. La investigación policial es funcional y relativamente artificial; no busca coherencia , sino sostener el recorrido por ese paisaje humano y moral.
En conjunto, estamos ante un libro importante, no tanto por su aportación al género negro como por su valor testimonial y revelador. El ojo de jade permite al lector occidental asomarse desde dentro al sufrimiento de la sociedad china contemporánea, a sus mecanismos de control y a las cicatrices que deja el miedo cuando se vuelve una forma de vida. Es ahí donde la novela encuentra su verdadera hondura y su necesidad.

[Bea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have found a new author to read. That is always a pleasure. Diane Wei Liang's book, The Eye of Jade, centers around Mei who has quit a prestigious job and started her own detective agency. Her mother disapproves and holds her younger sister (Lu) up to Mei as an example of a successful woman. Mei is given a job to find "the eye of Jade", a supposed expensive artifact of early China. In her investigation, she not only finds "the eye of Jade" but she also finds out the true story of her mother and father's early lives. This discovery shakes her.

The setting is modern day China but the story revolves around the lives of people who lived through the Cultural Revolution. This is a first novel in a new detective series. I will definitely look for book 2.

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

Η Μέι είναι μία σύγχρονη Κινέζα, η οποία έχει την οικονομική δυνατότητα να ξεφύγει από τον πάμπτωχο μέσο όρο. Εξασκεί το επάγγελμα της ιδιωτικής ντετέκτιβ, οδηγεί στο πολύβουο Πεκίνο και έχει βοηθό - γραμματέα άντρα.
Δεν ξέρω κατά πόσον αυτό το σενάριο μπορεί να είναι πραγματικό ή να ανήκει στη σφαίρα της φαντασίας.
Αν και στη σημερινή καπιταλιστική Κίνα είναι προφανές ότι η πραγματικότητα έχει αλλάξει.
Μέσα από μία σχηματική ιστορία, ερχόμαστε σε επαφή με την νεότερη ιστορία της χώρας, την Πολιτιστική Επανάσταση, τη διεφθαρμένη κινεζική κοινωνία της ανώτερης τάξης και τα παιχνίδια εξουσίας. Από την άλλη η Μέι μας συστήνει την οικογένεια της και αποκαλύπτει μέσα από τη σχέση της με αυτήν τα χαλαρά της συναισθήματα.
Περισσότερο κοινωνικό ήταν το θέμα του βιβλίου παρά μυστηρίου, με αξιοπρόσεκτη όμως γραφή.

[Tyas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cina layaknya seekor naga raksasa yang terus menggeliat setelah tidur panjangnya. Sebuah masa yang kelam selama satu dasawarsa sejak pertengahan 60-an hingga pertengahan 75-an terjadi Revolusi Kebudayaan, di mana terjadi proses pembersihan dari simbol-simbol kapitalisme. Salah satu dampak sosial masyarakat adalah terjadinya pengasingan kaum intelektual.

Banyak keluarga yang terpaksa terberai, termasuk Mei, sang tokoh dalam novel ini, berpisah dan meninggalkan ayahnya di kamp kerja paksa. Mei akhirnya melanjutkan kehidupannya bersama ibu dan adiknya.

Mei setelah lulus universitas bekerja di Kementrian sebelum akhirnya memutuskan mendirikan suatu biro penyelidikan, kata lain dari detektif swasta. Mata Giok (Eye of Jade) kemudian menjadi kerangka cerita yang membawa Mei pada peristiwa-peristiwa menegangkan.

Novel ini menjadi sangat manusiawi manakala pada saat perjalanan cerita digambarkan juga sisi sosialisasi sang tokoh bersama ibu dan adiknya, teman-teman sekolahnya, bekas pacarnya, dan teman-teman keluarganya yang membawa kepada pengungkapan rahasia keluarganya.

Novel ini juga menarik karena terdapat kedekatan antara situasi yang terbangun di dalam cerita dengan situasi lingkungan pembaca di Indonesia. Pada periode yang sama Indonesia mengalami suatu peristiwa besar yang mengubah kehidupan sosial sebagian warga negara. Pasca 1965 banyak keluarga yang mengalami perubahan drastis, yang kemudian berlanjut hingga akhir dasawarsa 90-an. Sehingga layak kiranya novel ini bisa dianggap sabagai sekeping cermin kecil sebuah segmen kehidupan saudara kita.

[LJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

THE EYE OF JADE (Priv. Invest-Mei Wang-Beijing, China-Cont) – VG
Wei Liang, Diane – 2nd in series
Simon & Schuster, 2008, US Hardcover – ISBN: 1416549552

First Sentence: In the corner of an office in an old-fashioned building in Beijing’s Chongyang District, the fan was humming loudly, like an elderly man angry at his own impotence.

Mei Wang had been dismissed from the Ministry for Public Security and has opened an office as a private investigator. “Uncle” Chen, a family friend, hires her to find an ancient, and extremely valuable, piece of jade looted from the Luoyang Museum during the Cultural Revolution. The case takes her into the back streets of Beijing, and into secrets of her family’s past.

This was an unusual mystery and a fascinating book. It is a PI story, but very different from the typical American PI. The story focuses on people, interactions and relationships, yet still has some suspense. I realized how little I know about China, past or present. There are vast differences between our cultures but enough similarities that the story really worked. The sense of place is wonderful and the dialogue has just the right voice to it. I am interested to see where Mei Wang’s story goes. You might want to give this a try.

[Iblena · Rating 4 out of 5]

A caballo entre la narrativa y la novela policiaca, El Ojo de Jade cuenta una historia de corrupción, ambición, codicia, y ansías de poder en la China de 1998 en pleno desarrollo capitalista, para ello se vale de su protagonista: Mei Wang una mujer valiente, tenaz y emprendedora que esconde sus debilidades tras una personalidad solitaria, fría e indolente…su modo de ser no le ha permitido rodearse de un buen guanxi o red de contactos, pero es inteligente y ha aprendido que si el Partido tiene estrategias, la gente tiene contra estrategias por lo que posee una agencia de información y es contratada para buscar una joya desaparecida durante la Revolución Cultural. A través de las pesquisas de Mei se desvela su pasado y como una de las épocas más cruentas de la historia contemporánea china sembró la tragedia y el drama en su familia. Aunque la investigación detectivesca ocupa un segundo plano es posible que usted se sienta decepcionado si espera leer una novela policiaca “con todas la de la ley” pero si lo que busca es una historia coherente, bien escrita, narrada y delineada seguro que la disfruta.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mei is a female private investigator in Beijing under a regime where such an occupation is not permitted. A friend of her mother seeks Mei's help in finding an ancient artefact, originally thought to have been destroyed during the Cultural Revolution. Her search however takes a back seat to descriptions of life in Beijing and to the life of Mei and her sister Lu in the aftermath of her mother suffering a stroke and being taken into hospital. This didn't really detract from my enjoyment of the novel as the writing is good and the descriptions of life intriguing. 8/10.

[Una Tiers · Rating 3 out of 5]

The small amount of Chinese culture was pleasant. Otherwise, this was a political story about corruption. Almost every character is unhappy. The few characters who say they are happy are obsessed with power and money.

[Ренета Кирова · Rating 5 out of 5]

Книгата е криминална драма, ако има такъв жанр. Допадна ми атмосферата в нея, описанието на Пекин, улиците, животът на хората, китайските обичаи. Имаше доста препратки към Културната революция в Китай, организирана от Мао Дзедун и безпорядъка, предизвикан от това. Семейството на Мей се е оказало въвлечено в събитията и едва са се отървали от трудовите лагери. Самата Мей не е близка с майка си, тъй като не прилича на сестра си и цял живот й се натяква, че е различна и необщителна. Тя открива частна детективска агенция и първият й случай е възложен от нейния чичо. Покрай него Мей ще открие истината за семейството си.
Краят ми беше недовършен и сега искам да прочета и другите книги от поредицата. Допадна ми цялостната атмосфера в книгата.

[L Y N N · Rating 4 out of 5]

Uncertain that I would classify this as a true mystery in the classical sense of the genre... And I read a lot of mysteries!

This was a good read for what it was, which, IMO, was simply a work of fiction. Liang's writing style did keep me interested, though not enthralled. I do own the second in this series and will read it as well, though it is not a priority for me at this time.

[Judy Hall · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mei Wang opens her own Private Detective Agency in Beijing. She can't call it that, but she solves problems for people. When her mother's old friend asks her to find a possible historical artifact she cannot refuse.

This book is easy to read. The pace is a little slow, but Mei and her family history are fascinating. The mystery itself is a little light. Or is it? It may be wrapped up in the many mysteries that are Mei's own family.

This is an interesting look inside China and at Chinese culture and the Communist government. I would recommend it as a read.

[Colleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

All the standard mystery elements are present, detective with a past, sidekick, stolen treasure, murder, a setting that manages to be both exotic and seamy at the same time.it is more than that as the author also explores Chinese history and politics and family relations

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked reading about Wang Mei’s detective agency and learning about her family and it’s travails during the Cultural Revolution and after. But the author leaves the reader guessing about key elements of the plot. It’s not a satisfying read as a detective story.

[Juan Fuentes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Novela policiaca con una detective privada que debe encontrar un amuleto de Jade

https://liblit.com/diane-wei-liang-el...

[Maya Carmen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Diane Wei Liangs' The Eye of Jade holds an interesting story, but lacks that page-turning character development.

[Betsy Ash · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book, set in modern day Communist China, follows a young woman who has left her job working for the police authority (as a result of some scandal) to open her own detective agency. The book's writing quality may not be the best, but the cultural references alone make it worth reading.

[C.J. Shane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Diane Liang Wei’s novel “The Eye of Jade” is categorized as a mystery, the first in the Mei Wang series. However, if you are expecting suspense-filled scenes, clues and red herrings, and those plot twists we associate with the traditional mystery, you may be somewhat disappointed.

Private detective Mei Wang has defied tradition, her family, and the law to establish herself as an independent investigator. It is not until deep into the story that we learn why: she had to leave her cushy job in the Ministry of Public Security to maintain her personal honor. As she goes about attempting to find a rare and extremely valuable carved jade seal from the Han dynasty, she finds time to engage in long interludes regarding her relationship with her mother whose health is failing, with her insufferable nouveau riche sister Lu, and with a lover long gone who suddenly returns. The mystery takes a back seat to all this at times. Eventually when all is revealed, we find that like so often in China, history dominates – in this case, the history of parents and their associates whose actions during the Cultural Revolution continue to affect Mei and her generation.

Actually it is better to view this book as a lovely novel of remembrance and nostalgia for days gone by tinged with an aura of sadness that I associate with the Chinese character. Perhaps the book’s sensibility is not surprising given that the author Liang left Beijing after participating in the student movement of 1989, then went to the U.S to earn a doctorate, worked here for many years, and now lives in London with her husband and children. She has earned the right to her long, lyrical passages about the Beijing lost to her now, the northern capital, with its mix of old and new, dark and light, heaven and earth. Having visited some of the places she describes in the book such as the Liulichang district, I, too, felt that nostalgic yearning for China, if not Beijing specifically, as I read this book.

[Julieta Ax · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me gusta las novelas que nos conectan con culturas tan distantes y tan diferentes de la nuestra. El ojo de jade me hizo acordar de la novela Volver la vista atrás, y sentí como si pudiera viajar nuevamente a aquella China y ver todo desde distintas perspectivas.

La historia en sí no sé si me termina de convencer tanto, pero me quedo con lo fácil de la lectura, con lo real de los sentimientos entre las hermanas y ese pedazo de cultura y vida china que nos enseña sin máscaras.

Quiero destacar las metáforas que usó la autora del libro: de verdad me encantaron. 💚Fue como tener una pizca de poesía.

Aquí dejo mis favoritas:

"La carretera de circunvalación se abrió como una navaja relampagueante bajo el cielo azul."

"La voz de Mei le había llegado como el viento por la pradera, como un amor perdido que vuelve a casa, más suave y más clara que en sus sueños."

"sus palabras rodaron por el cuello de Mei como perlas desengarzadas"

"El sol cálido les acariciaba la espalda como las manos de un amante. Un silencio triste empezó a dividir los minutos en mitades y las mitades otra vez en mitades hasta que ya no quedó tiempo."

"Era como si un trozo del cielo ardiente se hubiera desprendido y hubiera entrado con ella. Su pelo largo brillaba y lanzaba destellos de luz reflejada."

"Fuera, el sol había explotado en mil pedazos de luz blanca."

"El cielo era como una inmensa tapa negra a punto de desplomarse. Los rayos llegaban en oleadas, perseguidos por los truenos. La lluvia caía sesgada."

[Larry Bassett · Rating 3 out of 5]

Is there something good to be said of the Chinese Cultural Revolution of the 1960s? If there is, do not expect Diane Wei Liang to say it. She left China with wounds from that era as well as the experience of Tiananmen Square, another more recent negative event in Chinese history.

The Eye of Jade is the first in what is so far a two book series about a Beijing woman private investigator. More are anticipated. The first quarter of this book focuses on character development of the protagonist and some of the supporting characters. The balance of the book is as much a story of a Chinese family as it is a mystery. As you might expect in the first book of a series, some people and situations are introduced that you might expect to reappear in future books. Murder, family secrets and a lost love all take their turn. And then there is the Cultural Revolution that still tears apart this family many years later.

I give the book an extra star because one aspect, the lost love that briefly reappears, resonates and speaks to me as one who has a long ago lost love. It’s that part of me that thinks some chick lit is quite OK. Whether this book is chick lit or a mystery, I will leave for others to debate.

[Christina Winata · Rating 1 out of 5]

I borrowed this book from the library as recommended by http://www.inibuku.com. Very excited on how easy it is to get it from library, consider that this is a quite new book, I quickly finish the book.

Too bad, I am quite disappointed at the end though. I was expecting that the author would explore more about the Chinnese cultures and traditions, just like the other eastern writer usually.

Pardon me, but I'd like to use the word "blend" to describe the book. It just like a very tasty and appealing dumpling from outside, but still frozen inside.

I wish the author has put a better ending to the story.
(Perhaps, put a little bit chilli sauce and soya sauce will make it a better taste).

To be honest, I cant even remember the ending of the story. Although I still stick to my believe there is no bad and good book, voz every book is written for a purpose, I have to admit, maybe it does not work for this time. Nothing touches me personally.

[Miren Arana · Rating 2 out of 5]

ESP

Escogí esta novela por el mero hecho de cumplir con un reto literario (Popsugar: que haya un mineral en el título o la portada) y al final siento que me he quedado casi igual. Al principio parecía interesante, mostraba una China más realista, lejos de la postura política oficial, pero al llegar al desenlace me ha decepcionado, no se si me he perdido por el camino pistas importantes o que la novela me ha hecho perder el interés poco a poco...

ENG

I choosed this novel just to fill a prompt of a reading challenge (Popsugar: #6 a book with a gem, mineral or rock on the title) and at the end I felt I was like in the beginning, I didn’t felt anything special after reading it. At first it seemed interesting, it showed a more realistic China, far from the oficial political position, but arriving to the ending it did disappointed me, I’m not sure if for losing important clues on the way or because the novel made me lose the attention little by little…

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is more of an entertaining way to learn about a culture than a mystery book. If you liked "The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency," then you'll probably enjoy this story. The first chapters of the book were full of flashbacks, and the whole story was full of strange metaphors, but the information about modern China was fascinating. The mystery itself was decent but was never fully the focus of the book. As in, don't buy this book solely because you want to read a mystery because you'll be frustrated.

The characters were interesting, and the world-building was thorough. There were no explicit sex scenes or noticeable cussing. I'd rate this as "good, clean fun."

[Tali · Rating 2 out of 5]

Puede resultar y resulta interesante el contexto de la historia, las referencias culturales, sociales...pero la historia, el caso que se le presenta para investigar es flojo, le sirve para retratar a la nueva China y poco más.