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Detective Inspector Chen #4
The Shadow Pavilion
When his partner goes missing, Chen discovers a transcendental assassination plot
Detective Inspector Chen is getting used to visiting Heaven. It is a peaceful place, but the eerie calm and ever-present scent of peaches make him yearn for the chaos of Singapore Three. He has come to visit Mhara, the Emperor of Heaven, who ascended to the celestial throne after his father went mad and launched an ill-advised invasion of Hell. Order has been restored to the cosmos, and Mhara is characteristically serene, but trouble is lurking for this handsome young god.
Someone is trying to kill the Emperor of Heaven, and Chen does not have his demonic partner, Zhu Irzh, to fall back on. Zhu Irzh has vanished, Chen’s wife is in danger, and a psychotic Bollywood star is on the warpath. It’s another day in the office for the occult detective—a day that, if he doesn’t restore order quickly, could be the universe’s last.
The Shadow Pavilion is the fourth of the five Detective Inspector Chen Novels, which begin with Snake Agent and The Demon and the City.
Detective Inspector Chen is getting used to visiting Heaven. It is a peaceful place, but the eerie calm and ever-present scent of peaches make him yearn for the chaos of Singapore Three. He has come to visit Mhara, the Emperor of Heaven, who ascended to the celestial throne after his father went mad and launched an ill-advised invasion of Hell. Order has been restored to the cosmos, and Mhara is characteristically serene, but trouble is lurking for this handsome young god.
Someone is trying to kill the Emperor of Heaven, and Chen does not have his demonic partner, Zhu Irzh, to fall back on. Zhu Irzh has vanished, Chen’s wife is in danger, and a psychotic Bollywood star is on the warpath. It’s another day in the office for the occult detective—a day that, if he doesn’t restore order quickly, could be the universe’s last.
The Shadow Pavilion is the fourth of the five Detective Inspector Chen Novels, which begin with Snake Agent and The Demon and the City.
362 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2008
20 people are currently reading
383 people want to read
About the author
Liz Williams
146 books266 followersThere is more than one author with this name
Liz Williams is a British science fiction writer. Her first novel, The Ghost Sister was published in 2001. Both this novel and her next, Empire of Bones (2002) were nominated for the Philip K. Dick Award.[1] She is also the author of the Inspector Chen series.
She is the daughter of a stage magician and a Gothic novelist. She holds a PhD in Philosophy of Science from Cambridge. She has had short stories published in Asimov's, Interzone, The Third Alternative and Visionary Tongue. From the mid-nineties until 2000, she lived and worked in Kazakhstan.[2] Her experiences there are reflected in her 2003 novel Nine Layers of Sky. Her novels have been published in the US and the UK, while her third novel The Poison Master (2003) has been translated into Dutch.
Series:
* Detective Inspector Chen
* Darkland
Liz Williams is a British science fiction writer. Her first novel, The Ghost Sister was published in 2001. Both this novel and her next, Empire of Bones (2002) were nominated for the Philip K. Dick Award.[1] She is also the author of the Inspector Chen series.
She is the daughter of a stage magician and a Gothic novelist. She holds a PhD in Philosophy of Science from Cambridge. She has had short stories published in Asimov's, Interzone, The Third Alternative and Visionary Tongue. From the mid-nineties until 2000, she lived and worked in Kazakhstan.[2] Her experiences there are reflected in her 2003 novel Nine Layers of Sky. Her novels have been published in the US and the UK, while her third novel The Poison Master (2003) has been translated into Dutch.
Series:
* Detective Inspector Chen
* Darkland
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
January 10, 2014
The fourth book in the Inspector Chen series, Shadow Pavilion feels like Williams has found her groove. Or perhaps, I have discovered the rhythm to reading her. At any rate, I devoured it in a day. Granted, it was a day that was -25 degrees with the wind chill, but Inspector Chen had the greatest promise of diversion among books on hand, and it was quickly apparent I chose well. Now that Inspector Chen and the ensemble cast has overthrown both Heaven and Hell, they are attempting to focus on issues closer to home. However, mysteries will lead them to new dimensions, and give familiar background characters a chance to shine.
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Rest of the review continued at:
http://clsiewert.wordpress.com/2014/0...
AND
http://carols.booklikes.com/post/7545...
because Goodreads, Amazon, censorship, you know the rap.
************
Rest of the review continued at:
http://clsiewert.wordpress.com/2014/0...
AND
http://carols.booklikes.com/post/7545...
because Goodreads, Amazon, censorship, you know the rap.
February 28, 2022
Rating: 4.4/5
Review: Well now, this took an even darker turn than usual. More like creepy as fuk-ville. The dualities presented are consistent in Asian mythos/culture and finds a unique place within the body of a Master Assassin. The de-coupling is fascinating and begs furtherance, perhaps in the form of a babe who’s story is yet to live fulfilled.
I thought we were definitely going down the broken road of forced story lines and patterned characters. Yet the author surprised me this time. I will keep a careful eye on the wasted and crap characters of Inari and Robin and see if they will truly spiral into fillers of a sequel.
Review: Well now, this took an even darker turn than usual. More like creepy as fuk-ville. The dualities presented are consistent in Asian mythos/culture and finds a unique place within the body of a Master Assassin. The de-coupling is fascinating and begs furtherance, perhaps in the form of a babe who’s story is yet to live fulfilled.
I thought we were definitely going down the broken road of forced story lines and patterned characters. Yet the author surprised me this time. I will keep a careful eye on the wasted and crap characters of Inari and Robin and see if they will truly spiral into fillers of a sequel.
March 5, 2018
Four stars because badger plays a bigger role.
December 21, 2009
I have a fantasy that involves Liz Williams. No, you pervy bastards, not that kind of fantasy, but it does involve a bed. This bed is quite comfortable, and has a canopy and curtains and thick golden ropes holding them open. Or maybe it's a low couch or chaise longue by the window where I can watch the stars on a warm summer night. The room is softly lit with candles or oil lamps, maybe a fireplace, and, considering my eclectic tastes, is probably some bizarre mash-up of harem, Victorian parlor and late 19th-century French whorehouse. Dark wood, rich colors and shadows. I am relaxed and enjoying that lazy feeling one gets at the end of a long beautiful day spent doing nothing in particular. The author's place in this scene is at the foot of the bed, or perhaps in an over-stuffed chair by the fireplace with a goblet of wine. In a voice that may or may not be a lot like Diana Krall's, she tells me a story....
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This is the first time I've given one of her books fewer than five stars. The only reason for this is that the ending feels rushed. It becomes clear in the last few chapters that she's setting up events that will occur in the next (or later) book(s), and instead of a cliffhanger the threads just seem to get tied up a little too neatly in a rather short time. Her writing is still wonderful, and much to my delight, the badger gets a lot of ink (I do not mean the badger gets tattoos. I mean he is a main character in this story. What would a badger do with tattoos? You people are weird). Of course, none of this will make a damn bit of sense to people who aren't already fans of her books. I don't want to give anything away. Find a copy of Snake Agent and find out for yourself.
"I walk in the bone worlds," Bonerattle said. "Among blood and whispers. Humans don't tend to like that." (79)
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This is the first time I've given one of her books fewer than five stars. The only reason for this is that the ending feels rushed. It becomes clear in the last few chapters that she's setting up events that will occur in the next (or later) book(s), and instead of a cliffhanger the threads just seem to get tied up a little too neatly in a rather short time. Her writing is still wonderful, and much to my delight, the badger gets a lot of ink (I do not mean the badger gets tattoos. I mean he is a main character in this story. What would a badger do with tattoos? You people are weird). Of course, none of this will make a damn bit of sense to people who aren't already fans of her books. I don't want to give anything away. Find a copy of Snake Agent and find out for yourself.
"I walk in the bone worlds," Bonerattle said. "Among blood and whispers. Humans don't tend to like that." (79)
December 27, 2009
nspector Chen has been to Hell, dealt with a misguided invasion of Hell by Heaven, corporate takeovers in Hell, and even overseen the ascension of a new Emperor of Heaven.
What does "Snake Agent" Inspector Chen, his demon wife, his demon senechal partner (and new fiance!) and other allies do next?
Well, would you believe get caught in the machinations of demonesses and a demigod from a different Hell (a Hindu one!) as well as deal with an assassination attempt on the (new) Emperor of Heaven himself?
Shadow Pavilion is the fourth novel in Liz Williams' Inspector Chen series. Set in the early 21st century in the Chinese city Singapore Three, where the divine, demonic and real life intersect in very real ways. Not very assessable to those new to the series, Shadow Pavilion continues to expand the playground. While we have had hints there are other heavens and hells in the previous novels, but in Shadow Pavilion we not only meet denizens from them, but we actually have the characters travel to them. Williams does an excellent job making these new realms distinctly different than the bureaucratic-mad Chinese Hell, and the change in venue makes for an interesting contrast.
I enjoyed this volume in the series overall, as always. Inspector Chen and his world are clearly subjects that Ms. Williams has found a niche in writing in, and I look forward to subsequent novels.
My only complaint with this novel is its length. While the other novels are approximately the same short length, in this case, it feels like Williams was writing a bit to that length, rather than to the end point of a story. The pacing felt just a little bit off to me. This is not a serious flaw, but it is a noticeable one.
Recommended to fans of the series. For others, I suggest trying out Snake Agent to see if you like Williams brand of modern Chinese supernatural urban fantasy.
What does "Snake Agent" Inspector Chen, his demon wife, his demon senechal partner (and new fiance!) and other allies do next?
Well, would you believe get caught in the machinations of demonesses and a demigod from a different Hell (a Hindu one!) as well as deal with an assassination attempt on the (new) Emperor of Heaven himself?
Shadow Pavilion is the fourth novel in Liz Williams' Inspector Chen series. Set in the early 21st century in the Chinese city Singapore Three, where the divine, demonic and real life intersect in very real ways. Not very assessable to those new to the series, Shadow Pavilion continues to expand the playground. While we have had hints there are other heavens and hells in the previous novels, but in Shadow Pavilion we not only meet denizens from them, but we actually have the characters travel to them. Williams does an excellent job making these new realms distinctly different than the bureaucratic-mad Chinese Hell, and the change in venue makes for an interesting contrast.
I enjoyed this volume in the series overall, as always. Inspector Chen and his world are clearly subjects that Ms. Williams has found a niche in writing in, and I look forward to subsequent novels.
My only complaint with this novel is its length. While the other novels are approximately the same short length, in this case, it feels like Williams was writing a bit to that length, rather than to the end point of a story. The pacing felt just a little bit off to me. This is not a serious flaw, but it is a noticeable one.
Recommended to fans of the series. For others, I suggest trying out Snake Agent to see if you like Williams brand of modern Chinese supernatural urban fantasy.
January 12, 2015
If you've arrived at this volume, you probably have some idea what this series is about. So I'd like to simply list things I liked about this book, in no particular order, and packed with spoilers.
August 10, 2012
This is the last in the series I have so far been able to read - though I am looking for the next one. The series now has the characters suitably settled and again builds on comments and hints from previous books. Although once you read them you will understand - there is no way to up the stakes - however the author has struck on an interesting idea. Before the series was based around Chinese mythology - what if they have every major cultures mythologies also at hand to dip in to when required. Now not only do you have an almost limitless cast list but also as many mythologies goes they are a jealous and covetous lot - the potentials for new stories is now limitless- an interesting twist with an interesting array of possibilities.
May 3, 2020
Having read the first and second in the series, I seem to have missed the third and skipped to this one when I found it at a used book sale. But it doesn't seem like I missed anything critical; the characters here were still familiar and interesting, and the setting continues to be innovative. The plot in this one was a bit more cohesive than The Demon and the City, and while all three have been roughly comparable, I'm rounding up to four stars here for the most successful execution of the concept so far.
There was still a sense of "anything goes" with regard to the magic and physics of this universe, evoking a comic book action style of storytelling, but the occurrences largely made sense in the context of the framework. The diverging subplots kept the numerous characters separated for large parts of the story, but that worked well, and switching between the storylines contributed to the pace. Chen was a bit bland in this one, but the other major characters rose to play larger roles and the tiger goddesses and Sefira the deva added surprisingly effective sensual element to the action. The badger in particular is a clever point of view character, so I was glad to see him playing a larger role in the story.
A fun read with just the right mixture of light humor and dark(-ish) drama; truly stylish and evocative writing - I'll plan on tracking down the others in the series when I have a chance.
There was still a sense of "anything goes" with regard to the magic and physics of this universe, evoking a comic book action style of storytelling, but the occurrences largely made sense in the context of the framework. The diverging subplots kept the numerous characters separated for large parts of the story, but that worked well, and switching between the storylines contributed to the pace. Chen was a bit bland in this one, but the other major characters rose to play larger roles and the tiger goddesses and Sefira the deva added surprisingly effective sensual element to the action. The badger in particular is a clever point of view character, so I was glad to see him playing a larger role in the story.
A fun read with just the right mixture of light humor and dark(-ish) drama; truly stylish and evocative writing - I'll plan on tracking down the others in the series when I have a chance.
February 6, 2023
I found this 4th Inspector Chen novel much more fun and less complex than the last book.
We have three major plot lines: 1) Upset over her son Mhara's radical reorganization of Heaven, The Empress sends out an ancient dual-sex assassin: The Lord-Lady Seijin
2) Bollywood producer Go summons a Tiger demon, Lara from hell, but finds he's bitten off more than he can chew when she becomes a diva and makes unreasonable demands.
3) Jhai's cousin Agni kidnaps Zhu Irzh and Badger and takes them to his hunting reserve in hell where they are prey for Lara's sisters.
I love the word building here and the fusion of Asian mythologies - We get some Indian in here with the Indian Hells, tiger demons, Devas and Krishna making a cameo as well as the Chinese stuff.
It's very pacy and readable with short chapters and lots of action. There are some nice surprises too - I was taken aback by Inari's fate and it was great to see Demon Hunter No Ro Shi back again.
The Inspector Chen novels are a breath of fresh air in the urban fantasy genre - The mythology is unique and the world building excellent. They also really don't follow 'format' - Nominally they are called Inspector Chen novels - but whilst he is the glue around which the other characters come into play, he is actually quite minor - The supporting cast are much larger than life and star in more of the action.
Really enjoyed this one.
We have three major plot lines: 1) Upset over her son Mhara's radical reorganization of Heaven, The Empress sends out an ancient dual-sex assassin: The Lord-Lady Seijin
2) Bollywood producer Go summons a Tiger demon, Lara from hell, but finds he's bitten off more than he can chew when she becomes a diva and makes unreasonable demands.
3) Jhai's cousin Agni kidnaps Zhu Irzh and Badger and takes them to his hunting reserve in hell where they are prey for Lara's sisters.
I love the word building here and the fusion of Asian mythologies - We get some Indian in here with the Indian Hells, tiger demons, Devas and Krishna making a cameo as well as the Chinese stuff.
It's very pacy and readable with short chapters and lots of action. There are some nice surprises too - I was taken aback by Inari's fate and it was great to see Demon Hunter No Ro Shi back again.
The Inspector Chen novels are a breath of fresh air in the urban fantasy genre - The mythology is unique and the world building excellent. They also really don't follow 'format' - Nominally they are called Inspector Chen novels - but whilst he is the glue around which the other characters come into play, he is actually quite minor - The supporting cast are much larger than life and star in more of the action.
Really enjoyed this one.
March 26, 2020
This time we go from Shanghai 3 to Heaven, a Hindu branch of—somewhere, and a Between that isn’t any of those places...all because someone wants someone else dead and someone wants someone else married. Complicated! But still fun...looking forward to the next episode.
July 30, 2024
Perfect
One of my favorite series. I can't wait to read the next one and hope there's more where they came from! I will be looking for more by this author... Hoping that this isn't the end of it
One of my favorite series. I can't wait to read the next one and hope there's more where they came from! I will be looking for more by this author... Hoping that this isn't the end of it
April 26, 2018
Really strong entry in the series.
December 22, 2018
I think this is my favourite Chen novel!
It's such a fun, anarchic romp. And it's fantastic to have Badger and Inari as viewpoint characters. I liked Go too!
It's such a fun, anarchic romp. And it's fantastic to have Badger and Inari as viewpoint characters. I liked Go too!
July 25, 2024
An excellent fourth book in this series, with previous issues being tied off and trailers laid for another book - all very smoothly.
February 22, 2016
Once again I find myself wishing for half-star increments, because this book was a solid two and a half stars. Not terrible, but not very good either. It was bland enough that it left me questioning whether I will even read the last book in this series.
The Shadow Pavilion suffers from a few problems:
1. A couple of the POV characters are kind of boring.
2. Despite being "A Detective Inspector Chen" novel, I think Chen gets exactly one POV chapter? But maybe that's OK, because sometimes he's kind of boring too.
3. Compared to the massive events of the third book in this series, it feels very much like not much happens in this book. There's some tiger demons misbehaving, and someone is trying to kill the Emperor of Heaven, and it doesn't really feel like enough to sustain a novel, even a 300 page one.
4. Do I even want to get into the weird gender issues surrounding the main villain? At least they were never referred to as a she-he or anything gross like that. Instead the narration involved using any pronouns at all. C'mon, what's wrong with singular they?
5. It desperately needed at least one more editing pass. I mean, the second word in the book is a typo!
That said, it was nice that Badger got to be a POV character. Otherwise, I'm just not really feeling this one.
The Shadow Pavilion suffers from a few problems:
1. A couple of the POV characters are kind of boring.
2. Despite being "A Detective Inspector Chen" novel, I think Chen gets exactly one POV chapter? But maybe that's OK, because sometimes he's kind of boring too.
3. Compared to the massive events of the third book in this series, it feels very much like not much happens in this book. There's some tiger demons misbehaving, and someone is trying to kill the Emperor of Heaven, and it doesn't really feel like enough to sustain a novel, even a 300 page one.
4. Do I even want to get into the weird gender issues surrounding the main villain? At least they were never referred to as a she-he or anything gross like that. Instead the narration involved using any pronouns at all. C'mon, what's wrong with singular they?
5. It desperately needed at least one more editing pass. I mean, the second word in the book is a typo!
That said, it was nice that Badger got to be a POV character. Otherwise, I'm just not really feeling this one.
May 8, 2009
Liz Williams has settled in nicely with her Detective Inspector Chen novels, set in an alternate universe where the earth we know is directly connected to Hell and Heaven. Thus, demons, angels, gods, demigods and all sorts of other creatures can move between the worlds.
Detective Inspector Chen is actually married to a demon, and his partner is one too – and they roam through “Shadow Pavilion” ($24.95, Night Shade Books, 237 pages) trying to track down an ancient assassin who’s out to kill the Emperor of Heaven. How can one kill the Emperor of Heaven, you ask? Just don’t. Instead, read and enjoy the fourth novel in the series, which began with “Snake Agent.” If you’re at all intrigued, by all means start with that book, and work your way through “The Demon and the City” and “Precious Dragon.” They’re all great fun.
Detective Inspector Chen is actually married to a demon, and his partner is one too – and they roam through “Shadow Pavilion” ($24.95, Night Shade Books, 237 pages) trying to track down an ancient assassin who’s out to kill the Emperor of Heaven. How can one kill the Emperor of Heaven, you ask? Just don’t. Instead, read and enjoy the fourth novel in the series, which began with “Snake Agent.” If you’re at all intrigued, by all means start with that book, and work your way through “The Demon and the City” and “Precious Dragon.” They’re all great fun.
November 30, 2009
I gotta say, I'm getting really tired of reading "What's that Western expression?" Distracting for the reader. Either use an equivalent Chinese expression, or just use the English idiom. (Okay, so it's only happened four or so times, but it's a bit of a peeve button.)
I'd give it a 2.5 if I could.
So far I've liked the odd-numbered volumes of this series better. Too bad I've got to wait until next year for #5.
Sometimes this series has a bit of the Lost problem: things presented but then not ever actually explained.
I'll probably give it a little time to settle and then re-read the series. There really are some intriguing characters here. Maybe Jhai will grow on me eventually but ... I think the worst-thing-that-can-happen gets averted for her too much.
I'd give it a 2.5 if I could.
So far I've liked the odd-numbered volumes of this series better. Too bad I've got to wait until next year for #5.
Sometimes this series has a bit of the Lost problem: things presented but then not ever actually explained.
I'll probably give it a little time to settle and then re-read the series. There really are some intriguing characters here. Maybe Jhai will grow on me eventually but ... I think the worst-thing-that-can-happen gets averted for her too much.
June 19, 2010
This was EXCELLENT!
I don't think it's the place to start with this series, but if you've been reading it, it's hugely enjoyable.
More badger! just for one thing. I LOVE the badger; he reminds me somewhat of the Luggage in Discworld, in that he's an important character who doesn't seem important at first. Badger ROCKS.
I'm also enjoying the courtship/engagement between 2 demons: a tiger demon from India, and a Chinese demon from one of their Hells. I look forward to more of their relationship.
Plus- the whole approach to Heaven(s), Hell(s), and other places is just so... non-Western. Very enjoyable!
So: if you like urban fantasy but have grown a bit weary of yet more takes on vamps, weres, and the fae- read this series. Very urban; very fantastic; very different!
I don't think it's the place to start with this series, but if you've been reading it, it's hugely enjoyable.
More badger! just for one thing. I LOVE the badger; he reminds me somewhat of the Luggage in Discworld, in that he's an important character who doesn't seem important at first. Badger ROCKS.
I'm also enjoying the courtship/engagement between 2 demons: a tiger demon from India, and a Chinese demon from one of their Hells. I look forward to more of their relationship.
Plus- the whole approach to Heaven(s), Hell(s), and other places is just so... non-Western. Very enjoyable!
So: if you like urban fantasy but have grown a bit weary of yet more takes on vamps, weres, and the fae- read this series. Very urban; very fantastic; very different!
February 23, 2011
The story is good, and I always love the sensibilities of the magic and other worlds of these books. My only real problem with the story, aside from the somewhat left field ending, was that Detective Inspector Chen had maybe one viewpoint chapter in the whole damn book. The rest is told from, I think, six other characters' perspectives. It's a little annoying to not get the star of series in center stage. It isn't that I don't like the other characters, it's just that they're not why I read these books.
July 29, 2009
I really like Liz Williams' Inspector Chen novels. The Shadow Pavilion has two distinct story lines in 240 pages. Chen isn't the main character in either story line, and the stories are told from the point of view of about 10 characters (Chen is one of the 10). This flip flopping made it hard for me to get really into the book, especially since the book was so short.
I still will buy her next installment of Detective Inspector Chen.
I still will buy her next installment of Detective Inspector Chen.
October 16, 2012
consistently good series -- nice mix of mystery/fantasy/scifi(if you squint). Spent more time with the badger this time around, which I appreciate. The book feels shorter than it looks, probably because of the style: lots of short chapters, each from a different plot line/point of view. it's not confusing or anything; it's just that while it's a 240 page book, there's a LOT of white space because there's a lot of last-page-of-a-chapter pages.
March 29, 2011
Another masterful outing by Williams.
Wow, that may be the lamest thing I've ever written. But 100% true.
This one seems rather less Chen-centric than the others but that's an indication of the strength of Williams' world building and the thorough development of her characters. The Shadow Pavilion spends a lot of time in the head of badger (who is Chen's demon wife's earth-spirit familiar, who can turn into a functioning teakettle) and whaddya know, badger's pretty cool.
Wow, that may be the lamest thing I've ever written. But 100% true.
This one seems rather less Chen-centric than the others but that's an indication of the strength of Williams' world building and the thorough development of her characters. The Shadow Pavilion spends a lot of time in the head of badger (who is Chen's demon wife's earth-spirit familiar, who can turn into a functioning teakettle) and whaddya know, badger's pretty cool.
March 21, 2011
Not particularly impressed. I like some parts about this series -- Chen, Inari, the badger. I just find that a lot of secondary characters are sort of bland. Chapters are very short, so POV ends up jumping from character to character every four pages, which is way too confusing. It just seems that some things keep happening for no reason other than to have something happen to some of the characters.
August 14, 2014
I enjoyed The Shadow Pavilion (fourth story in the series) even more than Snake Agent. Exciting and suspenseful with multiple story lines involving an assassin; the new emperor of heaven--and his mother; a Bollywood actress with a temper--and claws; the badger and Inspector Chen's demon partner, who've been kidnapped; Inari, Chen's wife; more demons; No Ro Shi, the demon hunter; and new characters to add spice to this boiling pot of danger, which covers a lot of territory!
January 26, 2016
Another good book about Inspector Chen and the demon Zhu Irzh. The badger (Inari's familiar) is taken to the Hunting Lodge. Others begin to disappear and the authorities are hot on the trail of the demons who have been killing and/or kidnapping Chinese citizens. The Emperor of Heaven is also involved in revising the duties of those inhabiting the Celestial Kingdom, while his mother plots revenge behind his back.
February 8, 2016
The Detective Inspector Chen novels are fantastic. They combine elements of Oriental and Indian mythology, fantasy, and police procedurals. You never really know what is going to be around the corner. I like that so very much. Books featuring mythologies I am more familiar with are just: familiar. The books in this series are like an exotic wine you tried on a whim, and found to be so flavorful you have to track down another bottle, and then another. Delightful.
August 10, 2011
Each Detective Inspector Chen book has started off kind of slow, but like a freight train takes a bit to build up enough speed then WHOOSH -- off it goes! Always about midway through, all the little bits and pieces start to knit themselves together in a really cool way. I love the mix of religion, fantasy, folklore, mystery and magic. And I have a huge crush on Detective Inspector Chen!
June 23, 2016
Well, I think I'm over this series. This book was quite short, and the chapters averaged, oh, like 5 pages apiece. And the ending was quite abrupt. Too bad, because I'd really enjoyed the first two books in the series. I feel sorry for authors who don't quite know how to bring a series to a close.
December 4, 2009
I love the characters, I like the premise, but at times the action drags and the plot lags and the ending seems extremely rushed.
December 28, 2017
Not the best Inspector Chen. I got the impression that the author knew the ending was going to be lame and just dashed off the last 40 pages.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews