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Taipei Night Market #1
Ghost Month
August is Ghost Month in Taiwan-a time to commemorate the dead: burn incense, visit shrines, commemorate ancestors, and avoid unlucky situations, large purchases, and bodies of water.
Jing-nan, a young man who runs a food stand in a bustling Taipei night market, doesn't consider himself superstitious, but this August is going to haunt him no matter what he does. He is shocked to the core when he learns his ex-girlfriend from high school has been murdered. She was found scantily clad and shot in the chest on the side of a highway where she was selling betel nuts to passing truck drivers.
Beyond his harrowing grief for this lost love of his life, Jing-nan is also confused by the news: "betel nut beauties" are usually women in the most desperate of circumstances; the job is almost as taboo as prostitution. But Julia Huang had been the valedictorian of their high school, and the last time Jing-nan spoke to her she was enrolled in NYU's honor program, far away in New York. The facts don't add up. Julia's parents don't think so, either, and the police seem to have closed the case without asking any questions.
The Huangs beg Jing-nan if he can do some investigating on his own-reconnect with old classmates, see if he can learn anything about Julia's life that she might have kept from them. Reluctantly, he agrees, for Julia's sake; but nothing can prepare him for what he learns, or how it will change his life.
Jing-nan, a young man who runs a food stand in a bustling Taipei night market, doesn't consider himself superstitious, but this August is going to haunt him no matter what he does. He is shocked to the core when he learns his ex-girlfriend from high school has been murdered. She was found scantily clad and shot in the chest on the side of a highway where she was selling betel nuts to passing truck drivers.
Beyond his harrowing grief for this lost love of his life, Jing-nan is also confused by the news: "betel nut beauties" are usually women in the most desperate of circumstances; the job is almost as taboo as prostitution. But Julia Huang had been the valedictorian of their high school, and the last time Jing-nan spoke to her she was enrolled in NYU's honor program, far away in New York. The facts don't add up. Julia's parents don't think so, either, and the police seem to have closed the case without asking any questions.
The Huangs beg Jing-nan if he can do some investigating on his own-reconnect with old classmates, see if he can learn anything about Julia's life that she might have kept from them. Reluctantly, he agrees, for Julia's sake; but nothing can prepare him for what he learns, or how it will change his life.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2014
139 people are currently reading
1484 people want to read
About the author
Ed Lin
18 books103 followersEd Lin is a journalist by training and an all-around stand-up kinda guy. He's the author of several books: Waylaid, his literary debut, and his Robert Chow crime series, set in 1970s Manhattan Chinatown: This Is a Bust, Snakes Can't Run, and One Red Bastard. Lin, who is of Taiwanese and Chinese descent, is the first author to win three Asian American Literary Awards. Lin lives in New York with his wife, actress Cindy Cheung.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 181 reviews
March 23, 2018
Ghost Month is set mostly in the bustling night market in Taipei. The protagonist, Jing-nan runs a food stand there, which he inherited from his parents. He also inherited a huge debt that was initially incurred by Jing-nan's grandfather and which has been passed down to him along with the food stand. Jing-nan once had dreams of escaping to America, going to college there, and then remaining in the U.S., along with his girlfriend, Julia, who has been the love of his life since high school. But the death of Jing-nan's parents has left him with no choice but to drop out of college, return to Taiwan, and take over the family business.
His dreams shattered, Jing-nan returns home, still harboring the faint dream that he will someday, somehow escape this destiny and reunite with Julia. He has told her, though, that he will have no contact with her until he is able to do so. Several years have now passed, and his dream has largely disappeared.
Ghost Month, which generally falls in August, is a very superstitious time for many residents of Taiwan. They are particularly attentive to the spirits during the month, and their conduct is circumscribed by the traditions that accompany the month. Jing-nan is not religious and believes in none of this "nonsense." But reading the paper one morning, he is shocked to see that Julia has been murdered. Without his knowing it, Julia too had returned to Taiwan and had been working as a "betel nut beauty"--a scantily clad woman who sits in a roadside stand and sells betel nuts to passing motorists. The job is only a small step short of prostitution and Jing-nan is stunned to learn that Julia has returned and that she has been reduced to these circumstances.
Grieving, Jing-nan pays a courtesy call to Julia's parents. They believe that the police are making no significant effort to find Julia's killer and ask Jing-nan to see what he can discover. Jing-nan agrees and soon finds that he's stirred up a hornets' nest and that he's now in serious danger himself.
This is on the whole, a very good book. My only complaint is that Lin has spent so much time developing the setting that the story suffers in the process. He devotes a great deal of time to the social, cultural, political, and economic conditions on Taiwan, and as a result the reader feels as if he or she were actually on the island, riding behind Jing-nan on his moped. The problem, though, is that every time the story begins to gain momentum, Ling detours off into a discussion of local customs or some such thing, and the tension drops about four levels.
Reading this book, I kept thinking about Martin Limon and his excellent series which is set in South Korea. Those books are also excellent in describing the setting in which the plots play out. But Limon has a way of working these details into the stories so that they don't interfere with the action. Lin's book suffers a bit by comparison and thus three stars for me rather than four.
His dreams shattered, Jing-nan returns home, still harboring the faint dream that he will someday, somehow escape this destiny and reunite with Julia. He has told her, though, that he will have no contact with her until he is able to do so. Several years have now passed, and his dream has largely disappeared.
Ghost Month, which generally falls in August, is a very superstitious time for many residents of Taiwan. They are particularly attentive to the spirits during the month, and their conduct is circumscribed by the traditions that accompany the month. Jing-nan is not religious and believes in none of this "nonsense." But reading the paper one morning, he is shocked to see that Julia has been murdered. Without his knowing it, Julia too had returned to Taiwan and had been working as a "betel nut beauty"--a scantily clad woman who sits in a roadside stand and sells betel nuts to passing motorists. The job is only a small step short of prostitution and Jing-nan is stunned to learn that Julia has returned and that she has been reduced to these circumstances.
Grieving, Jing-nan pays a courtesy call to Julia's parents. They believe that the police are making no significant effort to find Julia's killer and ask Jing-nan to see what he can discover. Jing-nan agrees and soon finds that he's stirred up a hornets' nest and that he's now in serious danger himself.
This is on the whole, a very good book. My only complaint is that Lin has spent so much time developing the setting that the story suffers in the process. He devotes a great deal of time to the social, cultural, political, and economic conditions on Taiwan, and as a result the reader feels as if he or she were actually on the island, riding behind Jing-nan on his moped. The problem, though, is that every time the story begins to gain momentum, Ling detours off into a discussion of local customs or some such thing, and the tension drops about four levels.
Reading this book, I kept thinking about Martin Limon and his excellent series which is set in South Korea. Those books are also excellent in describing the setting in which the plots play out. But Limon has a way of working these details into the stories so that they don't interfere with the action. Lin's book suffers a bit by comparison and thus three stars for me rather than four.
March 14, 2025
REALLY wanted to like this book, as I want to like all books set in Taiwan. I lived in Taipei longer than I've lived in any other city; my wife is from there, my sons were born there, and so it really is my second home. But this was just lame - not so much a novel as a "Guide to Everything Taiwan" Wikipedia page, with little plot nuggets scattered along the way. In just the first 80 pages, there are endless essays on Taiwanese history, politics, food, architecture, religion - you name it - so that basically it reads like "I'm broken up that my girlfriend was murdered...oh, let me tell you about Taiwan's unique ethnic makeup," or "I'm still sad about my girlfriend...ooh, let me go on endlessly about this late '70s punk band I'm really into." (The whole thing reminded me of Steve Vai's song "Juice," a typical speed-guitar shredder where at the end someone shouts, "Shut up! We know you can play!" Shut up Ed, we know you lived in Taipei!)
Ah, but then when the plot finally does kick in, I almost wish it hadn't. (POTENTIAL SPOILERS FOLLOW) For an angsty emo schmuck working in his family's night market stall, he not only gets in deep with crooked cops, inter-triad warfare, and the CIA, but he is somehow attractive to multiple super rich & super hot young women, all of whom he also went to high school with years earlier (and who have apparently yearned for him ever since).
Anyhoo, I was all set to QITM* on this one, but then I realized that if I just skipped the endless exposition on Chinese temple culture and karaoke and Taipei's urban development and what foods made tourists squeamish and pretty much anything that wasn't dialogue, I could get through the book pretty quickly and at least find out whodunit.**
Sadly, there are a bunch of bad novels set in Taiwan. The eponymous Taiwan, written by the guy who wrote the script for "Moonraker" (that should tell you enough right there); China Gate and Formosa Straits also spring to mind. In fact, the only truly good book I've yet found that is set there (obviously excluding Taiwan's massive amount of quality Chinese-language local fiction) is Francie Lin's underrated The Foreigner, another first-person mystery in which she does everything right that Ed Lin gets so wrong - particularly her "throwaway" use of scene-setting local facts and details that Lin would have hammered you over the head with. Please read The Foreigner.
*QITM: Quit-in-the-middle
**Not that all the factual stuff on Taiwan was uninteresting - it was just so omnipresent and clumsily incorporated that it killed whatever tension or action was being set up around it. Again - if that's what you're looking for, PLEASE read The Foreigner.
Ah, but then when the plot finally does kick in, I almost wish it hadn't. (POTENTIAL SPOILERS FOLLOW) For an angsty emo schmuck working in his family's night market stall, he not only gets in deep with crooked cops, inter-triad warfare, and the CIA, but he is somehow attractive to multiple super rich & super hot young women, all of whom he also went to high school with years earlier (and who have apparently yearned for him ever since).
Anyhoo, I was all set to QITM* on this one, but then I realized that if I just skipped the endless exposition on Chinese temple culture and karaoke and Taipei's urban development and what foods made tourists squeamish and pretty much anything that wasn't dialogue, I could get through the book pretty quickly and at least find out whodunit.**
Sadly, there are a bunch of bad novels set in Taiwan. The eponymous Taiwan, written by the guy who wrote the script for "Moonraker" (that should tell you enough right there); China Gate and Formosa Straits also spring to mind. In fact, the only truly good book I've yet found that is set there (obviously excluding Taiwan's massive amount of quality Chinese-language local fiction) is Francie Lin's underrated The Foreigner, another first-person mystery in which she does everything right that Ed Lin gets so wrong - particularly her "throwaway" use of scene-setting local facts and details that Lin would have hammered you over the head with. Please read The Foreigner.
*QITM: Quit-in-the-middle
**Not that all the factual stuff on Taiwan was uninteresting - it was just so omnipresent and clumsily incorporated that it killed whatever tension or action was being set up around it. Again - if that's what you're looking for, PLEASE read The Foreigner.
June 21, 2014
I won this on the Goodreads giveaway. And I am SO happy I did!! Bear with me I'm not great with reviews but I'm going to try because this book is excellent. Jing-nan and his high school sweetheart ,Julia, made a promise to each other that they would not speak until they went to America ,graduated from college and made a life for themselves. Jing-jab would then go find his love and they would marry. Things don't work out that way. Julia was killed and Jing-jan gets in deep when he tries to figure out what really happened.
I couldn't put this down. The story was so engaging. I love Ed Lin's writing style and his wit. The story kept me guessing the entire time. I loved the characters, they were so real. I loved their sincerity. He described Taiwan, the scenery and culture so well I almost felt like I have been there before. This book had it all. I can't say enough about this. I can't wait to read more of his work. A MUST READ!!
I couldn't put this down. The story was so engaging. I love Ed Lin's writing style and his wit. The story kept me guessing the entire time. I loved the characters, they were so real. I loved their sincerity. He described Taiwan, the scenery and culture so well I almost felt like I have been there before. This book had it all. I can't say enough about this. I can't wait to read more of his work. A MUST READ!!
August 19, 2014
I had a lot of mixed feelings about this book. The setting of the night market in Taiwan was fascinating and I loved learning about Ghost Month and other elements of Taiwanese culture. But I often felt as if the narrator was explaining things to an audience instead of conducting an inner monologue, and I eventually found this part of the book tedious. The information was interesting but it felt out of step with the story. The story was a pretty straight-forward whodunit but it lacked the suspense or development of a mystery. I liked the main character and the other characters in the story a lot, but it was hard to be too invested in them, because in certain ways this book remained lightly on the surface of things, without being a breezy read.
October 1, 2014
A sidewalk noodle shop in Taipei City's Shilin Night Market during summer's Ghost Month (when "supposedly the gates of the underworld are opened and spirits of the dead are allowed to walk among the living once again") is the vivid backdrop for Ed Lin's "Ghost Month." Protagonist Jing-nan has no interest in appeasing ghosts. He's still bitter that a few years earlier his parents died and left him the noodle shop saddled with staggering debt. Meanwhile, his high school sweetheart and love of his life has been murdered. He hadn't seen Julia since they were both students at NYU. He was appalled to learn that she'd been working in a betel-nut stall where girls wear next to nothing as they hawk the addictive nuts to "disgusting men with ugly, red-stained teeth" who try to cop a feel along with their betel-nut chew.
The novel starts slowly, hooking the reader with a rich sense of place, exotic food, and delightfully eccentric characters as each night Jing-nan turns on his "Johnny-night-market persona." <25> Like a carousel barker he lures tourists to his noodle stand. During the day, he's himself again, and the story turns dark as he's increasingly convinced that there is more to Julia's murder than the news reported. Police are at best inept and at worst corrupt, and when he begins to investigate he's threatened by a local gang and, more ominously, by a pair of American thugs. The plot twists come fast and furious as the story reaches its climax.
Come for the exotic food and rich setting; stay for the characters.
Review originally appeared in The Boston Globe
The novel starts slowly, hooking the reader with a rich sense of place, exotic food, and delightfully eccentric characters as each night Jing-nan turns on his "Johnny-night-market persona." <25> Like a carousel barker he lures tourists to his noodle stand. During the day, he's himself again, and the story turns dark as he's increasingly convinced that there is more to Julia's murder than the news reported. Police are at best inept and at worst corrupt, and when he begins to investigate he's threatened by a local gang and, more ominously, by a pair of American thugs. The plot twists come fast and furious as the story reaches its climax.
Come for the exotic food and rich setting; stay for the characters.
Review originally appeared in The Boston Globe
September 18, 2015
Enjoyable enough as place porn for Taiwan-heads. I felt that the mystery/thriller story could have been pretty good too, if I'd been able to care even a little bit about the protagonist. But he was just...empty. I feel like the author tried too hard to make him an "ordinary guy"; especially compared with the other characters, who were mostly caricatures. The crazy nerd loser, the crazy obsessive rich bitch, the manic pixie dream girl. Meanwhile, Julia, clearly the most interesting of the bunch, is dead the whole time. Too bad.
zz-dnf
October 24, 2021Not my piece of cake. I wish I had realized it before I read 160 pages of it but oh well.
February 1, 2024
3.5 stars
I am torn. I was primarily attracted by the advertised sleuthing thriller of the plot but found that part of the plot relegated as almost a secondary plot. Actual sleuthing by the main character was more haphazard and fortuitous than organised. Instead, the book focused massively on providing loads of info about life in Taiwan. But while the sharp Taiwanese realities were a bit info dump that turned the book almost into a societal commentary project, the facts (fun ones, and less fun ones) provided were very interesting. But still, I was foremost promised a sleuthing book. Added to that, the thriller part took its sweet time to kick in and the overall tone, at least in the first half of the book, was much dry and moody to reflect the oppressive pessimism of the main character, Jing-nan.
And yet, I was very much engrossed in discovering the greyer part of Taiwanese society. Based on a few Taiwanese drama I followed when I was younger, I had this rosy, fun image of the inhabitants of this valiant island. This book, though fiction, brought me a lot of fascinating insights into the true face of Taiwan. It was not necessarily pretty but it was atmospheric and gripping. And as Jing-nan navigated through his grief, the character also grew into himself by broadening his own appreciation of his reality.
So as a thriller, I was a bit disappointed. But as a chance to discover Taiwan, I was thrilled. One of the most interesting fact I learned was with respect to the public garbage disposal system in Taiwan - I kid not, it might be sound so prosaic a subject (and it did not feature long in the narrative) but that kind of little detail actually brought depth in Taiwan's depiction. Now, I am aware that this book is the first of a series. So I am guessing that the societal commentary, while a distinguishing feature of the series, is not likely to be as heavily featured in the next books because much of the bases have already been covered in the first book. At least, I hope so. Reason why I am rounding up and looking forward to get to Book 2.
-----
My review for Book 2: here
My review for Book 3: TBA
My review for Book 4: TBA
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 9, 2023
"Ghost Month" turned out ok after all, but jeeeeezuuuusss what a slow burn it was!
The book is part crime fiction, part noir, part cultural commentary, and part food blog. Strangely, it all worked together - in the end (I seriously cannot stress this enough, the first 65-70 percent of the book took me more than a month to read, the rest a single night - so if you pick this one up, get ready to push through).
The "action" (or not so much in the beginning) takes place in Taipei during Ghost Month (a sorta Day of the Dead, but for a month) and weaves a complicated story-line with a cultural exploration of Taiwan/Taipei of 10-15 years ago. We follow a seriously depressed and obsessed protagonist who's high school sweetheart (or, actually, preschool sweetheart, but that just feels wrong to write...)/sorta future wife has been killed. As he tries to find out what actually happened and the story moves along, the protagonist slowly grows into himself and the life that hasn't been particularly kind to him.
There's a fair amount of things off with this book. I think that one probably has to be interested in the setting and the cultural aspects in it to enjoy this one. But I liked it, warts and all - in the end...
The book is part crime fiction, part noir, part cultural commentary, and part food blog. Strangely, it all worked together - in the end (I seriously cannot stress this enough, the first 65-70 percent of the book took me more than a month to read, the rest a single night - so if you pick this one up, get ready to push through).
The "action" (or not so much in the beginning) takes place in Taipei during Ghost Month (a sorta Day of the Dead, but for a month) and weaves a complicated story-line with a cultural exploration of Taiwan/Taipei of 10-15 years ago. We follow a seriously depressed and obsessed protagonist who's high school sweetheart (or, actually, preschool sweetheart, but that just feels wrong to write...)/sorta future wife has been killed. As he tries to find out what actually happened and the story moves along, the protagonist slowly grows into himself and the life that hasn't been particularly kind to him.
There's a fair amount of things off with this book. I think that one probably has to be interested in the setting and the cultural aspects in it to enjoy this one. But I liked it, warts and all - in the end...
January 20, 2015
This story is set in Taiwan and uses the setting to give us history of the island and the people who live there, in particular the local character and color of Taipei. It felt fine to be in this book. Jing-nan runs a food stand in the Taipei night market, a stand that his grandfather started and has been passed down through his father to him. One day he sees in the news that a binlang girl (betel-nut beauty) has been killed and it is his girlfriend that he had been planning to marry. He had not seen or talked to her in seven years but they had an agreement. He is shocked as he thought she was in the U.S. Being a binlang girl is I guess the equivalent of being one of those mostly naked baristas at a drive through coffee house, except that betel-nut is less acceptable than coffee and these betel-nut beauties are often offered as prostitutes as well. Jing-nan's betrothed had always been top of her class, tons of potential. So why had she been working such a low class job and who killed her? Jing-nan sets to find out. He gets threatened, beat up, lied to, his bike is tampered with so to cause an accident, his house is set afire. Someone does not want him to find out. As well, it is Ghost month and most people are being very careful not to anger ghosts and to burn effigies of money and possessions to their ancestors. Jing-nan doesn't believe in any of that stuff. But his dead girlfriend comes to him in his dreams. And there is a new girl in his life. Can he/should he fall in love again? What does he owe to his old girlfriend?
So, this book goes. I really liked the characters, the setting and the normality of the life that goes on around the central drama. I particularly like the night market and Jing-nan's employees and friends; Frankie and Dwayne.
So, this book goes. I really liked the characters, the setting and the normality of the life that goes on around the central drama. I particularly like the night market and Jing-nan's employees and friends; Frankie and Dwayne.
November 2, 2016
I picked up this book (not my usual type, as I'm usually a science fiction/fantasy fan) because a friend of mine has recently moved to Taiwan, specifically Taipei. What I wanted from this book was a sense of day-to-day life in Taipei. I hate to admit it, but I literally knew next to nothing about Taiwan or its people and was really looking for an easy way to absorb some information about a country that is completely new to me.
I got exactly that experience from GHOST MONTH.
Or, at least, I got enough of it so that I feel that when I write to my friend (we've become old-fashioned pen pals), I will be able to do so with a better sense of the sort of things she might be seeing as she takes the train to work or wanders through the various night markets.
I'm not sure about the mystery. I've only ever been a casual fan of mysteries, so I can't really say how well this book performed within its genre. All I can say is that I enjoyed having a kind of travelogue of the place my friend now calls home.
I got exactly that experience from GHOST MONTH.
Or, at least, I got enough of it so that I feel that when I write to my friend (we've become old-fashioned pen pals), I will be able to do so with a better sense of the sort of things she might be seeing as she takes the train to work or wanders through the various night markets.
I'm not sure about the mystery. I've only ever been a casual fan of mysteries, so I can't really say how well this book performed within its genre. All I can say is that I enjoyed having a kind of travelogue of the place my friend now calls home.
September 3, 2014
I really wanted to like this book and was thoroughly entertained through the build up. Being Taiwanese-American, it was fun to read about Taiwan. However, the big reveal lost me. The pieces don't fit together and you're left with a feeling that all the history about Taiwan, ghost month, and politics was gratuitous. It was almost like the author wanted to write about Taiwan and needed an excuse to do so, thereby creating a mystery that came out of left field.
August 6, 2018
The setting is pretty amazing--Taipei, about which I know almost nothing. It's a diverse and vibrant place, corrupt and lavish and full of contradictions. The food, too, is really remarkable. Lots of descriptions there. And the main character is an interesting figure. The problem is that the plot felt sort of slack to me--as the main character seems to be sort of slack. So I had to push myself through the book in the end. Not sure I'd go for a second if there really is one.
September 22, 2025
An unexpected delight. Loved the setting, characters, humor, and poignancy.
July 13, 2025
3-1/2 stars
February 26, 2016
- My Description -
It's Ghost Month in Taiwan.
Beginning in August each year, Ghost Month honors deceased ancestors.
Incense and money are burned.
People visit shrines and temples.
Large purchases are scarce.
Bodies of water are avoided.
Jing-nan runs a night market food stall.
Unknown Pleasures sells hot fried food and steaming soups.
It's a family owned business.
It has stood the test of time for decades.
Julia, Jing-nan's long time love and high school sweetheart, is found murdered.
She was working as a scantily-clad betel nut beauty.
Why was this educated wholesome good girl working as a lowly servant selling betel nuts to dirty old men?
Julia and Jing-nan have known each other their whole lives.
They were destined to be together forever.
Jing-nan insists they have no contact AT ALL until he's finished college, employed and ready to marry her.
They each head off to college in different parts of America, Jing-nan in California and Julia in New York.
After Jing-nan's father dies, Jing-nan quits college and heads back to Taiwan.
He's been back for awhile when he finds out about Julia's death in the newspaper.
No contact at all for 7 years.
He wasn't even aware she was back in Taiwan.
The police aren't investigating her death.
Julia's parents ask Jing-nan to find out anything he can about her death and her secret life.
Jing-nan contacts old classmates of theirs to find out what they know, if anything.
Jing-nan has dangerous people watching him.
His life is threatened.
Why did Julia die?
- My Review -
I enjoyed this book.
It was super easy to follow.
The main characters are easy to get to know and like.
The ONLY thing I didn't like was the book is EXTREMELY detailed.
Everything is explained in vivid never-ending detail.
I WOULD recommend this but I give you fair warning.
Before writing this review today, I found out today, August 10th, is the start of Ghost Month for 2014.
Very cool how I finished it today. =)
December 9, 2017
In the search for mysteries from around the world, I came across this book, a mystery set in Taiwan. I have wanted to start this several times over the last two or three years, but some other book always seemed more immediate, more urgent, or more important.
In preparing for a three month stay in Taiwan, I decide that it was time to read this. And I am very glad that I did! This is a very good book on several levels. First, as a mystery; second, as a coming to terms with a close friend’s death; and finally, as a primer for a view on Taiwan.
The book’s first sentence sets the stage for a very direct approach to the storyline: When I found out the girl I was going to marry had been murdered, I was sitting on a foldout stool at a sidewalk noodle shop in Taipei’s Da’an District.
We learn more about the protagonist, Jing-nan, throughout the book, and that of the dead girl-friend, Julia. The mystery is pealed back very nicely, a layer at a time. And there are several very colorful characters.
What I found especially helpful, given I am going to be in Taiwan, is the richness in the text and in the 13-page Glossary of terms about Taiwan, which is more like a tutorial on some of the aspects of Taiwan culture that the author talks about. However, as a warning, if you are not interested in the perspective on Taiwan, you may find parts of the text distracting from the storyline …!
With respect to Taiwan, the picture painted by the author highlights several tensions in Taiwan’s society, between people who were in Taiwan prior to the massive influx of Chinese after the loss to the communists; between the aboriginal people and everyone else; between the rich and those trying to make ends meet. There is also a darker side the author portrays of organized crime, manipulation by the CIA, and corruption of the rich and powerful. On the other hand, the author shows a clear love of the night-markets, and the hard-work of those in Taiwan.
I recommend the book, and hope others will appreciate the effort by the author to education others about some aspects of Taiwan’s evolving culture.
In preparing for a three month stay in Taiwan, I decide that it was time to read this. And I am very glad that I did! This is a very good book on several levels. First, as a mystery; second, as a coming to terms with a close friend’s death; and finally, as a primer for a view on Taiwan.
The book’s first sentence sets the stage for a very direct approach to the storyline: When I found out the girl I was going to marry had been murdered, I was sitting on a foldout stool at a sidewalk noodle shop in Taipei’s Da’an District.
We learn more about the protagonist, Jing-nan, throughout the book, and that of the dead girl-friend, Julia. The mystery is pealed back very nicely, a layer at a time. And there are several very colorful characters.
What I found especially helpful, given I am going to be in Taiwan, is the richness in the text and in the 13-page Glossary of terms about Taiwan, which is more like a tutorial on some of the aspects of Taiwan culture that the author talks about. However, as a warning, if you are not interested in the perspective on Taiwan, you may find parts of the text distracting from the storyline …!
With respect to Taiwan, the picture painted by the author highlights several tensions in Taiwan’s society, between people who were in Taiwan prior to the massive influx of Chinese after the loss to the communists; between the aboriginal people and everyone else; between the rich and those trying to make ends meet. There is also a darker side the author portrays of organized crime, manipulation by the CIA, and corruption of the rich and powerful. On the other hand, the author shows a clear love of the night-markets, and the hard-work of those in Taiwan.
I recommend the book, and hope others will appreciate the effort by the author to education others about some aspects of Taiwan’s evolving culture.
July 22, 2014
I sought out the mystery author's table at Book Expo in May to pick up a signed copy of Ghost Month for my husband, who often travels to Taiwan. I was intrigued to hear that the book is set in one of Taiipei's famous night markets.
Unfortunately, the night market is the most engaging character in the book. Lin is a Taiwanese American, and he does a terrific job bringing the vivid sights, sounds, aromas (sizzling meat skewers, burbling hot pot and the noxious stinky tofu) to life. If only he could have done the same for his characters.
Sadly, I found the purported "hero" of the story, Jing-naan, a stall owner at the night market, completely charmless. In fact, he came across as whiny, self-absorbed, narcissistic and remarkably obtuse. He spent most of the book mourning the murder of his high school girlfriend, Julia, who he intended to marry someday. But he hadn't seen her for years because he was too proud to admit he had left college in the U.S. after the death of his parents and was barely scraping by, living in an illegal building and driving an old moped.
Jing-nan is surrounded by stock characters - the only interesting ones are his employees at the market, and the new girl he meets at his favorite music store. I found him more and more annoying as the story progressed. What a shame Lin didn't create a protagonist with some depth, nuance and spice to match his setting. The resolution of the plot felt very formulaic as well.
His previous series was highly praised by S. J. Rozan, a mystery author I greatly admire. So perhaps it is worth a try ... but I will not be back for a return helping if Jing-nan makes a return appearance. He is definitely not my cup of green tea.
Unfortunately, the night market is the most engaging character in the book. Lin is a Taiwanese American, and he does a terrific job bringing the vivid sights, sounds, aromas (sizzling meat skewers, burbling hot pot and the noxious stinky tofu) to life. If only he could have done the same for his characters.
Sadly, I found the purported "hero" of the story, Jing-naan, a stall owner at the night market, completely charmless. In fact, he came across as whiny, self-absorbed, narcissistic and remarkably obtuse. He spent most of the book mourning the murder of his high school girlfriend, Julia, who he intended to marry someday. But he hadn't seen her for years because he was too proud to admit he had left college in the U.S. after the death of his parents and was barely scraping by, living in an illegal building and driving an old moped.
Jing-nan is surrounded by stock characters - the only interesting ones are his employees at the market, and the new girl he meets at his favorite music store. I found him more and more annoying as the story progressed. What a shame Lin didn't create a protagonist with some depth, nuance and spice to match his setting. The resolution of the plot felt very formulaic as well.
His previous series was highly praised by S. J. Rozan, a mystery author I greatly admire. So perhaps it is worth a try ... but I will not be back for a return helping if Jing-nan makes a return appearance. He is definitely not my cup of green tea.
February 14, 2016
We selected "Ghost Month" as our monthly book club read under the recommendation of one of our members who had visited Taiwan and was looking forward to revisiting the area. I found the setting of the story and tidbits about the culture interesting, yet explained in not-infrequent information dumps that could be tedious and in a narrative that changed from first person storytelling to second person tour guide. For example, when the protagonist, Jing-nan, suggests that while tourist brochures tell how to get to the Shilin Night Market in general,"I'll tell you how to get to my specific flavor emporium, Unknown Pleasures. Here's what you do..." and provided a 7-paragraph description, I kept thinking I'd rather experience the walk as part of, not an interruption to, the story. His "Johnny" alter-ego could have easily given directions to tourists, and let us discover more about his character, viewpoint, and home. This might be why I found it hard to get into the story. I did enjoy the insider/local point of view versus the tourist/outsider and how the main character, Jing-nan, started to recognize he needed to move on emotionally. Unfortunately, by then I just didn't care for this "every guy" turned "still every guy" or how he used/treated the secondary characters around him. He changed, at least in his internal dialogue/narration, but then acted in more of the same manner. The Glossary at the end of my hard cover was a nice touch, as I was thinking I wanted to look into some of the culture further. In short, while I appreciated the setting and that Lin had followed the conventions of a mystery, I found it difficult to get into due to the narrative style and the (lack of) character depth.
July 6, 2023
Ed Lin's Ghost Month is published by Soho Crimes, and is the first in a four book (so far) series. I am a fan of this publisher, who focuses on crime stories in international locales, or if in the U.S. located in a community such as New York's Chinatown. The locations get full attention, and reading Ghost Month, for example, will introduce you to Taiwan and its twisted politics.
The protagonist is riding a wave of bad luck, when he discovers his "fiancé" has been murdered. While not a detective, Jing-nan is comfortable in actors on both sides of the law, and is beset by more trouble at every turn. I only gave the book 4 stars because it took me a long time to get into the book, but once I got past the first couple of chapters, i finished the book in two sittings. The main character is a big fan of Joy Division, and its music runs through the entire novel. Recommended for the interesting mystery and interesting setting.
The protagonist is riding a wave of bad luck, when he discovers his "fiancé" has been murdered. While not a detective, Jing-nan is comfortable in actors on both sides of the law, and is beset by more trouble at every turn. I only gave the book 4 stars because it took me a long time to get into the book, but once I got past the first couple of chapters, i finished the book in two sittings. The main character is a big fan of Joy Division, and its music runs through the entire novel. Recommended for the interesting mystery and interesting setting.
October 15, 2014
A fun romp through Taiwan. Having partially grown up in Taiwan, it was fun to see an entire novel written in English set in the city. The author sets a good pace that moves the narrative long, though perhaps does a too much direct explanation for my tastes ("now let me give you a Wikipedia-esque article about the origin of the various ethnic groups on the island"). I would have preferred more "learn-by-observing" rather than "learn-by-lecture".
The author's English is grammatically flawless but manages at the same time to feel foreign. Arguably, the phrases thicken the atmosphere, but I found it somewhat distracting.
I'd recommend the book for anyone who grew up in Taiwan or is curious about the island. It "feels" authentic and is a fun way to get a taste of the people, the food, and the culture while following the adventures (and misadventures) of the like-able protagonist.
The author's English is grammatically flawless but manages at the same time to feel foreign. Arguably, the phrases thicken the atmosphere, but I found it somewhat distracting.
I'd recommend the book for anyone who grew up in Taiwan or is curious about the island. It "feels" authentic and is a fun way to get a taste of the people, the food, and the culture while following the adventures (and misadventures) of the like-able protagonist.
June 13, 2017
So I'm not a mystery person, but my daughter's friend's father is the author so I gave this a shot. It's the story of a young Taiwanese man, and he and his girlfriend promise to go to college in the States and then marry once they have made it. When family tragedy intervenes, he has to return home to run his family's food stand at the night market, and he never contacts the girlfriend out of pride. Then she is murdered and he goes to find out who did it. Though again I'm not a mystery person, I thought the main character was really compelling as a disaffected, Joy Division-obsessed man trapped in a life he doesn't want. It's also interesting to be immersed in the Taipei setting and culture, with loving and detailed descriptions of exotic food. Thumbs up.
June 27, 2018
Lin is a vivid writer, and this mystery novel has a fascinating premise. Its protagonist has been waiting, running his family's stall in Taipei's night market, to become a success so that he can marry his childhood sweetheart. He hasn't seen her in 10 years, but he is sure she has done well at her American university, and that she is waiting to hear from him. He is shocked to discover that she has been murdered a short distance from his market, while engaged in a questionable profession. This is an excellent tale of a man finally returning to the real world from an odd fantasy which has held him captive for most of his adult life.
February 10, 2019
A murder mystery should have a murder in it fairly near the front, and Ghost Month appropriately puts right on the first page. What’s a little less usual is that then a third of the book goes by before the hero gets around to trying to solve it. Instead, we mostly get the details of his running a food stall in Taipei’s night market.
What’s really extraordinary is that this works. Lin is a good enough writer, and his mise en scene is interesting enough, that my attention never flagged. The mise en scene might even have been a little more interesting than the murder solving, which gets far-fetched, but overall a very good read.
What’s really extraordinary is that this works. Lin is a good enough writer, and his mise en scene is interesting enough, that my attention never flagged. The mise en scene might even have been a little more interesting than the murder solving, which gets far-fetched, but overall a very good read.
January 2, 2018
I am a fan of the detective/mystery story in a foreign locale genre, if that is indeed a genre, and this is a good example of such. The lead character is no detective, rather the owner of a stall in a Taipei night food market with a complicated past, who gets caught up in trying to unravel the mystery of the murder of his ex-girlfriend, who it turns out had an even more complicated past. Anyway, the mystery is interesting, and the story provides an interesting view into the life of society of Taiwan while in the guise of a compelling story.
June 29, 2019
This book by Taiwanese-American author Ed Lin barely qualifies as a mystery novel, though it teaches much about past and present Taiwan. I might have rated it higher if it were categorized as contemporary fiction.
March 1, 2016
It was so great to read a book set in Taiwan (and I learned a lot about the country!). But the mystery part of it wasn't that well-executed.
May 5, 2017
A crime story that paints a great picture of Taipei and Taiwanese society. Recommended!
January 18, 2025
I picked this book up for the mystery/thriller aspect - a man working at a food stall at a Tawainese night market finds out his girlfriend has been murdered and goes on a journey to find out what happened to her. But the story turns out to be less about solving the mystery and more about the man’s journey through grief and spirituality. You see the main character go from a curmudgeonly guy who doesn’t care about anything expect his Joy Division records and mocks his culture’s spiritual beliefs, to someone who starts to understands why people might lean on things like gods and spirituality to deal with the difficult things in life. The pacing was a little slow at times but overall this was a great read with an unexpected message, and as a bonus I learned a lot about Taiwanese culture and beliefs.
August 15, 2022
This is the first in a series of books set in Taiwan. I have to say I did not know much about Taiwan before starting to read this. I can promise that after the first fifty or so pages, you will know more about Taiwan-its history, peoples, religion and much else than you can believe.
It is also a good thriller with settings in the night market and the main character, Jing-nan finds his high school girlfriend/fiance, Julia Huang has been found dead near a highway where she was selling betel nuts.
The story is fairly complex and unfolds slowly at first and then with increasing pace towards the end.
Definitely a talent here and will read the next one for sure.
It is also a good thriller with settings in the night market and the main character, Jing-nan finds his high school girlfriend/fiance, Julia Huang has been found dead near a highway where she was selling betel nuts.
The story is fairly complex and unfolds slowly at first and then with increasing pace towards the end.
Definitely a talent here and will read the next one for sure.
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