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Ellie McEnroe #3
Dragon Day
Ellie McEnroe is an Iraq War vet living in Beijing, where she represents the work of cutting-edge Chinese political artists. She has one bum leg, a taste for dumplings and beer, and a sweet-tempered rescue mutt for a roommate. She also has Chinese Domestic Security on her tail and a dwindling number of Percocets to get her through her bad days.
And she’s about to have some bad days. The immensely powerful—and occasionally homicidal—Shanghai billionaire Sidney Cao has asked Ellie to investigate his son’s suspicious new American business partner. Ellie knows she can’t refuse and is grudgingly swept up into the elite social circles of Sidney’s three debauched Guwei, rebellious Meimei and social climber Tiantian. When a waitress is murdered at one of Tiantian’s parties, the last thing Ellie wants is to get sucked into a huge scandal involving China’s rich and powerful. But Ellie quickly becomes the most convenient suspect. She realizes she’ll have to figure out who really did it—and even that might not be enough to save herself.
And she’s about to have some bad days. The immensely powerful—and occasionally homicidal—Shanghai billionaire Sidney Cao has asked Ellie to investigate his son’s suspicious new American business partner. Ellie knows she can’t refuse and is grudgingly swept up into the elite social circles of Sidney’s three debauched Guwei, rebellious Meimei and social climber Tiantian. When a waitress is murdered at one of Tiantian’s parties, the last thing Ellie wants is to get sucked into a huge scandal involving China’s rich and powerful. But Ellie quickly becomes the most convenient suspect. She realizes she’ll have to figure out who really did it—and even that might not be enough to save herself.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published August 18, 2015
19 people are currently reading
576 people want to read
About the author
Lisa Brackmann
13 books146 followersLisa Brackmann is the New York Times best-selling author of the Ellie McEnroe novels set in China and the thrillers Getaway and Go-Between. The first Ellie book, Rock Paper Tiger (Year of the Tiger) was one of Amazon Top 100 Books of the Year and a Top 10 Mystery/Thriller. Hour Of The Rat, the sequel, was shortlisted for Left Coast Crime's international mystery award and was nominated for the Anthony Award for Best Audio Book. Dragon Day, the third novel in the Ellie McEnroe trilogy, was a Seattle Times Top 10 Mystery of 2015 and was short-listed for a Lefty award. Getaway (Day of the Dead) was an Amazon Best Book of the Month and a finalist for SCIBA's T. Jefferson Parker award. Her latest novel is Go-Between, "a terrific noir tale that channels Richard Stark's stories" and a "Hottest Summer Books" selection from the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. Black Swan Rising, her new book about misogyny, mass shootings, and polarized politics, launches Sept. 8. Her work has also appeared in The Wall Street Journal, Travel+Leisure, Salon and CNET. She lives in San Diego with a cat, far too many books and a bass ukulele and is playing in a band again after a 17-year break. You can find her online at www.lisabrackmann.com.
That's the official bio. You can find out more about me (if you are so inclined) on my website (www.lisabrackmann.com)
Thanks for visiting!
p.s. In the UK you'll find me as Lisa Brackman (one "n"). "Year of the Tiger" is the UK edition of "Rock Paper Tiger." "Day of the Dead" is the UK edition of "Getaway."
That's the official bio. You can find out more about me (if you are so inclined) on my website (www.lisabrackmann.com)
Thanks for visiting!
p.s. In the UK you'll find me as Lisa Brackman (one "n"). "Year of the Tiger" is the UK edition of "Rock Paper Tiger." "Day of the Dead" is the UK edition of "Getaway."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
November 17, 2015
I cannot begin to say how much I liked this book. It appears to be the third in a trilogy, but I really hope Brackmann decides to write more about these characters.
Ellie McEnroe, a war veteran, is living in China. She represents an artist but is pulled into a billionaire's plan to build an art museum.
Brackmann gets the Chinese setting so dead-on she could be writing non-fiction except that the suspense of who's doing the killing pulls the reader forward.
The protagonist is sharp, self-aware, bitter, and funny.
Brackmann's descriptions of the casual corruption, the empty villages, the extremes of wealth and poverty side-by-side is a tour de force.
If Goodreads offered six stars, that's what I'd give this book.
Ellie McEnroe, a war veteran, is living in China. She represents an artist but is pulled into a billionaire's plan to build an art museum.
Brackmann gets the Chinese setting so dead-on she could be writing non-fiction except that the suspense of who's doing the killing pulls the reader forward.
The protagonist is sharp, self-aware, bitter, and funny.
Brackmann's descriptions of the casual corruption, the empty villages, the extremes of wealth and poverty side-by-side is a tour de force.
If Goodreads offered six stars, that's what I'd give this book.
July 12, 2015
There's so much goodness packed into this book I don't even know where to start. It's probably my favorite Ellie book so far, although I think the reason for that is because it builds on the other two. (Which is to say, I recommend starting with Rock Paper Tiger!)
I'm always seeking out books with great characters, and Ellie is one of the best. I love her straightforward, no-nonsense manner, her deadpan commentary on the absurdities of modern China, and her "non-gender-conformity," as they call it these days. She's a master of understatement, and there were more than a couple times when I laughed out loud and stopped to read a line to my partner. You don't find many female protagonists like her, and it's completely refreshing. I want more!
I can also vouch personally for the fact that this book is spot-on when it comes to the "China experience." White-girl me lived in mainland China for a year, and it's a pleasure to read a book that is so accurate when it comes to the expat experience - while also not being exploitative or "othering" Chinese culture. Brackmann's observations about modern Chinese life are sharp, completely on-point, and always fascinating. I love how she digs into really unique parts of the culture, particularly relating to class and current events. Dragon Day, like the other Ellie books, is the kind of thing I recommend to anyone who wants to know more about the complexities of modern Chinese life.
The reason this book was my favorite of the three, however, is the fact that we finally start to see some evolution in Ellie's character. She's forced to confront the fact that she is sort of passive-aggressively suicidal, and that she cannot continue on with her current trajectory. Something in her life is going to have to change, because the percocet and beer won't last forever. Well... maybe she'll always have the beer.
I look forward to seeing what comes next!
I'm always seeking out books with great characters, and Ellie is one of the best. I love her straightforward, no-nonsense manner, her deadpan commentary on the absurdities of modern China, and her "non-gender-conformity," as they call it these days. She's a master of understatement, and there were more than a couple times when I laughed out loud and stopped to read a line to my partner. You don't find many female protagonists like her, and it's completely refreshing. I want more!
I can also vouch personally for the fact that this book is spot-on when it comes to the "China experience." White-girl me lived in mainland China for a year, and it's a pleasure to read a book that is so accurate when it comes to the expat experience - while also not being exploitative or "othering" Chinese culture. Brackmann's observations about modern Chinese life are sharp, completely on-point, and always fascinating. I love how she digs into really unique parts of the culture, particularly relating to class and current events. Dragon Day, like the other Ellie books, is the kind of thing I recommend to anyone who wants to know more about the complexities of modern Chinese life.
The reason this book was my favorite of the three, however, is the fact that we finally start to see some evolution in Ellie's character. She's forced to confront the fact that she is sort of passive-aggressively suicidal, and that she cannot continue on with her current trajectory. Something in her life is going to have to change, because the percocet and beer won't last forever. Well... maybe she'll always have the beer.
I look forward to seeing what comes next!
June 22, 2015
I am a big fan of Lisa Brackmann. “Dragon Day” is the third book in her Elllie MacEnroe series, which includes “Rock Paper Tiger” and “Hour of the Rat.” In “Dragon Day”, Brackmann expands and flushes out Ellie’s quirky, damaged, and endearing ex-pat living-on-the-margins-in-China anti-heroine. It’s another page-turning story that finds Ellie unwillingly caught up in intrigue that takes us around Beijing, Shanghai and surrounds, and offers up a fascinating glimpse into contemporary Chinese culture and society. I was especially taken with Brackmann’s depiction of the dissolute, decadent lives of the offspring of the Cultural Revolutionaries, as well as her characters fighting to expose the corruption of China’s power elite, and reset the mega-country’s course to one that benefits all levels of society.
It’s a satisfying read. At the end of the book, Brackmann wraps up her story in a way that feels sort of resolved, but also leaves the door open for another book. Which I for one would read immediately.
It’s a satisfying read. At the end of the book, Brackmann wraps up her story in a way that feels sort of resolved, but also leaves the door open for another book. Which I for one would read immediately.
March 17, 2015
This terrific fast-paced thriller continues Ellie McEnroe's adventures in China. I read it on the subway, so engrossed I almost missed my stop!
May 30, 2015
Awesome chapter in this cool, fascinating, edgy, transporting series. Start with Rock Paper Tiger and keep going!
January 1, 2017
This is the third book in a series about Ellie McEnroe, a former National Guard medic who got fucked up in Iraq, went to China with her ex-Army husband in one of those seemed-like-a-good-idea-at-the-time moves, and stayed because it was easier than going back home.
Like many ongoing series, there is pleasure in reading about the next chapter in the lives of familiar characters, but also a sameness as the author starts stretching for new ideas.
In the last book, Ellie was "befriended" by an eccentric billionaire named Sidney Cao. Friendships with billionaires always come with strings attached, so when Sidney asks Ellie to do something for her, she is not in a position to refuse.
What he wants her to do is "check up on" his eldest son and evaluate the people he's hanging around with. Having no idea how she's supposed to do this or why Sidney thinks she's qualified, Ellie nonetheless does her best. This gets her mixed up with all three of Sidney's children, who are exactly what you'd expect spoiled children of nouveau rich Chinese billionaires to be. After one of the parties she attends with all these one-percenters, a girl turns up dead, and since no one is going to accuse a bunch of rich kids, Ellie becomes a suspect.
Trying to figure out what actually happened, maybe even get some justice for the dead girls (yup, the first body is followed by a second), while not getting swatted by the rich and powerful or the Chinese security services takes Ellie on another harrowing crawl through modern China. She is helped by her kinda sorta maybe boyfriend, "Creepy John," from the last book, who works for some branch of the Chinese government and may or may not be on her side, and aided with comic relief from her evangelical Christian mother, who came to China in the last book and stayed after hooking up with an evangelical Chinese boyfriend.
Lisa Brackmann has written three engaging books about Ellie McEnroe now. Her descriptions of China remain believable and interesting (to the degree I can judge, never having been to China), and she is very strong in characterization and plotting. I'll keep reading books about Ellie, but I think it will be hard to keep them fresh and her author page suggests that she may be done with our poor PTSD-disabled vet for a while. Probably a good decision, but I do recommend the series highly.
Like many ongoing series, there is pleasure in reading about the next chapter in the lives of familiar characters, but also a sameness as the author starts stretching for new ideas.
In the last book, Ellie was "befriended" by an eccentric billionaire named Sidney Cao. Friendships with billionaires always come with strings attached, so when Sidney asks Ellie to do something for her, she is not in a position to refuse.
What he wants her to do is "check up on" his eldest son and evaluate the people he's hanging around with. Having no idea how she's supposed to do this or why Sidney thinks she's qualified, Ellie nonetheless does her best. This gets her mixed up with all three of Sidney's children, who are exactly what you'd expect spoiled children of nouveau rich Chinese billionaires to be. After one of the parties she attends with all these one-percenters, a girl turns up dead, and since no one is going to accuse a bunch of rich kids, Ellie becomes a suspect.
Trying to figure out what actually happened, maybe even get some justice for the dead girls (yup, the first body is followed by a second), while not getting swatted by the rich and powerful or the Chinese security services takes Ellie on another harrowing crawl through modern China. She is helped by her kinda sorta maybe boyfriend, "Creepy John," from the last book, who works for some branch of the Chinese government and may or may not be on her side, and aided with comic relief from her evangelical Christian mother, who came to China in the last book and stayed after hooking up with an evangelical Chinese boyfriend.
Lisa Brackmann has written three engaging books about Ellie McEnroe now. Her descriptions of China remain believable and interesting (to the degree I can judge, never having been to China), and she is very strong in characterization and plotting. I'll keep reading books about Ellie, but I think it will be hard to keep them fresh and her author page suggests that she may be done with our poor PTSD-disabled vet for a while. Probably a good decision, but I do recommend the series highly.
November 29, 2015
Lisa Brackmann keeps getting better and better and Ellie more fully fleshed as a character in each successive book. Almost fatally flawed and perennially out of sorts, you still want to see her succeed as she navigates the mean streets of China's cities evading bad guys and looking for answers to whatever fix she's landed in this time.
They say there are no new stories, but I find Brackmann's take on plot, character and setting to be refreshingly unique. The meticulous research on contemporary urban China is evident in each nuanced scene, so that I felt I had penetrated and become immersed in a culture that is entirely foreign to me. Ellie McEnroe, injured Iraq war vet with PTSD, a bum leg, bad attitude and a pain med addiction is hardly a conventional protagonist, but there's not a false step (other than Ellie's limp) in the whole book. There's always a political undercurrent to Brackmann's books in her unflinching portrayal of China, but she still manages to make you want to go there to see its beauty for yourself.
It was hard to tell from the ending of this one, but I'm hoping there is another Ellie McEnroe adventure in our future.
They say there are no new stories, but I find Brackmann's take on plot, character and setting to be refreshingly unique. The meticulous research on contemporary urban China is evident in each nuanced scene, so that I felt I had penetrated and become immersed in a culture that is entirely foreign to me. Ellie McEnroe, injured Iraq war vet with PTSD, a bum leg, bad attitude and a pain med addiction is hardly a conventional protagonist, but there's not a false step (other than Ellie's limp) in the whole book. There's always a political undercurrent to Brackmann's books in her unflinching portrayal of China, but she still manages to make you want to go there to see its beauty for yourself.
It was hard to tell from the ending of this one, but I'm hoping there is another Ellie McEnroe adventure in our future.
August 24, 2015
Just finished the book, and I'm already in withdrawals. Lisa Brackmann has done a remarkable thing in the creation of Ellie McEnroe. Would I want to be her? Not on your life! But would I want to know her, in all of her flawed awesomeness? Absolutely. The plot for the third book of the trilogy is another intriguing thriller bringing together Creepy John, her potential love interest/potential stalker with ties to the secret police; Lao Zhang, the political artist on the run, who she describes as her "home," and Sidney Cao, billionaire art collector who may or may not be very dangerous, but definitely has his hands full with three children who have secrets of their own. And then there's Pompadour Bureaucrat. Just the name alone evokes distinct mental images. But the truth is, as great as the twists & turns in this story, I don't even need a terrific plot; I would happily read a book about Ellie getting her nails done - she's that funny and quirky and desperate and self-protective, and confused, and determined, and quick-thinking and utterly likable. Brava to Lisa Brackmann for writing her - and these three books so damn well. I've heard some rumblings about a possible fourth book. I'm afraid to get my hopes up, but I so want the saga of Ellie McEnroe to go on!
August 24, 2015
I love this latest Ellie McEnroe thriller. Ellie is back, with her mother in tow, and no matter how much she wants to live on the periphery of the fast lifestyle of her crazy rich clients in Beijing and Shanghai, she can't help but get drawn back into another murder mystery. With a high-level government official on her trail, she doesn't know who to trust as she works against the clock to solve not just one, but two murders.
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October 20, 2015I've loved this series and am sad to see it wrap up. Ellie is a great flawed heroine. Brackmann manages to make her tough and vulnerable without resorting to clichés -- both the toughness and the vulnerability are built deep into the character. I'm with Ellie fans who hope for more in the series someday---BUT I'm also looking forward to seeing what else Brackmann has in store.
November 10, 2015
Let’s start with the fact that I will read anything Ms. Brackmann writes. I love her style, that first person, present tense that puts me right inside a character’s head and right in the middle of the action. It’s pretty intense. And I love her characters. And Ellie McEnroe is near the top of my list of favorite literary characters. Maybe it’s me. Maybe I just have an affinity for broken, rebellious, stubborn, smart women. That’s Ellie. If you haven’t read the first two “Ellie” books, go get them now. I mean it. While each of the books in this trilogy can stand alone, you’ll appreciate Ellie so much more in Dragon Day if you’ve read Rock Paper Tiger and Hour of the Rat first. So go do that first.
For those who don’t know her, Ellie is an Iraq War veteran living as an expat in China. She saw a bunch of crap and has PTSD, though she fights it in her own stubborn way every day. Her leg was badly injured there, too, so sometimes Percocet and beer and too much coffee and bad words are what it takes to get through a day, although she’s fighting that, too (well, maybe not the beer. Beer and dumplings are always good). She isn’t anybody’s idea of a sweet little girl (except to her born-again Christian mom, who’s now living with her. She tolerates Ellie’s potty mouth and unfortunate knack for trouble, but she worries and makes tacos and tries to help where she can.) This line from the book sums up Ellie: "Don’t show them the soft spot where they can hurt you."
Ellie is now a manager for a high profile dissident artist who used to be a sometimes lover and is now in hiding from the Chinese authorities he dissed. He’s not as “present” in this book as he was in the previous two, but he still has a vital, key role to play, still influencing the direction of Ellie’s life. Now Shanghai billionaire Sidney Cao, who we met in Hour of the Rat (and who wants some of that art Ellie represents), has a job for Ellie, investigating one of his son’s shady American friends. And Ellie is not exactly in a position to turn down Sidney. She kind of owes him for saving her life. Then a woman is murdered, and in typical Ellie fashion, she can’t just walk away, in spite of the multiple strands of hell breaking loose all around her. And it’s all even more complicated because, you know, China. Politics, secrecy, bribery, family connections, tradition. That stuff.
And have no doubt, China is a character in this book in the same way that a big scary house is a character in a Gothic romance. China is a beauty and the beast country with unimaginable over the top, flamboyant, out-of-control new wealth and squalid subterranean dwellings side-by-side. Ms. Brackmann has a knack for pointing out the ugly in the beautiful and the beauty in the ugliness. She is neither overly cynical nor overly sentimental about it. Neither is her protagonist.
And without spoilers or giving away too much, those who were frustrated with the ending of Rock Paper Tiger will find immense satisfaction in the circular “call back” end to Dragon Day. Ms. Brackmann is not an author who rushes things. Though she’s an American, she understands the “long view” of the Chinese. The entirety of the Great Wall took 2,000 years to build. Ms. Brackmann has taken three books to tell us about Ellie. Though this is a trilogy, there are rumors that there may be more “Ellie books” in the future. I hope so. I’m not ready to let her go.
For those who don’t know her, Ellie is an Iraq War veteran living as an expat in China. She saw a bunch of crap and has PTSD, though she fights it in her own stubborn way every day. Her leg was badly injured there, too, so sometimes Percocet and beer and too much coffee and bad words are what it takes to get through a day, although she’s fighting that, too (well, maybe not the beer. Beer and dumplings are always good). She isn’t anybody’s idea of a sweet little girl (except to her born-again Christian mom, who’s now living with her. She tolerates Ellie’s potty mouth and unfortunate knack for trouble, but she worries and makes tacos and tries to help where she can.) This line from the book sums up Ellie: "Don’t show them the soft spot where they can hurt you."
Ellie is now a manager for a high profile dissident artist who used to be a sometimes lover and is now in hiding from the Chinese authorities he dissed. He’s not as “present” in this book as he was in the previous two, but he still has a vital, key role to play, still influencing the direction of Ellie’s life. Now Shanghai billionaire Sidney Cao, who we met in Hour of the Rat (and who wants some of that art Ellie represents), has a job for Ellie, investigating one of his son’s shady American friends. And Ellie is not exactly in a position to turn down Sidney. She kind of owes him for saving her life. Then a woman is murdered, and in typical Ellie fashion, she can’t just walk away, in spite of the multiple strands of hell breaking loose all around her. And it’s all even more complicated because, you know, China. Politics, secrecy, bribery, family connections, tradition. That stuff.
And have no doubt, China is a character in this book in the same way that a big scary house is a character in a Gothic romance. China is a beauty and the beast country with unimaginable over the top, flamboyant, out-of-control new wealth and squalid subterranean dwellings side-by-side. Ms. Brackmann has a knack for pointing out the ugly in the beautiful and the beauty in the ugliness. She is neither overly cynical nor overly sentimental about it. Neither is her protagonist.
And without spoilers or giving away too much, those who were frustrated with the ending of Rock Paper Tiger will find immense satisfaction in the circular “call back” end to Dragon Day. Ms. Brackmann is not an author who rushes things. Though she’s an American, she understands the “long view” of the Chinese. The entirety of the Great Wall took 2,000 years to build. Ms. Brackmann has taken three books to tell us about Ellie. Though this is a trilogy, there are rumors that there may be more “Ellie books” in the future. I hope so. I’m not ready to let her go.
October 24, 2015
If this book really is the end of the series, Brackmann is ending it on a high note. Ellie, with her PTSD and her overreliance on Percocet and alcohol, is an appealing protagonist, smart, resilient, loyal and tenacious - and a bit snarky. When Sidney Cao, a billionaire art collector, hires her to investigate the American friend of one of his three adult children, she is reluctant but cannot refuse.
The best things about this book in my opinion are the vivid descriptions of life in present day Shanghai and Beijing, from the incredibly glitzy and expensive haunts of the wealthy to the overcrowded cellars where the rural transplants who wait on them live. It gives an interesting perspective on what it is like for Ellie and her mother as foreigners to be living in working class quarters in Beijing, learning the territory, trying not to attract unwanted attention.
The lives of the children of the newly wealthy, the astonishing pace of social change and relocation, the redefinitions of class and culture are all fascinating.
The best things about this book in my opinion are the vivid descriptions of life in present day Shanghai and Beijing, from the incredibly glitzy and expensive haunts of the wealthy to the overcrowded cellars where the rural transplants who wait on them live. It gives an interesting perspective on what it is like for Ellie and her mother as foreigners to be living in working class quarters in Beijing, learning the territory, trying not to attract unwanted attention.
The lives of the children of the newly wealthy, the astonishing pace of social change and relocation, the redefinitions of class and culture are all fascinating.
August 26, 2015
I received this book as a goodreads giveaway and as such I would like to thank the all those involved (author, publisher and goodreads) for sending me this novel. I have not read the two earlier books of the series and it may have been helpful to have done so, but it did work as a stand alone novel. The novel was fast paced with lots of twists and turns. An enjoyable read. Thanks
March 7, 2019
Although the storyline is interesting (murder and corruption among the decadent new rich Chinese), the setting exotic (modern day China), and characters with history and personality, this book lacks depth, substance.
The author writes like this is a diary, using as few words as possible, short phrase descriptions. Obviously she has been to China, but the descriptions are all visual - no analysis, no history, no artistry. She obviously likes China but has she done any research? Any studies? As an “armchair traveling” reader, I would like to feel she knows her setting more than superficially.
Ellie is unique; I could see getting to know more of her.
The author writes like this is a diary, using as few words as possible, short phrase descriptions. Obviously she has been to China, but the descriptions are all visual - no analysis, no history, no artistry. She obviously likes China but has she done any research? Any studies? As an “armchair traveling” reader, I would like to feel she knows her setting more than superficially.
Ellie is unique; I could see getting to know more of her.
October 22, 2018
We had the pleasure of hearing this series through Audible. The reader, Tracie Sallows, was great, and the writing is fantastic. I thought the ending of this book was so beautiful, I wanted to swoon at the prose. We have grown so attached to these characters. I would love to see more books in this series.
February 22, 2020
This is my first Ellie McEnroe book and it was great adventure. I love the insights into contemporary China, its world of art and corruption, politics and business. And Ellie is one of the best feisty leads I’ve come across for a long time.
February 17, 2016
Business in China is always a complicated situation for Americans in China, with a blending of the personal and professional. When a wealthy art client of dealer Ellie McEnroe comes to her with a request to investigate the moral character of an American friend of his youngest son, Ellie finds that she can't say no (as much as she can sense the danger lurking below the surface).
She's familiar with the decadent lifestyles of the rich in China, and Cao's three children seem to run the gamut. His oldest son, Tiantian, is power-hungry and insecure of his father's approval. MeiMei, the daughter, seems a bit silly -- or is she merely biding her time and playing her cards close to her chest in the family grab for power? Guwei, or Gugu as he's affectionately known, is the party boy with the questionable American friend.
Not only does this assignment not pay the bills, Ellie finds herself stressed out by her constant pain, the victim of an IED blast during her service as a medic in recent conflicts in the Middle East. She's trying to keep her PTSD under control, but dealing with Chinese bigwigs and government enforcers keeps her on the edge.
Things get really dicey when a young servant girl is killed at a party at Tiantian's, where all the children (and a lot of others, including Ellie) were present. Then a second girl appears to be in danger, and Ellie's on the race to discover who's behind the mayhem. Another issue is just how will she reveal her findings to the elder Cao, who's growing impatient with her delayed report.
The storyline seems to increase in intensity as the end approaches, and readers will feel Ellie's panic and anxiety as she moves forward, putting herself and loved ones at risk to find the answers for Cao. This well written series not only keeps readers enveloped in the storyline, it offers some keen insights into artistic freedom in China and the difficulty of managing so many layers of bureaucracy.
Review first appeared on ReviewingtheEvidence.com.
She's familiar with the decadent lifestyles of the rich in China, and Cao's three children seem to run the gamut. His oldest son, Tiantian, is power-hungry and insecure of his father's approval. MeiMei, the daughter, seems a bit silly -- or is she merely biding her time and playing her cards close to her chest in the family grab for power? Guwei, or Gugu as he's affectionately known, is the party boy with the questionable American friend.
Not only does this assignment not pay the bills, Ellie finds herself stressed out by her constant pain, the victim of an IED blast during her service as a medic in recent conflicts in the Middle East. She's trying to keep her PTSD under control, but dealing with Chinese bigwigs and government enforcers keeps her on the edge.
Things get really dicey when a young servant girl is killed at a party at Tiantian's, where all the children (and a lot of others, including Ellie) were present. Then a second girl appears to be in danger, and Ellie's on the race to discover who's behind the mayhem. Another issue is just how will she reveal her findings to the elder Cao, who's growing impatient with her delayed report.
The storyline seems to increase in intensity as the end approaches, and readers will feel Ellie's panic and anxiety as she moves forward, putting herself and loved ones at risk to find the answers for Cao. This well written series not only keeps readers enveloped in the storyline, it offers some keen insights into artistic freedom in China and the difficulty of managing so many layers of bureaucracy.
Review first appeared on ReviewingtheEvidence.com.
November 2, 2015
I really like Lisa Brackmann's Ellie McEnroe character. Mostly because of what she's not- she isn't a spy, assassin, ninja, martial arts expert, beauty queen, or female Reacher. What she is, though (war vet with a damaged leg, expat in China, speaker of Chinese, beer drinker, supporter of various Chinese characters who get themselves in hot water with authorities), keeps her in enough trouble to make Brackmann's novels interesting.
Dragon Day is pretty good. Brackmann isn't a great writer but her style is a match for her main character- sort of blue-collar, nothing fancy. The plot is decent: Ellie is asked to do a seemingly easy task for a powerful Chinese man to whom she owes a favor, and with that the story if off and running. There are gangsters involved along with several varieties of Chinese police, murders, dissident activity, romantic entanglements that often don't seem very romantic, and lots of danger. China seems like a really complicated place to just travel to and walk around in, much less if there are crimes and investigations involved. I have to admit that I needed to page backwards in the book a few times to make sure I understood which characters were which.
All in all, the conclusion was fine in that Ellie survived and is still in China, so she's ready, I assume, to get herself back in trouble. Dragon Day is a nice addition to the series and well worth a read.
Dragon Day is pretty good. Brackmann isn't a great writer but her style is a match for her main character- sort of blue-collar, nothing fancy. The plot is decent: Ellie is asked to do a seemingly easy task for a powerful Chinese man to whom she owes a favor, and with that the story if off and running. There are gangsters involved along with several varieties of Chinese police, murders, dissident activity, romantic entanglements that often don't seem very romantic, and lots of danger. China seems like a really complicated place to just travel to and walk around in, much less if there are crimes and investigations involved. I have to admit that I needed to page backwards in the book a few times to make sure I understood which characters were which.
All in all, the conclusion was fine in that Ellie survived and is still in China, so she's ready, I assume, to get herself back in trouble. Dragon Day is a nice addition to the series and well worth a read.
August 24, 2015
I received this book from Goodreads in exchange for a review.
Former Iraq War vet Ellie McEnroe quickly finds herself in the thick of things as she investigates March Brody at the insistence of Shanghai billionaire Sidney Cao. Cao is suspicious of his son’s business involvement with Brody. Under the guise of discussing Sidney Cao’s ‘art project’, Ellie unwillingly finds herself involved in the lives of the three Cao children. And what starts out as an investigation into Brody quickly turns deadly.
From Shanghai to Beijing Ellie follows Gugu, Meimei and Tiantian as she hunts for a killer, all the while trying to stay on good terms with the senior Cao.
Fast paced, this novel will not disappoint.
Former Iraq War vet Ellie McEnroe quickly finds herself in the thick of things as she investigates March Brody at the insistence of Shanghai billionaire Sidney Cao. Cao is suspicious of his son’s business involvement with Brody. Under the guise of discussing Sidney Cao’s ‘art project’, Ellie unwillingly finds herself involved in the lives of the three Cao children. And what starts out as an investigation into Brody quickly turns deadly.
From Shanghai to Beijing Ellie follows Gugu, Meimei and Tiantian as she hunts for a killer, all the while trying to stay on good terms with the senior Cao.
Fast paced, this novel will not disappoint.
December 29, 2015
Brother liked this book more than I did....first one by this author that we've read, jumped into the middle of a series apparently.
Ellie is an American vet in China...her mom is there as well, not sure if that is permanent or not, she wants to open a taco place in China with her boyfriend. Ellie gets into scrapes with thuggy types and apparently owes a lot of thuggies some favors, always in/out of impending trouble?
A wealthy Chinese client asks Ellie to scope out a cohort of one of his kids, as a favor to him while he contemplates creating an Asian art museumi....Along the way, a couple of gals wind up dead. Hmmmm....
Ellie is an American vet in China...her mom is there as well, not sure if that is permanent or not, she wants to open a taco place in China with her boyfriend. Ellie gets into scrapes with thuggy types and apparently owes a lot of thuggies some favors, always in/out of impending trouble?
A wealthy Chinese client asks Ellie to scope out a cohort of one of his kids, as a favor to him while he contemplates creating an Asian art museumi....Along the way, a couple of gals wind up dead. Hmmmm....
February 18, 2016
I enjoy reading about Ms. Brackmann's Ellie McEnroe and her adventures in China, though this third book in the series (and last?) feels flat. In each of the first two books we meet new characters who are not who they appear to be. And in China no one is who they appear to be.
However, there are no new characters and no new development of the existing characters in "Dragon Day".
This is still a fun read for a mystery and if you have read Ms. Brackmann's first two Ellie novels you will want to read this one too.
However, there are no new characters and no new development of the existing characters in "Dragon Day".
This is still a fun read for a mystery and if you have read Ms. Brackmann's first two Ellie novels you will want to read this one too.
March 11, 2016
A good series that is very different. Ellie is involved in her usual adventures with corrupt officials and the rich elite all the while trying to maintain a low profile, something that fate will not allow her to do. Ellie is poised for some new adventures. Can't wait to see what Book 4 will bring.
November 24, 2015
Read this for an interesting view of Beijing and for a twisty story with really unique characters. I've read the preceding novels in this series - which I think it helps to have done. I almost put it down 100 pages in but pushed through and am glad I did. I'd really like to meet Meimei ;)
July 20, 2015
Enjoyable. I think book two in this trilogy, Hour of the Rat, is still my favorite of the three in terms of voice, plot, and descriptions of China.
August 12, 2015
8/8/15 Review tk
8/11/15 Well, this showed up earlier than expected! http://www.criminalelement.com/blogs/...
8/11/15 Well, this showed up earlier than expected! http://www.criminalelement.com/blogs/...
December 27, 2015
This is the first book I've read in the Ellie McEnroe series. It wasn't one of my favorite murder mysteries. I don't think I will read any of the other books in this series.
July 16, 2017
Not my favourite in the series but love Ellie. Can't wait for the next one.
August 3, 2016
I found the plot at times hard to follow, but the setting was amazing.
November 22, 2016
I enjoyed the story, and especially her descriptions of the decadent life style of the princelings in China.
September 20, 2015
An entertaining book, but nothing special.
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