Il poliziotto di Shanghai

Inspector Chen Cao #10

by Qiu Xiaolong

Come nasce la leggenda dell’ispettore Chen? Com’è possibile che «un poliziotto soltanto di nome in mezzo a tutti gli altri poliziotti veri» diventi il tutore della legge più affascinante (e temuto) di Shanghai? Chen Cao, proprio come molti suoi coetanei, è un giovane traumatizzato dalle violenze subite durante la Rivoluzione Culturale maoista. Ma per un beffardo scherzo del destino – e della burocrazia – si ritrova assegnato al dipartimento di polizia di Shanghai. Lui, il poeta idealista e sognatore, laureato in letteratura e ammiratore fervente di T.S. Eliot, nonché inguaribile buongustaio, è ora un poliziotto riluttante, destinato a far rispettare la legge. Ma è davvero così? Oppure sono gli interessi del Partito ad avere sempre e comunque la precedenza sopra ogni altra cosa, perfino sulla giustizia? Ne Il poliziotto di Shanghai, Qiu Xiaolong ricostruisce i traumi di un passato ineludibile che torna continuamente a gravare su un presente carico di incertezze. Tra delizie gastronomiche e raffinate rimembranze poetiche, anche questo nuovo libro dello scrittore cinese, da tempo stabilitosi negli Stati Uniti, rappresenta un indizio cruciale per decifrare quel rebus enigmatico che è la nuova superpotenza asiatica, per far luce sul volto più segreto di quel «socialismo con caratteristiche cinesi» in cui i destini individuali sono perennemente in balia dei mutamenti politici.

Genres: Mystery, China, Fiction, Crime, Mystery Thriller, Procedural, Contemporary

235 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 3, 2016

About the author

Qiu Xiaolong (裘小龙) was born in Shanghai, China. He is the author of the award-winning Inspector Chen series of mystery novels, Death of a Red Heroine (2000), A Loyal Character Dancer (2002), When Red Is Black (2004), A Case of Two Cities (2006), Red Mandarin Dress (2007), and The Mao Case (2009). He is also the author of two books of poetry translations, Treasury of Chinese Love Poems (2003) and Evoking T'ang (2007), and his own poetry collection, Lines Around China (2003). Qiu's books have sold over a million copies and have been published in twenty languages. He currently lives in St. Louis with his wife and daughter.

Reviews

[trice (semi ia) · Rating 4 out of 5]

inspector chen is a remarkable series. part murder mystery and part literary fiction, it explores China's society, politics, and history through the eyes of a cop in the Shanghai's police bureau. it's poetic and slow, which makes it a really unique kind of murder mystery.

this installment is a little different bc rather than focusing on a murder, its purpose is more to build up chen cao's character. ofc, there is a murder, but it's not the main focus - it's not even the case mentioned in the blurb - and it's intersected with chen cao's flashbacks and his present day dreams.

the dreams, i skipped over. maybe someone interested in literature would read it, but not me. there was a lot of flashbacks, and i got muddled between past and present day. also, the present day case felt so unresolved - you get answers from another pov, but in the end, you don't know what chen cao would do with this answer bc the book ends before that.

i did like reading about chen and different people's stories in red dust lane. it goes deeper into people's experience and the 社會風氣 (it's kind of like the social mood?? attitude?) during the Cultural Revolution, along with how that built up chen cao's interest in being a cop, and how these stories affected his attitude toward treating politically sensitive cases.

fascinating read, and while it isn't my fave of the series, it's still pretty good. i would have preferred to read a physical copy, but i couldn't find one 😭 all the previous installments i read as paperbacks. this is just one of the rare series i feel that NEEDS a physical copy for the complete vibes.

[Linden · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've enjoyed the previous novels about the detective from Shanghai, and found this one quite different. Chen Cao was considered a "black puppy" since his father was denounced by the Red Guard. Part of the book is almost like a prequel to the series, discussing his experience growing up during the Cultural Revolution. Part of the book was devoted to a mystery which Chen the adult cop wants to help his superior solve, the murder of an old man who had just left a restaurant. I think I would have preferred this to be two different books, as I felt the stories didn't flow that well together. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

[Rafa Sánchez · Rating 4 out of 5]

He tenido que leerlo en inglés, dado que la editorial Tusquets ha abandonado la traducción de la serie, francamente no lo entiendo, viendo el nivel de la literatura negra que se traduce... En fin, ellos sabrán.

La décima entrega de la serie del Inspector Chen Cao nos hace una recapitulación del personaje desde su terrible infancia durante la Revolución Cultural, la atroz represión sobre su padre y otras personas que trató, su formación en Filología en la universidad y su sorprendente llegada a la policía, por un capricho de la política educativa del momento. Lo que más ocupa de la novela es el primer crimen en el que Chen intervino y terminó marcando su exitosa carrera policial, también por una serie de coincidencias caprichosas... Es divertido como Qiu rinde homenaje a las novelas de Maj Sjowall y su serie de Martin Beck (novelas que recomiendo vivamente).

Como es habitual en las novelas de Qiu, todos los personajes que habitan la novela tienen un indudable interés humano añadido al exotismo que para un europeo supone conocer una cultura tan distinta de la nuestra como la de la milenaria China. En este caso estamos ante una novela necesaria para todos los seguidores de nuestro querido Inspector Jefe Chen, mitad monje, mitad soldado.

[Meredith Rankin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is number eleven in the Inspector Chen series. Set in China, the series revolves around Chen (imagine that!), who came of age during the Cultural Revolution and now works for the Shanghai Special Cases Bureau. This is the first book I’ve read in the series. That, I think, was a disadvantage. I felt like I missed some of the significance with references to previous cases, especially in the opening chapters. That’s not the author’s fault; I’m only making notes of it. For those interested in the series, it might be best to start with book one, Death of a Red Heroine.

It took me a very long time to get into the story’s rhythms. But once I did, the book grew on me. It definitely felt more literary in tone and focus than a typical mystery. The stories are a jumbled assortment of two kinds. First, there are memories inspired by Chen’s dreams. Second, there are fragments of seemingly unrelated stories about other people, all revolving around the community of Red Dust Lane. The stories often felt unresolved. After one particularly long story about Chen’s first unofficial case, the ending dissatisfied me. I wanted more resolution. It was difficult to piece together how all the stories related. (I suspect I might’ve done a better job with putting the pieces together if I’d read previous titles in this series.)

To me, this book read more like a collection of related stories with a tenuous continuous storyline than a “typical” novel. That is, you define “typical” as a white, Western-worldview novel with a three act structure and the hook-conflict-climax-resolution pattern that our well-meaning English teacher shoved down our throats in middle school. I’ve noticed that stories from non-Western cultures have a higher level of ambiguity and a higher tolerance for ambiguous endings. It must be a difference in cultural mindset. Neither is right or wrong. It’s simply a difference that exists.

The present-day storyline is Chen wrestling with whether or not to return to Red Dust Lane for another investigation even as his investigative career is slowly draining away. That case didn’t sound terribly interesting to me, at least from the description given here; however, I would read the next book to see how Qiu Xiaolong develops the case.

What was far more interesting is watching young Chen develop over the years. He goes from being a youth dogged by his family’s black status to a student obsessed with T.S. Eliot’s The Waste Land, then to a frustrated police translator who strikes out on his own to investigate a case that isn’t his. Then he uses his newly-gained position to rectify old wrongs. He’s a sympathetic character in the flashback stories. I had a hard time sympathizing with his present-day self, who spends his night tossing and turning, musing on poetry and trying to make the decision and analyzing his dreams. I never cared for the dream sequences–eventually I skimmed them–and I expect that many mystery readers would, too. Literary readers might be more patient.

It was truly fascinating to read about the inner workings of the Party and see the adaptability of the people under the rigidity of Chairman Mao’s regime. The ordinary people wiggle and squirm their way around the Party rules, often (always) with collective (though unspoken) consent. When put under enough pressure, the people who survive are those who are both adaptable and creative. The residents of Red Dust Lane gather for their evening gossip under the guise of “political studies class,” always keeping a copy of Chairman Mao’s red book in hand as a prop.

Their ingenuity opens young Chen’s eyes. In this space, no one sees him as a “black puppy” (his nickname after the government brands his father as a black dissenter). For the first time, he has a vision beyond the confines of the dictatorship. From them, he learns how to become himself in a system determined to exploit him as a piece in a political game. For me, this is eye-opening and inspiring.

Ultimately, this is a book that has its fascinating aspects. Will it appeal to all mystery readers? No. Will it appeal to some? Yes. Do I recommend it? Absolutely, and I will be looking for more of Qiu Xiaolong’s work in the future.

Note: I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.

This review will appear on my blog on 15 March 2021.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Library Loan - wanted to learn more of Chen's development and this book covers early struggles with party politics.

[Marcella Rossi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Primo approccio con Qui Xiaolong, scrittore cinese che vive e pubblica negli Stati Uniti, autore di una serie di libri dedicati all'ispettore Chen Cao. Strano libro per strutture e contenuti, diviso in capitoli che sono quasi racconti a se stante, dove si mischiano racconto e autobiografia. Esiste la trama di un giallo, dove si indaga sulla morte di un anziano gourmet. Ma esiste soprattutto il racconto della Cina, la rivoluzione culturale; figlio di un capitalista, l'autore percorre gli anni delle "critiche di massa" , dei pubblici processi, delle dichiarazioni scritte di colpevolezza. Il partito, prima negli anni di Mao, poi durante l'epoca revisionista di Deng, decide e segna le sorti delle persone. Tutto con mano leggera, con grandi digressioni sulla cucina cinese (ci sono otto scuole di antica tradizione, non lo sapevo)
Molto bella la narrazione dello scambio dei libri proibiti che i giovani cinesi leggevano tutto in una notte, per non fermare la circolazione; quando uno dei giovani viene scoperto con Dickens deve trovare aiuto in Marx e giurare che è un libro utile contro il capitalismo.
Insomma, pur non avendo apprezzato troppo la strana costruzione del libro, una lettura estremamente interessante. Bella la copertina, con la bibliotecaria amica di Chen che balla al ritmo del walkman...

[Yellow Talk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un libro affascinante, che caratterizza molto bene la Rivoluzione Culturale cinese, la mentalità delle persone e la vera condizione sociale che si respirava. Sembra composto da più parti quasi sconnesse tra di loro. Le prime riguardano episodi di vita vissuti da Chen Cao, delineando bene la vita del personaggio e quali sono le motivazioni che lo portano a entrare nella polizia.

Inizia il racconto del suo primo caso investigativo (non mi dilungo per non fare spoiler), molto intrigante seguire il dipanarsi delle ricerche. Ammetto che più che ricerche approfondite Chen va a tentoni, le scoperte avvengono grazie alla fortuna principalmente.

Trovo anche che l'ansia che si crea durante la lettura, durante la ricerca del colpevole poi scende in maniera sproporzionata quando effettivamente si raggiunge il finale del libro che si scopre essere molto semplice, naturale quasi banale da non pensarci neanche. Molto reale come finale, niente che si avvicini a un thriller con psicopatici privi di empatia. L'assassino è una persona comune, con difetti che abbiamo tutti noi e che forse per questo appiattisce la sensazione finale.

In fine mi ha colpito molto il pezzo finale in cui racconta del suo amico, realmente esistito, al quale ha voluto fare un omaggio regalando nei suoi libri una vita e un finale diverso rispetto a quello che ha avuto nella realtà.

[Darius Ostrowski · Rating 2 out of 5]

Definitely something different from the other books in this series.

Inspector Chen is on the outs with his superiors, his career may be at an end. He is back home at his mother's, in his old attic bedroom, where he spends a restless night, filled with vivid lyrical dreams. Each dream reminds him of an episode in his life, from growing up as a black puppy during the Cultural Revolution, to his first brush with learning English at the park, to his first case as a policeman. Most of these memories revolve around Red Dust Lane, leading to a current case that may be setting Chen up for failure.

Not really a mystery, more of a collection of short stories fleshing out how Inspector Chen became the man he is today (as the title suggests). Nice, but rather ho hum.

[Glen U · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Becoming Inspector Chen" is the tenth book in the Inspector Chen series. I thought it was one of Qiu Xiaolong's best efforts, full of brilliant writing, a creative and compelling dual time line, an inside look at how Chen grew from a "black" family into the fair and conscientious Inspector Chen, an intriguing look at the machinations of Chinese political system and its history, all the things I was hoping for in this book ... but, fair warning (spoiler alert), it seems to be the first part of a multi-volume set. I wondered how the author was going to conclude his tale in the pages left in the book. Now, I know. Anyway, it was an excellent read, although I will hate waiting for the rest of the story. Hopefully it will be well worth it.

[Delphine · Rating 4 out of 5]

4* non pas pour l'enquête en elle-même qui est intéressante mais pas prenante. Mais pour les éléments propres au passé de Qiu Xialong qu'il immisce dans l'univers de son double de papier, nous rappelant notamment les affres de la révolution culturelle, nous distillant des informations concernant le quotidien et les souffrances de la période Mao et post Mao. Le tout est intelligemment amené dans l'histoire ce qui fait que nul n'a la sensation de lire un livre d'histoire. Le "Fragment autobiographique" d'une 40aine de pages est distinct de l'histoire mais rend un hommage appuyé à un ami d'enfance que l'on retrouve dans les enquêtes de Chen Cao mais avec une vie totalement différente.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve read all 11 books in the Inspector Chen series and this one was perhaps the weakest. I enjoyed the Origen story of Inspector Chen told in the flashbacks, and the history of the cultural revolution that came with it, but the contemporary story being told in parallel never resolved (as far as I could understand) and was frustrating. Read the other 10 books first.

[Angélita Manchado · Rating 5 out of 5]

Avis Il était une fois l’inspecteur Chen de Qiu Xialong

Je n’ai pas lu toutes les enquêtes de l’inspecteur Chen pourtant j’adore ce personnage récurrent et surtout l’auteur. Lorsque j’ai été sélectionnée pour cette masse critique avec babelio et que j’ai reçu ce poche paru chez Points j’ai été plus que ravie de connaître les débuts de ce cher inspecteur. Et je ne le regrette pas. La plume de Qiu Xialong est toujours aussi percutante, plein de saveur et de poésie.

S’il y a bien un pays que je ne souhaite absolument pas visiter c’est bien la Chine. Mais son histoire m’intéresse et toute son Histoire et ses habitants. Avec l’auteur c’est la Chine de Mao surtout dans ce roman. Pour certains Chinois cela a changé beaucoup de choses puisqu’ils sont devenus des parias. Les enfants en ont subi les conséquences. Cela a été le cas pour Chen mais aussi pour l’auteur car il commence son roman par des informations sur lui même et le finit avec sa propre histoire. Cela permet de se rendre compte que de nombreux auteurs s’inspirent de leurs propres histoires pour leurs romans. Mais ça, on le savait déjà. J’ai encore appris sur cette Révolution Culturelle de Mao et la place donnée aux livres, comment se débrouillaient ceux qui ne voulaient pas que lire ce qui était autorisé. Les Chinois sont, comme tous ceux qui sont oppressés, un peuple plein de ressources. Il y a également tous ces enfants qui ont souffert et n’ont pas compris la déchéance imposée de leurs parents. Ils sont des enfants de riches et ils n’ont pas les mêmes privilèges que les autres enfants.

J’ai voyagé culinairement et j’ai adoré ça. Tous ces plats, toutes ces saveurs décrites, cela en donne l’eau à la bouche et de sacrées rêveries. J’avais l’impression d’avoir les plats devant moi de les déguster avec les héros. Avec des ingrédients qui peuvent être très chers les plats le sont tout autant mais la débrouille existe. Mais d’autres tout aussi bons sont moins excessifs. Il faut toutefois faire attention à ne pas y laisser sa paie. Outre la cuisine, le roman est parsemé de vers, de poésie, beaucoup moins que les plats, mais c’est vraiment très agréable.

Nous le savions déjà mais Chen est un homme érudit. Il a fait des études. Il écrit des poèmes. Mais à la fin de ses études, l’Etat le place à un endroit où il devra accomplir un travail. Et ce sera un commissariat de police. Il n’est au fait de rien. Il ne sait pas mener une enquête. Une tâche lui est assignée qu’il tentera de mener à bien. Il a aussi du temps pour lire, surtout des romans policiers. Mais il s’immiscera dans une enquête. Il fera part de toutes ses découvertes à son supérieur, surtout en ne se mettant jamais en avant et en faisant en sorte de flatter l’inspecteur. Ce que l’on retrouve, ici, c’est le caractère déjà connu de Chen. Un homme qui écoute, note tout. Les gens et les éléments ont toute leur importance. Il ne se met pas en avant. Même s’il n’est pas à l’aise avec le pouvoir en place, s’il subit, il n’émettra jamais aucune critique. Et tout cela fera de Chen un très bon inspecteur pour toutes ses enquêtes futures.

Je pense que je vais noter tous les livres de Qiu Xialong et les noter dans une de mes bibliothèques pour les recevoir dans mes box. En effet, à la maison, l’homme et moi sommes fans de l’auteur.

Je remercie Babelio pour cette sélection Masse Critique et les Editions Points. Ce roman fait partie de la sélection du Prix du Meilleur Polar 2017.

Résumé Il était une fois l’inspecteur Chen de Qiu Xialong

Chen Cao est un petit garçon dont les parents sont des ennemis de classe dans la Chine de Mao. Le petit garçon en souffre.

Plus tard, il fait ses études à Pékin. Il revient très peu chez lui, à Shanghai. Il rencontre une jeune fille bibliothécaire.

[Kimberly Ouwerkerk · Rating 3 out of 5]

The case in the ‘now’ revolves around an anti-Party poem; a poem that very much challenges the waters that Chen is carefully trying to navigate while working as an inspector in the police department of Shanghai. I liked the frequent quotes of poems. They were well placed and gave more meaning and flavor to the story.

Chen works at the mercy of the Party leaders and his investigations need to be concluded in the best interests of the Party. That is, the investigations he does in the other books in the Inspector Chen Cao series. Chen grew up during the Cultural Revolution that made his father repent for having lived the American bourgeois lifestyle. As a result, Chen became one of the Black Class. The first part of Becoming Inspector Chen reads like a biography infused with Chinese history lessons.

Because of the many time jumps in the narrative, it took me some time to get into the story. At first, it seemed like there was no connection between the chapters, almost as if you are reading anecdotes from someone’s life that provide a background and setting to the meager story in the now. Some chapters I liked very much, for example, those featuring Ling and Mr. Ma, and others were boring, especially when Chen was mostly an observer to conversations of others.

In the end, all storylines do come together. Becoming Inspector Chen is not so much about solving a crime, but more about the wellbeing of people living in Red Dust Lane. After this book, you’ll understand how Chen came to be the person he is now and why he handles his cases as he does. Here comes the crux: this is only interesting to those that love the Inspector Chen Cao series.

There is no suspense involved. Don’t start reading this book expecting a mystery novel. Even though there is some light crime-solving, the story is more about the effect that the political and social situation in China has on ordinary people’s lives. The writing style is quite laid-back and slow; a style that is familiar to readers of fiction from Asia. As a non-Chinese person, you can easily understand what is going on as many things are explained. I do wonder how much of this was added in the translation as I assume a Chinese reader wouldn’t enjoy the many explanations.

While I am not overly enthusiastic about Becoming Inspector Chen – partly because of the slow pace that is not quite contemplating nor hardcore crime-solving – I did like some of the chapters. I learned many things through the insights provided in the lives of those living on Red Dust Lane. In such a short novel Qiu Xiaolong manages to introduce a lively cast of characters.

Many thanks to Severn House and NetGalley for a digital ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

[Elaine Tomasso · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would like to thank Netgalley and Severn House Publishers for an advance copy of Becoming Inspector Chen, the eleventh novel to feature Chief Inspector Chen of the Shanghai Police.

After his last case Chen has fallen out of political favour and may be about to lose his job. On the eve of his interview with his boss he thinks back to key moments in his life and wonders if the memories can help him with the case of a subversive poet that no one, except his co-worker wants him near.

I enjoyed Becoming Inspector Chen, although it’s probably a bit intellectual for my more pedestrian mind. I’m not quite sure how to describe it as, personally, I wouldn’t class it as crime fiction despite finding it under that listing. It’s circular, always ending up in the same place, Red Dirt Lane and with the same characters appearing at different times, often offering an update on their circumstances. The novel offers a series of vignettes from Chen’s past, starting with the Cultural Revolution of the 1960s up until the late 1980s when capitalism becomes acceptable. Reading the stories there is a certain irony in this volte-face and it doesn’t go unremarked in the personal histories depicted. The present day story of the subversive poem is negligible in the overall storyline but reinforces the knowledge that censorship is alive and well in modern day China and that some things never change.

There is some crime in the novel but it’s more a history of how a repressive regime affected ordinary citizens. Some of it is really horrible but, at the same time, I was fascinated and found it compulsive reading. I didn’t really get the imagery in either Chen’s dreams, philosophising or the poetry that pervade the novel, probably because I’m too lazy to work it out, but I was glued to the pages about everyday life and the unfolding dramas. It comes to a rather abrupt and vague ending, but perhaps that is the point, nothing is sure in life.

Becoming Inspector Chen is a good read that I can recommend.

[Jean Vernade · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sans doute de premier livre de l'auteur mais sorti après coup. Il évoque avec force détails la répression de la révolution culturelle et les abus des gardes rouges.
Le jeune Chen n'est pas en charge officielle de l'enquête mais va donner un coup de main décisif.

[Melaslithos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un ouvrage un peu à part dans la séries des enquêtes de l'inspecteur Chen, mais peut-être le plus touchant.

Il était une fois l'inspecteur Chen fait le lien entre l'inspecteur Chen, la cité de la poussière rouge, et l'auteur lui-même. Fraîchement diplômé de l'université des langues étrangères de Pékin, Chen est affecté à un commissariat de police de Shanghai, où il se retrouve cantonné à traduire des manuels de police. S'ennuyant un peu, il va peu à peu se mêler à une affaire qui l'intrigue, menant ainsi sa toute première enquête. Et comme dans tous les précédents livres, finalement, la culture et la vie shanghaienne prennent le pas sur l'enquête. Au cours de son enquête, Chen se mèle aux discussions de soirée à la cité de la poussière rouge, nous offre un tour culinaire de Shanghai, sans oublier de partager avec nous quelques vers de poésie chinoise.

Et particularité de ce livre, cette enquête fictionnelle de Chen est entourée de souvenirs, bien réels, de Qiu Xiaolong. Ainsi, peu à peu, au fil de se livre, on démêle l'autobiographique du fictionnel, on voit où Qiu Xiaoling insuffle vie à Chen Cao, mais aussi là où il lui donne un caractère et une vie propre. Finalement, c'est ce que j'aurai préféré dans ce livre.

[Joy Z · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is such a complicated book, I haven't read one like this that fully blends Chinese idioms and poetry, politics and food, culture and traditions, into a mystery book.

I read this book very slowly, not because it wasn't good, because there was so much to digest, so much tidbits to pickup. I was fascinated by the story of the culture revolution, the red Dust lane, as it coincided with stories my mom told me about her time as a child living in China during the same time period.

The book was fascinating, I bookmarked so much parts to discuss with my parents, such as the Internet Police patroling over the content of weTalk. The section about Pig Head changing the term limit of the constitution so the word Emperor became a highly censored word, Mr. Qiu, you're an intrepid author.

[Francesca · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ho dovuto leggere questo libro non solo per una sfida di lettura, ma anche per confermare a me stessa che non sono tipa da libri polizieschi.
Durante (quasi) tutto il libro mi sono ritrovata spesso annoiata, molto.
Probabilmente è un buon libro per gli amanti del genere, e adesso sono sicura di non fare parte di questa categoria. Un'altra tematica molto importante e forse anche la parte più interessante e toccante del libro, oltre all'omicidio del signor Fu, è la decadenza della Cina durante la dittatura di Mao Zedong.
Come già scritto, ho trovato il libro molto noioso in più di qualche momento, oltretutto non ho capito il collegamento tra alcuni personaggi, per esempio tra la bibliotecaria o il dottore dei primi capitoli e la parte del caso.
Penso che questo sia l'ultimo poliziesco che leggo, in particolar modo di questo autore.

[Gabriel Stein · Rating 3 out of 5]

Somewhat disappointing


I very much like the Inspector Chen books. This one is good, but still somewhat disappointing. It’s jumps back and forth, with a little conclusion reached. Notably the main story running like a red thread through the book, abruptly ends without a final scene. Although I share the author’s political views, it is somewhat disappointing that you get the impression that he is letting politics trump the writing of a good story. Of course, politics trumping everything it’s probably a correct reflection of China at this time.

[Kathleen Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don't worry if you haven't read the earlier books in the unusual series- this is almost an origin story as Inspector Chen spends perhaps more time musing about his past than solving a current crime. It's clearly to easy to be a police officer in Shanghai. He has it tougher than many because of his family history, This latest case, involving a poem posted to social media, cuts close. It's an intriguing read. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC, I'm going to look for others in the series.

[Flapidouille · Rating 3 out of 5]

Vraiment instructif... hélas! c'est une période bien sombre de l'histoire chinoise.
Intéressant aussi par son côté autobiographique, que l'on ne trouve pas dans le reste de la série.
Il semblerait pourtant que justement tous les passages autobiographiques aient (volontairement?) été moins bien écrits.

[Bill Kronberger · Rating 1 out of 5]

Huh?

Sorry, way too muddled for me. What happened? I’m sure there was a story here somewhere but it’s beyond me. Wish it had an ending, although there is a last paragraph so there probably was one.

[Ann Repetto · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read the first five Chen novels. Gave up halfway through on number six. I've always liked the character so I tried this one which had good reviews. Interestingly told. Enjoyed it more as a novel then a mystery. It didn't convince me to go back to the series.

[Terry Crossman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved parts of this book, and disliked other aspects. Some great "short stories" in it, but the overall arc story was left hanging in the end and I didn't really like the dream sequences. But definitely a worthwhile read.

[Anne Herbison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fascinating book in this series. This time, the story looks back at episodes in Inspector Chen's past as he grapples with his latest dilemma as an honest cop who doesn't always meet with the approval of his superiors.

[Denis · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a detective story it doesn't really succeed, but you get a lot of information on a history of modern China

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good insight into China’s cultural revolution and the aftermath.

[Chick Marks · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not sure I knew what I was getting into when I picked this up, and now that I am finished I am not sure what I have completed.
Very confusing with time and story jumping along with names changing.

[Liz Fedor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not what I expected but I really enjoyed it.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three and a half stars...an intermingling of memories, dreams and current day experiences as Inspector Chen awaits the verdict of whether his career is ruined or will continue.