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A Detective Jack Yu Investigation #2
Year of the Dog
A rollercoaster ride with NYPD Detective Jack Yu, illuminating the underground world of Chinatown gambling, smuggling, and protection
He’s been transferred to a different precinct, but Detective Jack Yu cannot get away from Chinatown’s criminals—his old friends—who have hooked up with the Hong Kong-based triads in an elaborate nationwide credit card fraud. He also cannot escape the Chinese victims whose stories cry out for justice, like the teenage Chinese take-out delivery boy brutally murdered in the projects.
He’s been transferred to a different precinct, but Detective Jack Yu cannot get away from Chinatown’s criminals—his old friends—who have hooked up with the Hong Kong-based triads in an elaborate nationwide credit card fraud. He also cannot escape the Chinese victims whose stories cry out for justice, like the teenage Chinese take-out delivery boy brutally murdered in the projects.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2008
108 people are currently reading
270 people want to read
About the author
Henry Chang
16 books52 followersHenry Chang is a New Yorker, a native son of Chinatown and the Lower East Side. His poems have appeared in the seminal Yellow Pearl, anthology, and in Gangs In New York’s Chinatown. He has written for Bridge Magazine, and his fiction has appeared in On A Bed Of Rice and in the NuyorAsian Anthology. His debut novel Chinatown Beat garnered high praise from the New York Times Book Review, the Boston Globe, the Washington Post, among others.
Henry Chang is a graduate of CCNY (City College of New York). He has been a lighting consultant, and a Security Director for major hotels, commercial properties, and retail businesses in Manhattan.
He resides in the Chinatown area and has finished the fifth book of his Chinatown Trilogy, Lucky, which will be available Spring 2017. His fourth book, Death Money was published April 2014.
Henry Chang is a graduate of CCNY (City College of New York). He has been a lighting consultant, and a Security Director for major hotels, commercial properties, and retail businesses in Manhattan.
He resides in the Chinatown area and has finished the fifth book of his Chinatown Trilogy, Lucky, which will be available Spring 2017. His fourth book, Death Money was published April 2014.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
May 22, 2010
PROTAGONIST: Jack Yu, NYPD Detective
SETTING: New York
SERIES: #2 of 2
RATING: 3.25
The best immigration stories have to deal with the successful acculturation of a minority group into its new community. The worst are those that have the newcomers joining in to the fringe groups, participating in the pillaging of a society rather than contributing to it in a positive way. Unfortunately, the latter is the situation for many of the residents of the Chinatown community in New York City. The criminal element is becoming larger and more diverse; in addition to the Hong Kong-based triads, there is a group of Fukienese coming into power, resulting in turf wars with the established gangs.
Detective Jack Yu has just been transferred from a precinct where he was the only Asian member. In spite of the fact that he is no longer assigned to Chinatown cases, he can't escape what is going on in the area. One of his old friends, Tat Louie, also known as "Lucky", is a mob head and gang leader of one of the older groups. He's up against the Chinese triads and Fukienese. One of his competitors, Gee Sin, is a triad member who is masterminding a huge credit card fraud ring. Life on the streets is very mean, indeed. In addition to the specter of rival gangs threatening, virulent racism is the order of the day. Non-Chinese thugs continually engage in violent racist acts against their Asian neighbors.
The narrative details the actions of Lucky, Gee Sin, a bookie named Sai Go, and several others. Frankly, I was confused by all of the various gang characters, perhaps because their names were so foreign to me and I had difficulty relating to most of them. Similarly, I found the book to be very hard to follow. Chang used a lot of Chinese words throughout. Although he defined the words, each time a new word or phrase was introduced, it pulled me out of the story. When phrases were used more than once, I almost never could remember what they meant, which led to a frustrating feeling of non-comprehension.
CHINATOWN BEAT, the first book in this series, was a top read for me. I really empathized with the protagonist and anguished over the discrimination that he faced as a result of his heritage. THE YEAR OF THE DOG was much less personal, other than in one vignette involving the horrific violence done to a hard-working teenager who didn't deserve what happened to him. It was much harder to become emotionally engaged when faced with the broad brush of racist treatment against a whole group rather than specific individuals, particularly when almost all of the victims were criminals in their own right. There was an angry undertone to the book that somewhat diluted its message, in my opinion.
On the other hand, Chang does a marvelous job of detailing the setting, whether that be a specific part of a neighborhood or an individual's apartment.
Although I was somewhat disappointed in YEAR OF THE DOG, I will definitely be looking for the next book in the series, as I think that Chang has some real talent as an author.
SETTING: New York
SERIES: #2 of 2
RATING: 3.25
The best immigration stories have to deal with the successful acculturation of a minority group into its new community. The worst are those that have the newcomers joining in to the fringe groups, participating in the pillaging of a society rather than contributing to it in a positive way. Unfortunately, the latter is the situation for many of the residents of the Chinatown community in New York City. The criminal element is becoming larger and more diverse; in addition to the Hong Kong-based triads, there is a group of Fukienese coming into power, resulting in turf wars with the established gangs.
Detective Jack Yu has just been transferred from a precinct where he was the only Asian member. In spite of the fact that he is no longer assigned to Chinatown cases, he can't escape what is going on in the area. One of his old friends, Tat Louie, also known as "Lucky", is a mob head and gang leader of one of the older groups. He's up against the Chinese triads and Fukienese. One of his competitors, Gee Sin, is a triad member who is masterminding a huge credit card fraud ring. Life on the streets is very mean, indeed. In addition to the specter of rival gangs threatening, virulent racism is the order of the day. Non-Chinese thugs continually engage in violent racist acts against their Asian neighbors.
The narrative details the actions of Lucky, Gee Sin, a bookie named Sai Go, and several others. Frankly, I was confused by all of the various gang characters, perhaps because their names were so foreign to me and I had difficulty relating to most of them. Similarly, I found the book to be very hard to follow. Chang used a lot of Chinese words throughout. Although he defined the words, each time a new word or phrase was introduced, it pulled me out of the story. When phrases were used more than once, I almost never could remember what they meant, which led to a frustrating feeling of non-comprehension.
CHINATOWN BEAT, the first book in this series, was a top read for me. I really empathized with the protagonist and anguished over the discrimination that he faced as a result of his heritage. THE YEAR OF THE DOG was much less personal, other than in one vignette involving the horrific violence done to a hard-working teenager who didn't deserve what happened to him. It was much harder to become emotionally engaged when faced with the broad brush of racist treatment against a whole group rather than specific individuals, particularly when almost all of the victims were criminals in their own right. There was an angry undertone to the book that somewhat diluted its message, in my opinion.
On the other hand, Chang does a marvelous job of detailing the setting, whether that be a specific part of a neighborhood or an individual's apartment.
Although I was somewhat disappointed in YEAR OF THE DOG, I will definitely be looking for the next book in the series, as I think that Chang has some real talent as an author.
February 23, 2009
"Year of the Dog" picks up soon after "Chinatown Beat" ends, back in Manhattan but with Jack Yu transfered from his Chinatown precinct to a one a bit farther west. He is drawn back to his old beat by a number of grisly murders on which he is asked to help. But while the first book was partially a police procedural, this one is more a criminal procedural, describing in detail how human trafficing, credit card fraud and illegal gambling are organized and controlled; how the lucrative territories in Chinatown for extortion, pimping and thuggery, some only a few blocks square, are divided among the various Triad-run gangs and how the linguistic/ethnic prejudices of China are recreated in New York.
There are mercilessly detail descriptions of murders, usually through the flat prose of medical examiner's reports being read by Detective Yu and more discussion of the horrors that await newly arrived undocumented immigrants in Manhattan and Brooklyn.
An excellent follow up to the first Jack Yu book with all the strengths of "Chinatown Beat". Despite the gritty, despairing, angry lives of the characters the it finishes on an upbeat note as the year of the Dog ends and the Year of the Pig, a year that should be full of strength, fortitude, intelligence and honesty.
There are mercilessly detail descriptions of murders, usually through the flat prose of medical examiner's reports being read by Detective Yu and more discussion of the horrors that await newly arrived undocumented immigrants in Manhattan and Brooklyn.
An excellent follow up to the first Jack Yu book with all the strengths of "Chinatown Beat". Despite the gritty, despairing, angry lives of the characters the it finishes on an upbeat note as the year of the Dog ends and the Year of the Pig, a year that should be full of strength, fortitude, intelligence and honesty.
December 22, 2008
Well...I went in expecting a crime mystery, and what I got was a not-quite-slice-of-life of various lowlifes in Chinatown, plus random tidbits of the detective who is supposedly the focus of this novel...except his story only takes up at most a quarter of the book, and very little of that is investigating.
The other portraits of various gangsters, a bookie, an illegal immigrant hairdresser, etc. are only tangentially related to Detective Jack Yu if at all, and most of the events are not related to any cases he is working on. Jack Yu had the potential to be an interesting character, but with so little time devoted to developing him, he became somewhat bland. All the other characters flickering back and forth on the pages had an equal amount of blandness, not helped by the fact that they were not sympathetic characters.
I did enjoy the Chinatown environment and had fun picking out the Cantonese terms and Chinatown streets that I recognized. There really aren't enough Asian/Cantonese-centric fiction out there. But I would have prefered if there was a strong, over-arching storyline to get involved in.
The other portraits of various gangsters, a bookie, an illegal immigrant hairdresser, etc. are only tangentially related to Detective Jack Yu if at all, and most of the events are not related to any cases he is working on. Jack Yu had the potential to be an interesting character, but with so little time devoted to developing him, he became somewhat bland. All the other characters flickering back and forth on the pages had an equal amount of blandness, not helped by the fact that they were not sympathetic characters.
I did enjoy the Chinatown environment and had fun picking out the Cantonese terms and Chinatown streets that I recognized. There really aren't enough Asian/Cantonese-centric fiction out there. But I would have prefered if there was a strong, over-arching storyline to get involved in.
January 4, 2012
I won a copy on Goodreads Firstreads.
This is not your typical mystery.It does not follow one single thread of a story and say there you go.There are several threads that twist and twine to make the story.There is Detective Jack Yu who has managed to leave the 05 precinct but will Chinatown's troubles pull him back? Another thread follows the older bookie who is dying of cancer.You also learn about Lucky, the dailo(boss)of the ghost legion gang and childhood friend of Detective Yu. Kid Koo, leader of the star gang that is now part of the ghost legion, provides another thread. Finally there is Bo who cuts hair to pay back the tong for smuggling her into the country. All of these threads help to weave the dark tapestry of the story set in the criminal underworld of Chinatown.
The setting and cultural mix will be as alien as those from a sci-fi novel for many people.This just makes it all the more enjoyable, knowing that it is real.It is a gritty story, definitely not a light summer read.A couple of minor typos and a case of someone turning off the same TV twice, but nothing too distracting. So if you are looking for a heavier story this one is extremely satisfying.
This is not your typical mystery.It does not follow one single thread of a story and say there you go.There are several threads that twist and twine to make the story.There is Detective Jack Yu who has managed to leave the 05 precinct but will Chinatown's troubles pull him back? Another thread follows the older bookie who is dying of cancer.You also learn about Lucky, the dailo(boss)of the ghost legion gang and childhood friend of Detective Yu. Kid Koo, leader of the star gang that is now part of the ghost legion, provides another thread. Finally there is Bo who cuts hair to pay back the tong for smuggling her into the country. All of these threads help to weave the dark tapestry of the story set in the criminal underworld of Chinatown.
The setting and cultural mix will be as alien as those from a sci-fi novel for many people.This just makes it all the more enjoyable, knowing that it is real.It is a gritty story, definitely not a light summer read.A couple of minor typos and a case of someone turning off the same TV twice, but nothing too distracting. So if you are looking for a heavier story this one is extremely satisfying.
October 17, 2011
I don't usually like novels that are more a series of loosely connected events but Chang made it work here. I assumed the dead family at the beginning would be a central mystery to the book, but I was pleasantly surprised when the story veered into less predictable avenues.
August 13, 2020
This was a tough one to rate.
Pros: it gives a somber yet unique perspective of the struggles of first generation Asian Americans. It unabashedly and not-so-subtly criticizes capitalism and the false allure of the American Dream for perpetuating income inequality and providing a subpar environment for immigrants to thrive. It demonstrates how lack of opportunity and education in communities of color have led to economic stagnation and organized crime. And it was thrilling to read at times.
Cons: it didn't really focus on Jack Yu all that much. There wasn't really a main plot line to follow and nothing really connected together all that well. I get what it was trying to do with portraying racism between minority groups (Blacks/Latinx hating on Chinese, Chinese hating on Blacks/Latinx), but with everything going on in the world with regard to police brutality targeted towards black Americans, the image of a NYC police detective showing disgust towards black criminals (to be fair to Jack, they were murderers) was a bit unsettling.
Personally speaking, I enjoyed reading it. As a second generation Taiwanese American, I connected with the stories he told, the racism towards Asians, and the multitude of problems associated with Asian cultures obsessed with money and success. I could probably attribute a lot of my mental stress from my insatiable drive for more money and prestige. It also made me feel super lucky. My parents had just enough education/wherewithal to ensure that I could live comfortably in America. As demonstrated to great detail in this book, not every Asian American gets that opportunity.
Pros: it gives a somber yet unique perspective of the struggles of first generation Asian Americans. It unabashedly and not-so-subtly criticizes capitalism and the false allure of the American Dream for perpetuating income inequality and providing a subpar environment for immigrants to thrive. It demonstrates how lack of opportunity and education in communities of color have led to economic stagnation and organized crime. And it was thrilling to read at times.
Cons: it didn't really focus on Jack Yu all that much. There wasn't really a main plot line to follow and nothing really connected together all that well. I get what it was trying to do with portraying racism between minority groups (Blacks/Latinx hating on Chinese, Chinese hating on Blacks/Latinx), but with everything going on in the world with regard to police brutality targeted towards black Americans, the image of a NYC police detective showing disgust towards black criminals (to be fair to Jack, they were murderers) was a bit unsettling.
Personally speaking, I enjoyed reading it. As a second generation Taiwanese American, I connected with the stories he told, the racism towards Asians, and the multitude of problems associated with Asian cultures obsessed with money and success. I could probably attribute a lot of my mental stress from my insatiable drive for more money and prestige. It also made me feel super lucky. My parents had just enough education/wherewithal to ensure that I could live comfortably in America. As demonstrated to great detail in this book, not every Asian American gets that opportunity.
March 28, 2020
This is a very short book. Things are terribly bleak in New York. The first part of the book covers all of the gang members, their territory and the escalation of aggressive behavior. This part was not interesting, but the chapters on Jack's investigations were very interesting.
The chapters often change point of view suddenly and without warning. Not my favorite style.
After the characters established themselves it became easier to follow the plot and the rest of the narrative zipped by.
The few redeeming characters and Jack saved this book.
I borrowed a copy from the public library.
The chapters often change point of view suddenly and without warning. Not my favorite style.
After the characters established themselves it became easier to follow the plot and the rest of the narrative zipped by.
The few redeeming characters and Jack saved this book.
I borrowed a copy from the public library.
May 11, 2020
I came across this author through a list on the web. This is #2 in a series, the book has bite and covers multicultural issues when you immigrate to a new country, have children but get angry because they don't see the world as you did. Or they prefer to blend the old and the new instead of embracing tradition 100%.
The story line is fast paces and gritty. This author is not available through Hoopla or Libby, the Overdrive app. So it was a ship from B&N. The series only has 5 books, I'm hoping Mr. Chang will add to the series in the future.
The story line is fast paces and gritty. This author is not available through Hoopla or Libby, the Overdrive app. So it was a ship from B&N. The series only has 5 books, I'm hoping Mr. Chang will add to the series in the future.
April 4, 2024
Content not for every mystery reader. I bought this ebook after reading a preview of the first chapter from the viewpoint of a Chinese American policeman in NY city and it was very interesting. In the next chapter the viewpoint switched to that of a Chinese American gangster and quickly became not just unpleasant but disgusting. I won't be reading the book and I'm glad I didn't pay full price for it, too salacious for me.
July 7, 2019
As with Chinatown Beat, a great neo-noir detective/crime story with many intriguing glimpses of NYC Chinatown culture. The end was satisfying and heartwarming, although it seemed a bit quick to me somehow. If you like hardboiled detective stories, or if you like Chinese language and culture, if you like New York, or if you feel nostalgic for the 90's, this book's for you.
July 19, 2021
I was looking forward to picking back up on the detective's story, even though I didn't expect a cozy murder mystery, this sequel seemed to be focused on underground crime and shock value. Seems like a waste of what was going to be the further development of a interesting detective series with a compelling main detective series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 5, 2022
Started slow with introducing different characters and got interesting towards the middle. I liked how Henry Chang had multiple stories going on at the same time, although I sometimes forgot who some of the lesser-mentioned characters were when they reappeared. It'd be cool to have a map of Chinatown showing all the streets and buildings that are mentioned in the story.
July 23, 2018
think I'm done trying to like this series.
April 22, 2021
I wanted to like this book; I really did, but it is SO heavily padded with filler, that there truly is no "there" there. Its only saving grace is the rich detail of the Chinese-American culture in NYC. A real disappointment.
June 13, 2021
Don’t quite get the point of this book...I keep reading and being introduced to many names...don’t know how they fit into the plot...can’t even figure if there is a plot....dnf
August 26, 2021
quite interesting, detective caught between cultures and issues
November 26, 2021
Feel like I’m there eating the foods and smelling the smells . A glimpse into the underbelly of Chinatown . Criticism is no real character development.
July 14, 2024
Not so much a mystery as a slice of Chinatown story.
November 7, 2021
No there there.
Well, I like mysteries and I like novels about contemporary Asians, and this should have been exactly my cup of tea, but it was a dud. Lots of noir atmosphere, almost to the point of caricature and a non-existent plot. Virtual no character development for the "hero" of the story (guess what, he's disillusioned).
Lots of chapters featuring petty criminals. Guess what, most drug dealers and street thugs are shallow people who are not worth getting to know in a novel, but we spend a lot of chapters watching them lead uninteresting lives, knowing they are headed for trouble.
It felt as if the entire novel was "setting up" for an event that never occurred. Not much mystery, just petty thugs, some crime, and a disillusioned cop.
I'd like my time back, please.
Well, I like mysteries and I like novels about contemporary Asians, and this should have been exactly my cup of tea, but it was a dud. Lots of noir atmosphere, almost to the point of caricature and a non-existent plot. Virtual no character development for the "hero" of the story (guess what, he's disillusioned).
Lots of chapters featuring petty criminals. Guess what, most drug dealers and street thugs are shallow people who are not worth getting to know in a novel, but we spend a lot of chapters watching them lead uninteresting lives, knowing they are headed for trouble.
It felt as if the entire novel was "setting up" for an event that never occurred. Not much mystery, just petty thugs, some crime, and a disillusioned cop.
I'd like my time back, please.
February 16, 2012
Forget what you think you know about Chinatown. This book was obviously written by somebody who knows the territory inside and out. The gangsters, the illegal immigrants, the gambling, the mainland connections and rituals are all here in the book.
It might seem that with all this happening, the book would get bogged down. Chang does a nice job of short chapters where he only describes the minimum of what you need to know.
Jake Gittes in the movie "Chinatown" was bedeviled by the incongruous nature of Los Angeles's Chinatown. That was because he was an outsider - inside Changs Chinatown, everybody knows what's really going down in betrayals, murders and other illegal activities.
It's a shame that this book is the second of a series when I didn't read the first book. There is a lot of unfinished business carrying over from the first and a lot of unfinished business is going to carry over to the next. I definitely think it is better to read these in sequence!
Chinatown is not a romantic place in this gritty noir, but I'm glad that Chang has stripped away a lot of the misconceptions us westerners commonly have.
It might seem that with all this happening, the book would get bogged down. Chang does a nice job of short chapters where he only describes the minimum of what you need to know.
Jake Gittes in the movie "Chinatown" was bedeviled by the incongruous nature of Los Angeles's Chinatown. That was because he was an outsider - inside Changs Chinatown, everybody knows what's really going down in betrayals, murders and other illegal activities.
It's a shame that this book is the second of a series when I didn't read the first book. There is a lot of unfinished business carrying over from the first and a lot of unfinished business is going to carry over to the next. I definitely think it is better to read these in sequence!
Chinatown is not a romantic place in this gritty noir, but I'm glad that Chang has stripped away a lot of the misconceptions us westerners commonly have.
August 1, 2012
Year of The Dog is the 2nd Jack Yu book and my 1st. I won this from Goodreads. I'm kind of confused by the book mainly because none of the crimes seem to tie into each other like they do in detective novels and the chapters seemed to jump all around. The book starts off with a family suicide and then was quickly dropped. Then it goes into a long description of Chinese gangs and the triads and then you get a glimpse of some of the people. Not enough to really get to know them. Jack does alot of reminiscing about his father who has passed, and restaurants and food he would buy his father, maybe eat maybe not. He doesn't seem to have a car, either personal or police so he either walks to crime scenes or I guess takes a bus which I find ridiculous. There isn't much detective work and hardly any people interaction. Jack seems to be a loner and is pretty much depressing to read about. That said I had already bought the first book before I read the second and I will give it a try but Jack will have to lighten up a lot before I buy another.
October 18, 2012
Goodreads win.
Really fun book to read, especially when you understand the Cantonese words before you read what it meant hahah. Definitely not considered a mystery if that's what you're looking for. As a precaution though, there are some really "dirty" scene's in this book, quite disgusting
Story takes place in 1994 (Year of the Dog) with Detective Jack Yu, an American born Chinese who solves the many cases in Chinatown (CT); murder, homicides, gang-related activities, you name it... Then, you have his one-time-blood-brother Lucky, Lucky's followers, and an old bookie who's dying of cancer but encounters a woman in his dying days. They all play out as a part of the underworld Chinese people during the time of 1994 in Chinatown, NYC when different regions of Chinese people are immigrated or snugged into America. ~3.5 out of 5 stars
Really fun book to read, especially when you understand the Cantonese words before you read what it meant hahah. Definitely not considered a mystery if that's what you're looking for. As a precaution though, there are some really "dirty" scene's in this book, quite disgusting
Story takes place in 1994 (Year of the Dog) with Detective Jack Yu, an American born Chinese who solves the many cases in Chinatown (CT); murder, homicides, gang-related activities, you name it... Then, you have his one-time-blood-brother Lucky, Lucky's followers, and an old bookie who's dying of cancer but encounters a woman in his dying days. They all play out as a part of the underworld Chinese people during the time of 1994 in Chinatown, NYC when different regions of Chinese people are immigrated or snugged into America. ~3.5 out of 5 stars
January 11, 2012
I won this book through the Goodreads First Reads Program
In the fine tradition of Chester Himes and his Harlem novels, The Year of the Dog is an excellent hard-boiled slice of life from Henry Chang. A rollercoaster ride filled with varying characters and incidents from the underworld of New York's Chinatown and nearby neighborhoods, this well-written crime novel held my attention throughout. Each character came vividly to life for me. This book should appeal to fans of both Himes and pulp fiction.
In the fine tradition of Chester Himes and his Harlem novels, The Year of the Dog is an excellent hard-boiled slice of life from Henry Chang. A rollercoaster ride filled with varying characters and incidents from the underworld of New York's Chinatown and nearby neighborhoods, this well-written crime novel held my attention throughout. Each character came vividly to life for me. This book should appeal to fans of both Himes and pulp fiction.
June 28, 2013
This is a series I've otherwise raved about but this book is just filler between books one and three. There's no story arc and no resolution of any kind. Even the substory of Bo feels incomplete. I've really enjoyed the other two books but this one is unnecessary. Everything that happens is retold in book three (Red Jade); in fact entire passages seem to have been lifted from this book and put in Red Jade without change. The only other time I'd seen that was with Laurell K Hamilton whom I no longer read because she's lost her storytelling ability so completely.
July 20, 2015
Not a procedural. So get over that right now. It's a slow motion, slice of life view of what leads up to a horrible crime. Amazing stuff. After reading this, I jumped right into #3.
No, the events here are not reproduced in #3, as some idiot said in another review. Some descriptions of people and places are reproduced, that's all. It's a series. Some recapping is needed. Every Parker book has a re-cap chapter.
This is my favorite of Chang's initial trilogy. Looking forward to reading #4.
No, the events here are not reproduced in #3, as some idiot said in another review. Some descriptions of people and places are reproduced, that's all. It's a series. Some recapping is needed. Every Parker book has a re-cap chapter.
This is my favorite of Chang's initial trilogy. Looking forward to reading #4.
June 8, 2009
As mentioned in an earlier review,I too would have preferred knowing at the outset the year of the story. The story proceeded in several parts and intersected at the end. There was a lot of reacting, surmising, reflection, and observing. The story telling was uncoventional, or at least unexpected, and I liked it. One nit. The detective carried a revolver and I think it was common practice at the time to carry automatics (I know, Lenny on "Law and Order" carried a snub-nosed .38.).
February 1, 2010
A fascinating portrait of one side of Chinatown. This book was an interesting read but not really my cup of tea. Chang doesn't devote enough time/pages to his main character, in my opinion; there's too much jumping around from character to character. "Year of the Dog" is also quite violent, although the most hard-to-take descriptions are of the aftermath of violence rather than the acts themselves.
July 23, 2010
Interesting. I like reading crime fiction that also teaches me about particular places, times, and cultures. This book illuminates the underground world of Chinatown gambling, smuggling, protection, etc. There's a disturbing section involving black poverty that feels jarring and racist -- can't figure out if that's meant to be the perspective of the narrator, or if it's the writer's own biases coming out.
July 29, 2011
Much like his first book, I found this a bit confusing and lots of people die--I am not into it, which I thought might have been secondary to reading a book too slowly over several days when tired--but this time that was not the case and I had the same problem--very dissapointing since this publisher, Soho Crime, has been ultra reliable as good mystery material. This may be the exception that proves the rule...
April 18, 2010
It follows the same "vignette style" (is that the proper way to describe it?) as the first book but there seems to be much less Detective Jack. More time is spent with Sai Go and other characters. These characters were engaging and their storylines interesting but I still wish there was more Jack Yu. He's the one I want to read about.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews