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Lydia Chin & Bill Smith #14
Family Business
The death of a powerful Chinatown crime boss thrusts private eye Lydia Chin and her partner Bill Smith into a world of double-dealing, subterfuge, murder, and—because this is New York City—real estate in this new mystery by Edgar Award-winning novelist S. J. Rozan.
Choi has left the Tong headquarters building to his niece, who hires Lydia and her partner, Bill Smith, to accompany her to inspect it. The building is at the center of a tug-of-war between Chinatown preservation interests—including Lydia's brother Tim—and a real estate developer who's desperate to get his hands on it.
When Lydia, Bill, and Choi's niece go to the building, they discover the Tong members are equally divided on the question of whether the niece should hold onto the building or sell it—and make them rich. Entering Choi's private living quarters, they find the murdered body of Choi's chief lieutenant.
The battle for the building has begun. Can Lydia and Bill escape being caught in the crossfire?
Choi has left the Tong headquarters building to his niece, who hires Lydia and her partner, Bill Smith, to accompany her to inspect it. The building is at the center of a tug-of-war between Chinatown preservation interests—including Lydia's brother Tim—and a real estate developer who's desperate to get his hands on it.
When Lydia, Bill, and Choi's niece go to the building, they discover the Tong members are equally divided on the question of whether the niece should hold onto the building or sell it—and make them rich. Entering Choi's private living quarters, they find the murdered body of Choi's chief lieutenant.
The battle for the building has begun. Can Lydia and Bill escape being caught in the crossfire?
291 pages, Hardcover
First published December 7, 2021
About the author
S.J. Rozan
128 books392 followersSJ Rozan, a native New Yorker, is the author of the Bill Smith and Lydia Chin detective series as well as several stand-alone novels. She has won the the Edgar, Nero, Macavity, Shamus and Anthony awards for Best Novel and the Edgar award for Best Short Story. She is a former Mystery Writers of America National Board member, a current Sisters in Crime National Board member, and President of the Private Eye Writers of America. In January 2003 she was an invited speaker at the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. In February 2005 she will be Guest of Honor at the Left Coast Crime convention in El Paso, Texas. A former architect in a practice that focussed on police stations, firehouses, and zoos, SJ Rozan was born and raised in the Bronx. She currently lives in Greenwich Village, New York. (from the author's website)"
S.J. Rozan has a B.A. from Oberlin College and M.Arch from SUNY/Buffalo
S.J. Rozan has a B.A. from Oberlin College and M.Arch from SUNY/Buffalo
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January 17, 2022
3.5 ☆
In Family Business, matters are kept close to home in a New York City that's untouched by Covid-19. The death of Big Brother Choi is huge news and flashes through the Chinatown community. Although Choi died from natural causes, the NYPD are put on alert because of the repercussions, in particular the new power vacuum in the tong. The Li Min Jin tong may style themselves as a community-minded nonprofit that sponsors activities like youth sports, but the Organized Crime division has them in their sight lines for their protection rackets and gambling dens.
In the aftermath of Choi's death, the neighborhood is closely monitoring the fate of a proposed high-rise development led by Jackson Ting. His project needs to acquire the old Li Min Jin building in order for construction to proceed but Choi had refused to sell. Now that Choi is gone, whoever emerges as the new tong leader will determine the fate of this massive regentrification proposal.
And then a spanner is thrown into the works as the interested parties learn who inherits the Li Min Jin building. The tong denizens expected their leader to bequeath it to the brotherhood. But no, Choi's heir is his niece, Melanie Wu, an attorney who can't afford the appearance of being linked with criminals. Melanie hires private investigator Lydia Chin to be her community advisor and bodyguard.
At Choi's funeral, Lydia sees her brother Tim, who is on the board of directors with the Chinese Historical Society which opposes Ting's project.
It doesn't help that out of Lydia's four older brothers, Tim is the only one who still disapproves of her relationship with Bill Smith, her P.I. and her romantic partner. Ah, family -- can't live with them, can't live without them.
Family Business isn't the strongest installment in this series but it will offer hours of light diversion as Rozan had knitted a mystery with complicated family ties. On the positive side, I didn't anticipate what Rozan had ultimately dreamed up. But tong issues felt a bit retro as did Lydia's emotional regression because of sibling contention. The pacing was a bit slow as Rozan laid out the pertinent history for the key characters. The threat of violence was a constant but I can't say that it contributed a lot of tension to the storyline. After reading this entire series, I know that Rozan can do better and I suspect that the pandemic is to blame. This can be read as a standalone.
In Family Business, matters are kept close to home in a New York City that's untouched by Covid-19. The death of Big Brother Choi is huge news and flashes through the Chinatown community. Although Choi died from natural causes, the NYPD are put on alert because of the repercussions, in particular the new power vacuum in the tong. The Li Min Jin tong may style themselves as a community-minded nonprofit that sponsors activities like youth sports, but the Organized Crime division has them in their sight lines for their protection rackets and gambling dens.
"In Choi's day he was a terror. He whipped the tong into shape and got to work.... Choi was big on encroaching on other guys' territories which really isn't done. There was pushback, which meant violence."
In the aftermath of Choi's death, the neighborhood is closely monitoring the fate of a proposed high-rise development led by Jackson Ting. His project needs to acquire the old Li Min Jin building in order for construction to proceed but Choi had refused to sell. Now that Choi is gone, whoever emerges as the new tong leader will determine the fate of this massive regentrification proposal.
And then a spanner is thrown into the works as the interested parties learn who inherits the Li Min Jin building. The tong denizens expected their leader to bequeath it to the brotherhood. But no, Choi's heir is his niece, Melanie Wu, an attorney who can't afford the appearance of being linked with criminals. Melanie hires private investigator Lydia Chin to be her community advisor and bodyguard.
At Choi's funeral, Lydia sees her brother Tim, who is on the board of directors with the Chinese Historical Society which opposes Ting's project.
Until I was born he was the baby, so there's an understandable resentment there; also, he's a stodgy judgmental know-it-all wet blanket and has been since we were kids.
It doesn't help that out of Lydia's four older brothers, Tim is the only one who still disapproves of her relationship with Bill Smith, her P.I. and her romantic partner. Ah, family -- can't live with them, can't live without them.
Family Business isn't the strongest installment in this series but it will offer hours of light diversion as Rozan had knitted a mystery with complicated family ties. On the positive side, I didn't anticipate what Rozan had ultimately dreamed up. But tong issues felt a bit retro as did Lydia's emotional regression because of sibling contention. The pacing was a bit slow as Rozan laid out the pertinent history for the key characters. The threat of violence was a constant but I can't say that it contributed a lot of tension to the storyline. After reading this entire series, I know that Rozan can do better and I suspect that the pandemic is to blame. This can be read as a standalone.
December 16, 2021
SJ Rozan’s latest Lydia Chin/Bill Smith title, Family Business, is a wonderful look at New York’s Chinatown, full of atmosphere and a strong sense of place. But it also addresses some complicated topics, starting on a small scale with Lydia’s own family dynamics, including her unstated “don’t ask/don’t tell” bargain with her very Chinese mother (who is maybe, just maybe, starting to warm up a little bit to the non-Chinese Smith) and her relationships with her four older brothers: two who think Smith is okay; one who thinks he’s great; and the fourth, who, in Lydia’s words, is “the only one who still dislikes [Smith] at all”. On a larger scale, Rozan also takes a look at the potential impacts, both good and bad, of gentrification on immigrant neighborhoods. And along the way, of course, there’s also a murder for Lydia and Bill to solve.
The story opens with the apparently natural death of Big Brother Choi, the long-time head of one of Chinatown’s larger tongs. As Lydia’s high-school physics prof told her, “nature abhors a vacuum…[a]nd so does power”. So Choi’s death throws the tong into some disarray, not least because he has left the group’s HQ building to his niece, Mel Wu, rather than to the tong itself. And the building is already a source of controversy because it is the final “hold-out” preventing the 20-story “Phoenix Towers” housing development from being built.
Lydia and Bill first get involved when Mel hires them to be discrete bodyguards during her visit to the building. Things really get messy, though, when the three find Choi’s lieutenant and heir apparent, Chang Yao-Zu, dead in the deceased Choi’s private quarters. And there’s no doubt this one is murder! Although the book starts off a little bit slow while setting all of this up, the story then takes off as Lydia and Bill try to keep Mel and her family safe, figure out who killed Chang, and avoid embarrassing Lydia’s stuffy brother, Tim – the one who still doesn’t like Bill.
I have personally been a fan of Rozan’s Chin/Smith series for years, from its beginnings in the 1990s right through Rozan’s multi-year hiatus in the 2010s. And I am thrilled that she has started writing titles in the series again, with three books since 2019. Although Family Business is the fourteenth in the series, Rozan does a good job of providing enough background so both new and old readers can enjoy it. The story flows as smooth as silk, and is a great addition to the series. And I very much hope more titles are coming. Finally, I would like to thank Pegasus Books and Edelweiss for the advance review copy, which I received in exchange for my honest review.
The story opens with the apparently natural death of Big Brother Choi, the long-time head of one of Chinatown’s larger tongs. As Lydia’s high-school physics prof told her, “nature abhors a vacuum…[a]nd so does power”. So Choi’s death throws the tong into some disarray, not least because he has left the group’s HQ building to his niece, Mel Wu, rather than to the tong itself. And the building is already a source of controversy because it is the final “hold-out” preventing the 20-story “Phoenix Towers” housing development from being built.
Lydia and Bill first get involved when Mel hires them to be discrete bodyguards during her visit to the building. Things really get messy, though, when the three find Choi’s lieutenant and heir apparent, Chang Yao-Zu, dead in the deceased Choi’s private quarters. And there’s no doubt this one is murder! Although the book starts off a little bit slow while setting all of this up, the story then takes off as Lydia and Bill try to keep Mel and her family safe, figure out who killed Chang, and avoid embarrassing Lydia’s stuffy brother, Tim – the one who still doesn’t like Bill.
I have personally been a fan of Rozan’s Chin/Smith series for years, from its beginnings in the 1990s right through Rozan’s multi-year hiatus in the 2010s. And I am thrilled that she has started writing titles in the series again, with three books since 2019. Although Family Business is the fourteenth in the series, Rozan does a good job of providing enough background so both new and old readers can enjoy it. The story flows as smooth as silk, and is a great addition to the series. And I very much hope more titles are coming. Finally, I would like to thank Pegasus Books and Edelweiss for the advance review copy, which I received in exchange for my honest review.
June 6, 2022
I don't actually recall details from all the earlier volumes of this series (after all, it started almost thirty years ago), but I think that this is one of the best entries in this series. This is the fourteenth novel in S. J. Rozan's series about New York City private investigators Lydia Chin and Bill Smith, long-standing partners who have recently become lovers as well. The books alternate narration between the two protagonists. Family Business is narrated by Lydia Chin, and hers is one of the families in the title.
The elderly head of a New York Chinatown tong, the Li Min Jin, dies of a heart attack. It is expected that his "chief lieutenant," Chang Yao-Zu, will take over as leader of the tong. But there are other things that will be inherited. His personal fortune will be divided between two sisters, nieces of the late tong leader. Another inheritance goes to the elder sister solely; that is the building in which the tong was headquartered.
That building is at the center of a controversy. A real estate developer needs that building as part of a large projected tower construction. People in the neighborhood oppose the construction: "twenty stories on the narrowest streets in New York," with the anticipated gentrification of the neighborhood. The tong has been divided about this. The man who died did not want to sell. Other tong members, not knowing that the leader's niece is inheriting the building, believe that their organization will inherit it, and they expect a huge windfall from the sale.
The niece who is to inherit, Wu Mao-Li, known by her American name Mel (for Melanie) Wu, has been told by Chang Yao-Zu that her late uncle left a verbal message for her. She is to go to the tong headquarters to receive the message and see what is in the building. She asks Lydia and Bill to accompany her, to which they agree. When they go to the building, they find Chang's body; he has been stabbed to death.
Now there is some question as to who should be in charge of the tong. The three main people likely to take over are Ironman Ma, a physically powerful and belligerent member of the tong, Loo Hu-Li, a long-standing member of the organization, and Tan Lu-Lien, one of the very few women to be a full member of the tong.
The deceased former tong leader regarded the tong as part of his family, as he did his two nieces as well. He once had a wife and daughter, but the daughter died in childhood and his wife died soon afterward. But his is not the only family whose business is referred to in the title of the book.
Lydia Chin's conservative real estate lawyer brother Tim, one of the two members of Lydia's family still opposed to her relationship with Bill, becomes increasingly involved in the story. Lydia's mother, also not accepting Bill, takes part in the story as well, as does Lydia's cousin Linus.
The two nieces inheriting from the late tong leader are very close. The younger sister, Natalie Wu Harris, is married to a Caucasian man. They have two children. Her husband's family despises her because she is from an Asian family.
The head of the real estate consortium seeking to buy the building is also Chinese-American. His family too will be important in the story.
Chinatown itself is central to this book. Not only is the main concern a building there, much of the action is set there. I don't know how accurate Rozan's depiction of Chinatown in Manhattan is, but I find it very convincing. And the description of all the food consumed there throughout the book is amazing.
I must add that there is one especially winning chapter in which Bill and Lydia meet with a woman who was originally from the Philippines. The discussion there includes other foods, particularly ube cookies, which also sound wonderful.
Although Bill is half of the team, this is clearly Lydia Chin's book. Many of the other most important characters in the story - some of the bravest and brightest - are also women.
I was not overly enthusiastic about the previous book in this series, The Art of Violence. I thought that much of it was extremely improbable. Family Business has its share of surprising developments, but I never found them to be beyond belief.
Family Business was nominated for an Edgar Award for best mystery novel of the year. It is an excellent volume in a very fine series.
The elderly head of a New York Chinatown tong, the Li Min Jin, dies of a heart attack. It is expected that his "chief lieutenant," Chang Yao-Zu, will take over as leader of the tong. But there are other things that will be inherited. His personal fortune will be divided between two sisters, nieces of the late tong leader. Another inheritance goes to the elder sister solely; that is the building in which the tong was headquartered.
That building is at the center of a controversy. A real estate developer needs that building as part of a large projected tower construction. People in the neighborhood oppose the construction: "twenty stories on the narrowest streets in New York," with the anticipated gentrification of the neighborhood. The tong has been divided about this. The man who died did not want to sell. Other tong members, not knowing that the leader's niece is inheriting the building, believe that their organization will inherit it, and they expect a huge windfall from the sale.
The niece who is to inherit, Wu Mao-Li, known by her American name Mel (for Melanie) Wu, has been told by Chang Yao-Zu that her late uncle left a verbal message for her. She is to go to the tong headquarters to receive the message and see what is in the building. She asks Lydia and Bill to accompany her, to which they agree. When they go to the building, they find Chang's body; he has been stabbed to death.
Now there is some question as to who should be in charge of the tong. The three main people likely to take over are Ironman Ma, a physically powerful and belligerent member of the tong, Loo Hu-Li, a long-standing member of the organization, and Tan Lu-Lien, one of the very few women to be a full member of the tong.
The deceased former tong leader regarded the tong as part of his family, as he did his two nieces as well. He once had a wife and daughter, but the daughter died in childhood and his wife died soon afterward. But his is not the only family whose business is referred to in the title of the book.
Lydia Chin's conservative real estate lawyer brother Tim, one of the two members of Lydia's family still opposed to her relationship with Bill, becomes increasingly involved in the story. Lydia's mother, also not accepting Bill, takes part in the story as well, as does Lydia's cousin Linus.
The two nieces inheriting from the late tong leader are very close. The younger sister, Natalie Wu Harris, is married to a Caucasian man. They have two children. Her husband's family despises her because she is from an Asian family.
The head of the real estate consortium seeking to buy the building is also Chinese-American. His family too will be important in the story.
Chinatown itself is central to this book. Not only is the main concern a building there, much of the action is set there. I don't know how accurate Rozan's depiction of Chinatown in Manhattan is, but I find it very convincing. And the description of all the food consumed there throughout the book is amazing.
I must add that there is one especially winning chapter in which Bill and Lydia meet with a woman who was originally from the Philippines. The discussion there includes other foods, particularly ube cookies, which also sound wonderful.
Although Bill is half of the team, this is clearly Lydia Chin's book. Many of the other most important characters in the story - some of the bravest and brightest - are also women.
I was not overly enthusiastic about the previous book in this series, The Art of Violence. I thought that much of it was extremely improbable. Family Business has its share of surprising developments, but I never found them to be beyond belief.
Family Business was nominated for an Edgar Award for best mystery novel of the year. It is an excellent volume in a very fine series.
December 24, 2021
An excellent entry in an excellent series! Bill & Lydia are my new favorite detective duo . . . I popped in my AirPods to listen as I cleaned & became so absorbed that I just had to finish the story as I was running errands. Fortunately, there's a long backlist to make my way through. 😉
January 16, 2022
Excellent addition to the series. Lydia has the lead in this one, which is set in Manhattan's Chinatown.
While the mystery was interesting, I really read this series to keep in touch with the characters. Of course we get a nice bit of Lydia's mother, with a bonus helping of Lydia's annoying lawyer brother, Ted. And the food! Oh my--do not read while hungry.
While the mystery was interesting, I really read this series to keep in touch with the characters. Of course we get a nice bit of Lydia's mother, with a bonus helping of Lydia's annoying lawyer brother, Ted. And the food! Oh my--do not read while hungry.
February 11, 2022
Fourteen books in and Rozan continues finding fresh material for her mismatched P.I. partners. Lydia Chin, a tiny dynamo with endless family in NYC's Chinese community, partners with Bill Smith, an extremely large prototypical P.I. The death of a tong elderly leader ties the future of the tong with the disposition of its headquarters. Along the way we learn many fascinating details about tongs, NY real estate and Chinese heritage while being treated to a twisty and engaging mystery. Highly recommended.
March 25, 2022
I really enjoyed this book
Easter Egg: Catch the books instead of boots error!
Easter Egg: Catch the books instead of boots error!
March 17, 2022
A strong 4+ rounded up, especially compared with the previous entry in the series.
This story starts as a simple mystery surrounding the pressures on a woman who inherits a building in Chinatown that a variety of people would like to own. It seems straightforward, except that each conversation uncovers a new player, a new motivation, and a new secret. Just before the reveal, I admit to being a bit confused by the numerous players, red herrings, and subtle clues, but I wasn't frustrated. Of course, all is resolved, if a bit messily. Though there is a continuous undercurrent of criminal violence threatened, there are only two brief action scenes, and none of the primary characters are killed off.
The side characters will be familiar to those who have read the entire series. Family and friends intertwine like a Virginia Reel, calling or popping up at just the right moment to provide the clue needed to push the story along.
Other than the usual banter, Bill and Lydia don't really interact much. This is a story centered around Lydia's family and heritage; Bill is along just to look tough and hold the door.
As always, the descriptions of places, clothing, smells and the food - oh the food! - are first rate.
I'm hoping that there will be a more introspective and intimate story in the near future.
This story starts as a simple mystery surrounding the pressures on a woman who inherits a building in Chinatown that a variety of people would like to own. It seems straightforward, except that each conversation uncovers a new player, a new motivation, and a new secret. Just before the reveal, I admit to being a bit confused by the numerous players, red herrings, and subtle clues, but I wasn't frustrated. Of course, all is resolved, if a bit messily. Though there is a continuous undercurrent of criminal violence threatened, there are only two brief action scenes, and none of the primary characters are killed off.
The side characters will be familiar to those who have read the entire series. Family and friends intertwine like a Virginia Reel, calling or popping up at just the right moment to provide the clue needed to push the story along.
Other than the usual banter, Bill and Lydia don't really interact much. This is a story centered around Lydia's family and heritage; Bill is along just to look tough and hold the door.
As always, the descriptions of places, clothing, smells and the food - oh the food! - are first rate.
I'm hoping that there will be a more introspective and intimate story in the near future.
March 11, 2022
A very enjoyable read!! #14 in the Lydia Chin/Bill Smith Private Investigator series, SJ Rozan's award-nom'd FAMILY BUSINESS drops you right into Manhattan's Chinatown streets, complete with delicious food and scheming gangs, but with enough context that a reader who doesn't know anything about Chinatown doesn't feel lost. (That's a delicate balance; Rozan handles it well.) The "family business" of the title has two meanings here -- the "family business" of a gang that occupies a building that is the last holdout against a would-be developer and also the secretive interactions among members of several families, including Lydia's, with her four brothers and her mother, who is willing to step into the PI role when her daughter needs a hand. This book has Rozan's typical light, humorous repartee, between (first-person narrator) Lydia and Bill as well as Lydia and the reader, but it also digs deep into family loyalties and what they will cause some people to do. A nice twist at the end! This book works as a standalone and will likely intrigue you to go back to book #1 in the series, CHINA TRADE.
July 25, 2022
I didn't realize this was a series when I picked it up (there should be warning signs at the library - I like to start with #1!) but I enjoyed it nonetheless. I was looking for a fast paced mystery to get out of feeling bored with certain books and this definitely worked. I plan to read more of the novels in the series.
January 6, 2022
Another entry in a stellar series. Business and romantic partners Bill Smith and Lydia Chin are smart, funny, and bantering. This time out, things are happening in Chinatown. The death of an old tong leader has kicked off a contest to see what will happen to the building they operate out of.
There are old and new alliances, financial and criminal, and old family secrets that all bear on the outcome. Lydia and Bill deftly navigate the treacherous world of the tongs and the world of costly New York real estate acquisition and development.
As always, Lydia's interactions with her Chinese family are one of the most fun parts of the book. Understate and intelligent, and altogether a pleasurable read. This is one of the rare series where a romantic attachment between the main characters doesn't detract from the action.
There are old and new alliances, financial and criminal, and old family secrets that all bear on the outcome. Lydia and Bill deftly navigate the treacherous world of the tongs and the world of costly New York real estate acquisition and development.
As always, Lydia's interactions with her Chinese family are one of the most fun parts of the book. Understate and intelligent, and altogether a pleasurable read. This is one of the rare series where a romantic attachment between the main characters doesn't detract from the action.
January 11, 2022
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
---
WHAT'S FAMILY BUSINESS ABOUT?
The core of this novel is focused on what's going to happen to a real estate development in Chinatown. Which really doesn't sound that exciting—but Rozan's able to make you care. Also, this is not a run-of-the-mill real estate problem.
There's a large-scale development headed towards Lydia's neighborhood, whether anyone wants it or not. The only thing stopping it is that the owner of one building in the middle of the projected development refuses to sell. That owner is—er, was—Big Brother Choi, the head of a tong, who uses that building as his tong's HQ.
So, yeah, a criminal enterprise is all that stands between a (seemingly) legal and successful businessman and the destruction of a neighborhood/way of life. And then the head of the tong dies (of natural causes), and everything could change.
Choi's niece—the executor of his will—comes to Lydia and Bill to provide some security for her as she tries to exert her position vis-à-vis the building. A lot is riding on this one building, and everyone has an opinion: there are two factions within the tong vying to determine the future of the building (and, with it, the tong); the developer; and the neighborhood's historical society--and it's all up to her to decide. People on all sides of the issue are trying to pressure her into making a decision they'd prefer about the building--and some of the pressure could be pretty intimidating.
Especially when ranking members of the tong start dying—without natural causes like those that took out Choi. And then people start shooting at people tangentially connected to the niece and threatening them.
Lydia and Bill now have to keep the niece alive and unscathed while trying to discover who's behind the shooting and the dead tong members.
THE LYDIA AND BILL RELATIONSHIP
There are several reasons that Lydia and Bill's romantic relationship is one of my favorites in fiction, and I'm not going to try to enumerate them all. But probably my favorite part is that when they shifted from close friends/business associates to romantic partners the rest stayed pretty much the same. They deepened what was there, but didn't radically change it.
Their flirting is a little more obvious—and Lydia's less likely to cut it off. But they still have each other's back, the mutual support and trust are still there. When they're on the job, they're on the job, not making goo-goo eyes at each other. Bill knows that Lydia is going to be reckless—and he doesn't try to stop her any more than he did before, but he sure worries about her. Would that everyone in fiction who made that transition did so as well.
SO, WHAT DID I THINK ABOUT FAMILY BUSINESS?
As I've mentioned before (likely too often), while I think most of the Bill-narrated novels are technically superior, the Lydia-narrated novels are consistently the more entertaining. So I went into this with high expectations—and they were pretty much met.
I could go on about the flirting between Lydia and Bill, or talk about Lydia's wit and narration, or how nice it was to see a minor character from several books ago show up. But that's probably enough to indicate where I'm leaning with this post. There are a couple of points that I want to talk about a little, however.
I loved the way Lydia's mom inserted herself into the investigation. I've said enough about the slow-burn in getting the romance to advance, but getting Lydia's mother to stop actively disapproving of Lydia's career and now getting involved?? I dare you to go back 13 books and try to predict that.
Like most people who read Detective Fiction, one of my great joys is being one or three steps ahead of the protagonist in putting the clues together. THere's something so satisfying about being more clever than they are—and in getting your guess endorsed by the protagonist. But what's better? Having the protagonist put all the pieces together in a way you didn't see coming—and instantly realizing there was no other way to interpret the evidence. That mix of "X was really clever there" and "ugh, I'm such a dunce for not seeing that" is somehow gratifying. For me, at least, the solution
Still, I'm not sure the people that Lydia initially revealed the solution to were the best to hear that. I'm even less sure of her timing on the revelation. But it did lead to some of the more exciting parts of the book—so as a reader, I liked that. I just wish that Lydia would be more judicious at times.
This was my first novel of the year—it's a pretty good way to start 2022, something as entertaining as this was can make a guy optimistic about the next twelve months. That's probably a silly way to think about things, but I'm running with it.
Family Business is not only another strong entry in the series that will please fans, it like almost all those before) would be a good entry point for someone curious about the series. So really, there's no excuse to not pick it up. Go do so.
---
“Big Brother Choi died."
“Wow. What happened?”
“Massive heart attack. Not to worry, there.”
I hadn't really been worried. It wasn’t likely Big Brother Choi had been rubbed out by a rival tong leader and a Chinatown tong war was about to start. Those ham-handed days were largely gone.
But Mary’s “there” implied something else, and I knew what it was, the reason Chris Chiang had called. A seismic shudder was about to move through the streets we'd grown up on.
Our high school physics prof had told us that nature abhors a vacuum.
So does power.
WHAT'S FAMILY BUSINESS ABOUT?
The core of this novel is focused on what's going to happen to a real estate development in Chinatown. Which really doesn't sound that exciting—but Rozan's able to make you care. Also, this is not a run-of-the-mill real estate problem.
There's a large-scale development headed towards Lydia's neighborhood, whether anyone wants it or not. The only thing stopping it is that the owner of one building in the middle of the projected development refuses to sell. That owner is—er, was—Big Brother Choi, the head of a tong, who uses that building as his tong's HQ.
So, yeah, a criminal enterprise is all that stands between a (seemingly) legal and successful businessman and the destruction of a neighborhood/way of life. And then the head of the tong dies (of natural causes), and everything could change.
Choi's niece—the executor of his will—comes to Lydia and Bill to provide some security for her as she tries to exert her position vis-à-vis the building. A lot is riding on this one building, and everyone has an opinion: there are two factions within the tong vying to determine the future of the building (and, with it, the tong); the developer; and the neighborhood's historical society--and it's all up to her to decide. People on all sides of the issue are trying to pressure her into making a decision they'd prefer about the building--and some of the pressure could be pretty intimidating.
Especially when ranking members of the tong start dying—without natural causes like those that took out Choi. And then people start shooting at people tangentially connected to the niece and threatening them.
Lydia and Bill now have to keep the niece alive and unscathed while trying to discover who's behind the shooting and the dead tong members.
THE LYDIA AND BILL RELATIONSHIP
There are several reasons that Lydia and Bill's romantic relationship is one of my favorites in fiction, and I'm not going to try to enumerate them all. But probably my favorite part is that when they shifted from close friends/business associates to romantic partners the rest stayed pretty much the same. They deepened what was there, but didn't radically change it.
Their flirting is a little more obvious—and Lydia's less likely to cut it off. But they still have each other's back, the mutual support and trust are still there. When they're on the job, they're on the job, not making goo-goo eyes at each other. Bill knows that Lydia is going to be reckless—and he doesn't try to stop her any more than he did before, but he sure worries about her. Would that everyone in fiction who made that transition did so as well.
SO, WHAT DID I THINK ABOUT FAMILY BUSINESS?
As I've mentioned before (likely too often), while I think most of the Bill-narrated novels are technically superior, the Lydia-narrated novels are consistently the more entertaining. So I went into this with high expectations—and they were pretty much met.
I could go on about the flirting between Lydia and Bill, or talk about Lydia's wit and narration, or how nice it was to see a minor character from several books ago show up. But that's probably enough to indicate where I'm leaning with this post. There are a couple of points that I want to talk about a little, however.
I loved the way Lydia's mom inserted herself into the investigation. I've said enough about the slow-burn in getting the romance to advance, but getting Lydia's mother to stop actively disapproving of Lydia's career and now getting involved?? I dare you to go back 13 books and try to predict that.
Like most people who read Detective Fiction, one of my great joys is being one or three steps ahead of the protagonist in putting the clues together. THere's something so satisfying about being more clever than they are—and in getting your guess endorsed by the protagonist. But what's better? Having the protagonist put all the pieces together in a way you didn't see coming—and instantly realizing there was no other way to interpret the evidence. That mix of "X was really clever there" and "ugh, I'm such a dunce for not seeing that" is somehow gratifying. For me, at least, the solution
Still, I'm not sure the people that Lydia initially revealed the solution to were the best to hear that. I'm even less sure of her timing on the revelation. But it did lead to some of the more exciting parts of the book—so as a reader, I liked that. I just wish that Lydia would be more judicious at times.
This was my first novel of the year—it's a pretty good way to start 2022, something as entertaining as this was can make a guy optimistic about the next twelve months. That's probably a silly way to think about things, but I'm running with it.
Family Business is not only another strong entry in the series that will please fans, it like almost all those before) would be a good entry point for someone curious about the series. So really, there's no excuse to not pick it up. Go do so.
June 21, 2023
A well written, fast-paced mystery set in New York's Chinatown. This was my first book by this author featuring a pair of smart urban detectives, one of whom is Chinese. I enjoyed their interactions, the New York references, and learning about funeral practices, organized crime, and the threat of gentrification in Chinatown.
It was entertaining, funny, and sweet at times.
I will definitely go back and read the previous books in this series.
It was entertaining, funny, and sweet at times.
I will definitely go back and read the previous books in this series.
December 11, 2021
I love this series. The partners are quick and funny and the conflict of cultures is fascinating.
November 3, 2022
In this episode of the Lydia Chin/Bill Smith Chinatown, New York, series, an elderly friend of the Chin family contacts Lydia about helping Mel, a young woman who has inherited a building belonging to a local tong, a gang. Initially, Lydia and Bill are just going to accompany the client to the building to look around and receive a message that her uncle's lieutenant is supposed to pass along from the deceased.
Unfortunately, the lieutenant is murdered just before the three arrive. Not only are there plenty of suspects from the tong, there's the issue of the message, and Mel still wants to receive it. She assumes it has something to do with the controversy surrounding the building, which some of the gangsters want to sell to a sketchy Chinese developer and which Chinatown residents and the rest of the gangsters want to save.
As usual, Rozan's plot is tricky, with just the right level of hints. Her characters are all complicated and vibrant. Some are new. Others are old favorites, like the indispensable young cousin, a hacker who skirts the edge of the law to get information, and Lydia's childhood friend Mary, a police detective who is both furious and reluctantly grateful whenever Lydia gets involved in a dangerous case. This particular book also has a great role for Lydia's ornery mother, who doesn't like Bill, a Caucasian, but has apparently reached an uneasy truce about him.
I love S.J. Rozan's mysteries. She may be tired of writing them, as suggested by a long hiatus, but she doesn't take it out on the reader the way some tired mystery writers seem to. And the ethnic food descriptions alone are worth the price of admission. Don't read this on empty stomach.
Unfortunately, the lieutenant is murdered just before the three arrive. Not only are there plenty of suspects from the tong, there's the issue of the message, and Mel still wants to receive it. She assumes it has something to do with the controversy surrounding the building, which some of the gangsters want to sell to a sketchy Chinese developer and which Chinatown residents and the rest of the gangsters want to save.
As usual, Rozan's plot is tricky, with just the right level of hints. Her characters are all complicated and vibrant. Some are new. Others are old favorites, like the indispensable young cousin, a hacker who skirts the edge of the law to get information, and Lydia's childhood friend Mary, a police detective who is both furious and reluctantly grateful whenever Lydia gets involved in a dangerous case. This particular book also has a great role for Lydia's ornery mother, who doesn't like Bill, a Caucasian, but has apparently reached an uneasy truce about him.
I love S.J. Rozan's mysteries. She may be tired of writing them, as suggested by a long hiatus, but she doesn't take it out on the reader the way some tired mystery writers seem to. And the ethnic food descriptions alone are worth the price of admission. Don't read this on empty stomach.
December 7, 2021
“Family Business,” by S.J. Rozan, Pegasus Crime, 352 pages, Dec. 7, 2021.
Big Brother Choi Meng, a powerful Chinatown crime boss, dies. Choi has left the Tong headquarters building to his niece, Wu Mao-Li, who hires private investigator Lydia Chin and her partner, Bill Smith, to accompany her to inspect it.
The building is at the center of a tug-of-war between Chinatown preservation interests—including Lydia's brother Tim—and Jackson Ting, a real estate developer who's desperate to get his hands on it for a large housing project. Wu Mao-Li, who goes by the name of Mel, is a real estate attorney. She is also executor of the estate.
When Lydia, Bill, and Mel go to the building, they discover the Tong members are equally divided on the question of whether the niece should hold onto the building or sell it and make them rich. Entering Choi's private living quarters, they find the murdered body of Choi's chief lieutenant, Chang Yao-Zu.
“Family Business” is intricately plotted with surprising twists. The characters are outstanding. The details of life in Chinatown, of well-established families and new immigrants, is fascinating. Lydia’s relationship with her mother, brothers and cousin seems like a real family. There is also a wonderful character who is an adopted grandfather. This is the 14th in the series, but you don’t have to read the others to enjoy it.
In accordance with FTC guidelines, the advance reader's edition of this book was provided by the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for a review.
Big Brother Choi Meng, a powerful Chinatown crime boss, dies. Choi has left the Tong headquarters building to his niece, Wu Mao-Li, who hires private investigator Lydia Chin and her partner, Bill Smith, to accompany her to inspect it.
The building is at the center of a tug-of-war between Chinatown preservation interests—including Lydia's brother Tim—and Jackson Ting, a real estate developer who's desperate to get his hands on it for a large housing project. Wu Mao-Li, who goes by the name of Mel, is a real estate attorney. She is also executor of the estate.
When Lydia, Bill, and Mel go to the building, they discover the Tong members are equally divided on the question of whether the niece should hold onto the building or sell it and make them rich. Entering Choi's private living quarters, they find the murdered body of Choi's chief lieutenant, Chang Yao-Zu.
“Family Business” is intricately plotted with surprising twists. The characters are outstanding. The details of life in Chinatown, of well-established families and new immigrants, is fascinating. Lydia’s relationship with her mother, brothers and cousin seems like a real family. There is also a wonderful character who is an adopted grandfather. This is the 14th in the series, but you don’t have to read the others to enjoy it.
In accordance with FTC guidelines, the advance reader's edition of this book was provided by the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for a review.
February 25, 2022
I have missed Lydia Chin, Bill Smith and Manhattan's Chinatown. One of the things I like about this series is the infusion of Chinese culture--the interesting customs and characters.
I did not read the previous book in the series, since the writer has intentionally made the books with Bill as protagonist more violent than the alternate books that have Lydia as protagonist. Apparently there was a change in their relationship in that story, so I may read it for that reason.
The book prior to that was written after a long break in the series, and it was set in the south where Bill and Lydia went at the behest of her mother to help a paper son who was considered by her father as some kind of relation. I did not finish that book because the story was uninteresting and the pace was too slow.
In Family Business, Bill and Lydia are back investigating a case in Chinatown for a Chinese-American client. Everything about this book is satisfying and familiar. The characters, setting, and dialog are again examples of Rozan at her best. Her writing is concise and has that trademark humor that the series is known for.
I learned some fascinating facts about Chinese funeral and burial customs. Rozan is not Chinese and she doesn't credit a source for this info, but I want to think that it is authentic.
I have never read why the author decided to write this series, and I would love to know. Whatever the reason, I am just glad that this series exists because it is one of my favorites.
I did not read the previous book in the series, since the writer has intentionally made the books with Bill as protagonist more violent than the alternate books that have Lydia as protagonist. Apparently there was a change in their relationship in that story, so I may read it for that reason.
The book prior to that was written after a long break in the series, and it was set in the south where Bill and Lydia went at the behest of her mother to help a paper son who was considered by her father as some kind of relation. I did not finish that book because the story was uninteresting and the pace was too slow.
In Family Business, Bill and Lydia are back investigating a case in Chinatown for a Chinese-American client. Everything about this book is satisfying and familiar. The characters, setting, and dialog are again examples of Rozan at her best. Her writing is concise and has that trademark humor that the series is known for.
I learned some fascinating facts about Chinese funeral and burial customs. Rozan is not Chinese and she doesn't credit a source for this info, but I want to think that it is authentic.
I have never read why the author decided to write this series, and I would love to know. Whatever the reason, I am just glad that this series exists because it is one of my favorites.
February 27, 2022
Big Brother Choi, leader of a prominent Tong in Chinatown, dies suddenly, leaving the building housing the Tong to his niece. The new owner, Mel, hires Lydia Chin and Bill Smith to accompany her on her first inspection of the building, where they find the murdered body of the second-in-command. The Tong is divided over what should happen to the building, which many expected Choi to leave to the Tong. Complicating matters is Jackson Ting, a prominent NYC developer who wants the building to make possible a huge development that will significantly alter Chinatown. Mel refuses to say what she plans to do with the building—keep it, sell it, rent it to the Tong, or something else. Everyone wants an answer, and each side has ways to persuade her.
Complicating matters is the role of Lydia's brother Tim, who still doesn't like Bill, and the role of their mother. The family banter is, as always, a delight, and the insights into traditional Chinese culture fascinating. There are plenty of twists and surprises, but it all makes perfect sense, and all the pieces fit together snugly and clearly.
Highly recommended.
Complicating matters is the role of Lydia's brother Tim, who still doesn't like Bill, and the role of their mother. The family banter is, as always, a delight, and the insights into traditional Chinese culture fascinating. There are plenty of twists and surprises, but it all makes perfect sense, and all the pieces fit together snugly and clearly.
Highly recommended.
January 19, 2024
From Lydia Chin’s mother’s point of view, the Chin family is not doing badly. She has grandchildren. Lydia’s brothers – Andrew, a freelance photographer; Ted, an organic chemistry professor; Elliot, an ER doctor – are all well-established. Even the youngest brother Ted, has been made partner at his law firm. Now he just needs to find a nice Chinese girl and settle down. Lydia herself is still a disappointment, in a not-very-suitable job as a private investigator and far too involved with Bill Smith, her business partner.
The Li Min Jin Tong is not doing quite so well – their leader Big Brother Choi having just died from a heart attack. A struggle for leadership of the tong is inevitable and the best qualified, Tan Lu-Lien, is not even in the running because she is a woman. The conflict coalesces around the building that is the home of the tong and has been bequeathed to Bi Brother Choi’s niece, Mel Wu, who is Lydia and Bill’s client.
The writing is crisp and evocative, completely drawing the reader into the Chinatown setting.
The Li Min Jin Tong is not doing quite so well – their leader Big Brother Choi having just died from a heart attack. A struggle for leadership of the tong is inevitable and the best qualified, Tan Lu-Lien, is not even in the running because she is a woman. The conflict coalesces around the building that is the home of the tong and has been bequeathed to Bi Brother Choi’s niece, Mel Wu, who is Lydia and Bill’s client.
The writing is crisp and evocative, completely drawing the reader into the Chinatown setting.
January 20, 2022
Although there is a lot of violence, gunmen on motorcycles, heavy handed petty criminals, and unnamed men with dark impassive faces, the title really sums up the motivation behind most of the action.
A long respected leader in Chinatown has died, leaving behind a message for a favorite niece, as well as bequeathing to her a building in Chinatown. The building is at the center of a real estate dispute - should it be sold to developers or kept in its present use for its many residents?
Lydia and Bill are hired to provide security for the new owner, but not surprisingly get caught up in the conflicting aims of the other characters in the story.
And in the end, family relationships, and family loyalties are at the heart of it all.
A long respected leader in Chinatown has died, leaving behind a message for a favorite niece, as well as bequeathing to her a building in Chinatown. The building is at the center of a real estate dispute - should it be sold to developers or kept in its present use for its many residents?
Lydia and Bill are hired to provide security for the new owner, but not surprisingly get caught up in the conflicting aims of the other characters in the story.
And in the end, family relationships, and family loyalties are at the heart of it all.
November 22, 2022
It has been years since I read a Bill and Lydia book and I missed them.
This is a very clever plot and non stop action.
I am not sure how ethical it is to have four clients paying for the same investigation, but the $1 from Tim can't be considered one of them.
There is a real estate deal in the works and Chinatown is split as to it helping the community.
The side that wants the new development will stop at nothing, including intimidation and kidnapping to get their way.
I found the tong information to be very interesting, as are the various Chinese traditions concerning death and burial.
All in all a very interesting and quick read.
I borrowed a copy from the public library.
This is a very clever plot and non stop action.
I am not sure how ethical it is to have four clients paying for the same investigation, but the $1 from Tim can't be considered one of them.
There is a real estate deal in the works and Chinatown is split as to it helping the community.
The side that wants the new development will stop at nothing, including intimidation and kidnapping to get their way.
I found the tong information to be very interesting, as are the various Chinese traditions concerning death and burial.
All in all a very interesting and quick read.
I borrowed a copy from the public library.
May 7, 2026
A proposal to build an expensive high rise building in New York's Chinatown leads to a murder. Private eye, Lydia Chin, and her partner, Bill Smith, are drawn into an investigation by multiple people (clients?), all of whom could be suspects.
The building is home a tong (organized crime) with rival factions who have different intentions for the building. As a result of the murder, the property ends up in the possession of a woman from a very complicated "family" of her own. The developer faces strong opposition to his project and comes under suspicion for violence. The leader of the tong is also a major suspect.
Chin has a lot of sorting out to do. Which, of course, she does.
A fine fast whodunit.
The building is home a tong (organized crime) with rival factions who have different intentions for the building. As a result of the murder, the property ends up in the possession of a woman from a very complicated "family" of her own. The developer faces strong opposition to his project and comes under suspicion for violence. The leader of the tong is also a major suspect.
Chin has a lot of sorting out to do. Which, of course, she does.
A fine fast whodunit.
September 27, 2023
Family Business by S.J. Rozan is part of the author's Lydia Chin/Bill Smith detective series. This book was published in 2021.
The story starts with the last will and testament of a local gangster. This is what brings the two private investigators into the crime world of their neighborhood Chinatown.
At the heart of the fight are the fractions who want to protect the neighborhood versus the developer, and who has inherited the rights to the building.
Rozan is author of eighteen crime novels and has won multiple awards for her fiction.
If you enjoy the detective side of murder mysteries set in a big city venue I highly recommend this read.
The story starts with the last will and testament of a local gangster. This is what brings the two private investigators into the crime world of their neighborhood Chinatown.
At the heart of the fight are the fractions who want to protect the neighborhood versus the developer, and who has inherited the rights to the building.
Rozan is author of eighteen crime novels and has won multiple awards for her fiction.
If you enjoy the detective side of murder mysteries set in a big city venue I highly recommend this read.
February 27, 2022
This was a very fun read because it felt like the reader was really visiting Chinatown. The author did her research and really knows the local hangouts in Chinatown. Some knit picky things though that sometimes ruined the effect, such as sometimes using mandarin pronunciations and spelling, the cantonese family in the story would always use the cantonese expressions.
There was little character development but didn't expect there to be. The plot was fast paced and the twists made it a lot of fun.
There was little character development but didn't expect there to be. The plot was fast paced and the twists made it a lot of fun.
September 5, 2022
Lydia Chin and Bill Smith are PI's hired by a woman who inherits a NY Chinatown building that houses a powerful Chinese tong. With factions of the tong struggling to gain power since the death of their leader, the client's uncle, is followed by the murder of his successor. Add to this rumors of hidden treasures in the building and possible embezzlement by the tong's female CFO, Lydia and Bill have their hands full. Lots of action, Asian tradition and family dysfunction makes for an interesting read.
September 17, 2021
I am so glad S.J. Rozan has continued this series featuring Lydia Chin and Bill Smith. This time they are hired to help the niece of the head of the tong go and check out her inheritance of the tongs building. Upon arrival they find the First Lieutenant of the tong dead. What was the message he had for the niece? What does someone not want her to understand. While is deciding to keep or sell the building blackmail and kidnappings are used to make her do the opposite of what she wants.
December 17, 2021
Five stars given. Credit given, where credit is due. The writing is very good and the plot development first rate. The characters, well represented. I might be a bit biased, since when younger, working/visiting NYC also China Town, so many of the locations bring fond memories. Ten Ren's tea shop comes instantly to mind and I still order the 403 Green Ginseng Oolong. However, the five stars are well deserved, the entire series is simply great.
May 6, 2022
Family Business is the latest mystery novel in Rozan's long-running series featuring New York private eye Lydia Chin and her fellow P.I. boyfriend Bill Smith. Here, Lydia and Bill get pulled in to solve the mystery of a murdered Tong leader found dead in a Chinatown building at the center of a real estate development battle. There’s plenty of action, some light humor, and enough complexity to keep your attention right to the end.
August 25, 2022
Spoiler - Can someone who’s read the book please tell me who killed Chang Yao zu? I seem to have completely missed this part. Or did they even say?
Overall the book was ok. It was interesting enough to make me want to know how it ends, but it was not super engaging up until the last 30-50 pages or so. The story seemed slow to develop and conversations seemed to repeat themselves (within the same conversation) while also not moving the plot forward?
Overall the book was ok. It was interesting enough to make me want to know how it ends, but it was not super engaging up until the last 30-50 pages or so. The story seemed slow to develop and conversations seemed to repeat themselves (within the same conversation) while also not moving the plot forward?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 26, 2021
Lydia and Bill are hired to help the niece of a dead tong leader when her uncle leaves her a building that houses the tong. Needless to say, these things are never easy and nothing goes as planned. Filled with some drama, a great mystery, and SJ's wonderful sense of humor, this is a must-read for fans of the Lydia and Bill books.
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