The Beijing Opera Murder

by Chris West

'Everything one could ask for in a crime novel - pace, excitement and a skilfully contrasted cast of characters.' Simon Brett. China, 1990. A nation struggles to reconcile its ancient traditions, the strident rhetoric of the Party, and the economic and social upheavals of change. Memories of the events on Tiananmen Square, from one year before, also haunt the city. Inspector Bao Zheng is a middle-ranking Beijing detective caught in these conflicting currents. For some relaxation, the inspector attends an evening of traditional opera – but the night proves far from relaxing. A murder is committed in the auditorium, and he has to investigate. Bao soon finds himself involved with the renascent Triads, a young woman that his superiors would like to frame and the possibility of corruption at a high level. He must also deal with the political consequences of Tiananmen. Enemies are keen to expose Bao as sympathetic to the protestors, which would endanger his career and possibly his life. The Inspector realizes that to solve the case and to save himself he must put himself in peril. But will this judgement prove fatal? Originally published as Death of a Blue Lantern, The Beijing Opera Murder is the first in a series of crime novels set in China during the decade it changed from an inward-looking ‘sleeping giant’ to a global economic superpower. Chris West is a British writer. He works in a range of business, psychology, history and crime / general fiction. His China Quartet, four mysteries written in the 1990s, were among the first crime novels to be set in the contemporary People's Republic of China. Praise for the Inspector Bao Zheng ‘Does for China what Gorky Park did for Russia.’ OLINE COGDILL, Fort Lauderdale Sun Sentinel ‘Few authors since Robert van Gulik have been able to create such a wonderful picture of Chinese society.’ IRA ASHCROFT, Mystery Review ‘A perfect melding of character, plot and atmosphere. My number one read for the year.’ G. MIKI HAYDEN, Mid-West Review

Genres: Mystery

196 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 29, 2020

About the author

I grew up in a country village north of London. As a boy I filled endless notebooks with stories - not all of them finished! As a young man I played in various (unsuccessful) bands, then worked in the City of London. I studied philosophy and economics as a 'mature' student (though I wasn't very mature). After leaving uni I went backpacking in China, and wrote a book about that adventure which came out in 1991. Since then, writing has (along with family) been at the heart of my life, though I've had other jobs, too, largely in Marketing and PR, working with small businesses. In 2008, I found an old stamp album in the attic of my parents' old house, and became fascinated by the contents and the way they seemed to mirror history. Each stamp was a tiny, rectangular time machine! In the end, I had to write a book along these lines: A History of Britain in 36 Postage Stamps was the result. I have now done the same for the USA - a fascinating journey into American history (and a great pleasure to collect the nation's stamps). I live in North Hertfordshire with my wife and daughter.

a.k.a Christopher West|6453491].

Reviews

[Ken Finlay · Rating 3 out of 5]

"The Beijing Opera Murder" focuses on daily life in China, the pervasive presence of the Communist Party in every aspect of daily life, and the investigative work of Inspector Bao Zhang.
Set two years after the Tianamen Square massacre, Bao is stuck to a desk, his marriage ended and his career on the road to nowhere. He doesn't need to be paranoid to know that that the state is breathing down his neck, as an official you know only too well - every friend and colleague will turn on you if necessary.
He knows what he knows, but he also knows what he is supposed to know - and treading that line is becoming more difficult.
Priceless artefacts are being stolen from an archaeological site - Bao could care less, he's a got a murder at the opera to investigate.
But the two turn out to be very much connected.
I found it a somewhat difficult read - the culture, the names, and some of the thought processes were alien to me.
Two lines summed it up:- "Too much thinking can be bad for you." And: "You won’t change anything outside the Party."
3 Stars

[Veena Soujanya · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Rating: 3 1/2 star

[Julie Griffin · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's two years after the People's Army mowed down civilian protestors in Tiananmen Square. Things are still unsettled politically, even in the Beijing police, where Army veteran Bao Zheng has seen his career slowed down a bit, his marriage disintegrate, and his once unshaken faith in the government falter, if only a bit. He takes solace one night after a long day of work with an antiquities theft case by attending the People's Opera. His night of relaxation turns into something quite different when he discovers a man in the back row with a fatal wound in the back of his head. Zheng maneuvers his way around to head up the investigation, partnered with a young, idealistic partner, Lu. They at first suspect the local mafia and follow clues through a street vendor of stolen antiquities, a wealthy businessman, and his Western-style singer daughter. There are, of course, political considerations, and Bao is pulled into a wave of reexaminations of his response, mildly shocked at the use of force against students he'd come to know, during Tiananmen. The case is wrapped up when someone confesses to the murder, but Bao doesn't believe it and continues his own investigation, even as he is sent to a remote mountainous area to continue the antiquities theft investigation. Could the two be connected? Is the person innocent? Will Bao escape the politics swirling around him? An interesting look at Chinese mindset and a pretty good plot. There are two of this series available and I will look forward to reading the second one.

[Bea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I chose to read this book because I wanted to compare it to Death at La Fenice by Donna Leon set in contemporary Italy. The Chris West book is set in Beijing, China, around 1991 when the Tiananmen Square riots occurred. There are some flashbacks to her later times.

There were several desperate pieces to this police story that started with a murder at the opera. I was wondering, as I read how the author was going to pull all of these pieces together. At some point it seemed that one piece of been tied up at another forgotten about. Not to worry the author hold everything together. Stolen Chinese artifacts, and police corruption played a part in this story. I particularly enjoyed the references to life in China.

The Donna Leon book remains my favorite, but I will probably read more about Inspector Bao. Interesting to read.

[Christine Goff · Rating 5 out of 5]

West does a brilliant job of showing us the innerworkings of Chinese policing and politics. Inspector Bao Zheng must solve not only a difficult case, but navigate a political system riff with danger on a personal level. Working with a young, idealistic partner, Zheng must navigate interdepartmental politics and take a hard look at the choices made by his own government. Can he find justice and still remain loyal? This book will have you holding your breath--waiting to see if justice is served and if Zheng can survive the fallout. For anyone interested in different cultures and who loves mysteries, this is a must read!

[Martin Denton]

I enjoyed Chris West's nonfiction book "A History of Great Britain in 36 Postage Stamps" and so I decided to sample his fiction with this mystery set in the People's Republic of China in the 1980s. The main reason I stopped reading has to do with my own lazy brain: I had terrible trouble keeping track of who was who, because of the unfamiliarity of the Chinese names. I probably should have tried harder. I didn't really get far enough into the story to judge it; the main characters seem okay to me. I should probably give this one another try!

[Alice McGuire · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do not miss this

The author knows China inside and out, and for many decades has observed with understanding and sympathy the Chinese people. His characters are realistic, his plots interesting. Thank you, Mr West!