The Hamlet Murders

Zhong Fong #4

by David Rotenberg

In the latest installment in the Zhong Fong series. The city's 18 million residents are hurtling toward modernization, and hits home when Fong rooms at the Shanghai Theatre are being condo-ized and he can buy them at a special price four years worth of his salary. The night watchman summons Fong to the theatre where finds his old rival Geoffrey Highland swinging from a rope at centre stage."

Genres: Mystery, China, Fiction, Canada

216 pages, Paperback

First published October 15, 2004

About the author

David Rotenberg has been a master acting teacher for over 20 years. He has directed on Broadway, in many major regional theatres, for television, and he has published six novels, including the Zhong Fong detective series, all of which are available at your local bookstore or online. The series is in the process of being optioned for film.

David has taught at York University, the National Theatre School of Canada, the Shanghai Theatre Academy, the University of Cape Town, and Princeton. He regularly teaches professional classes in Montreal, Vancouver and Halifax. He directed the first Canadian play in the People's Republic of China. Most recently, David has directed at Penn State University and at York University, where he adapted and directed a stage version of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby.

The roster of his students reads like a who's who in ranks of Canadian actors, including Scott Speedman, Rachel McAdams, James McGowan, Polly Shannon, David Hirsh, Jonas Chernick and Shawn Doyle. His unique techniques are used by actors in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, South Africa and the People's Republic of China.

Like him on Facebook here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Pla...

Reviews

[Nancy Thormann · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read the first three books a few years ago. I didn't know that David Rotenberg had written a fourth one so I stopped looking for the Zhong Fong books. I liked the first three books better than I liked this one. I'd forgotten how much trouble Fong had with his superiors and how corrupt the whole Chinese system is. This book seemed to be more about Fong's personal ghosts than it was about any real detective work. The other books described the political problems as well, but it seemed to me that Fong had more freedom to do his own detecting in those books.

[Margaret · Rating 2 out of 5]

A library find.
Wow! I really wanted to read this but I just couldn't finish it.
I was interested in the story but I couldn't get past the nasty unnecessary cuss words, and the inappropriate references to body part, And it may have been a little racist.
He had a fantastic idea but it was not executed well ( only my opinion). I feel a little sad because I wanted to finish it. It makes me wonder what happened.
Read at your own risk.

[Dorothy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not particularly well written. Thought it was a translation due to the choppy nature of the writing. Abandoned at Chapter 6.
May be of interest to those who want to read about the general milieu of 2004 Communist China.

[Sheila Soprovich · Rating 4 out of 5]

Writing about Communist Shanghai is convoluted. Mannerisms are different. The weft and weave of daily life flows differently. But it is a good murder mystery - there are so many layers that it is difficult to figure out who did it.

[Gabi Mjaanes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Random book I picked up at the Airbnb but it was p good! Set in Shanghai and the mc is Chinese so it added an interesting cultural aspect to the read!

[Harold Walters · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some interesting things about Shanghai. A change of setting from standard fare.

[Debra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another in this series... again set in Shanghai but with even more Canadian references - and a theatre sub-plot to boot. Very enjoyable!

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written by Canadian David Rotenberg, set in Communist China. The stories of Detective Zhang Fong and his team of investigators. Always interesting stories

[Eric Gittins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well written . China from a different angle . Had to keep reading until I finished as it was so intriguing.

[Ann Tonks · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm afraid that I didn't find the characters and the storing line as convincing as Qiu Xiaolong's novels of murder mysteries in China. However, a perfectly respectable holiday read.