Since my update on Thursday, I've finished two books. I got one book in the mail, and I've started two books as well. I'll update these and also continue with my look at the Mystery genre - American cops.
New Books
"Discharged from the Barrarayan academy after flunking the physical, a discouraged Miles Vorkosigan takes possession of a jumpship and becomes the leader of a mercenary force that expands to a fleet of treasonous proportions."
Currently Reading
"The Master of Rain is my first attempt at reading anything by Tom Bradby and I quite enjoyed. It's got a bit of everything, noir, foreign mystery, historical fiction, intrigue and enough action to keep you satisfied.
The book is set in Shanghai, China in 1926. Richard Field has newly arrived from England and finished training with the Shanghai police force, working with the Intelligence branch. A Russian prostitute has been viciously murdered and Richard is assigned to work with the criminal division, specifically American cop Caprisi and is partner, Chinese cop, Chen. The whole dynamic of the city and interactions between the international community and the locals makes for a fascinating setting.
Richard must wend his way through competing factions; the heads of both Intelligence, Irishman Granger, and of Criminal, Scotsman MacLeod, both want to take over as head of the Police department when the Chief retires. Their staff don't trust each other, although there develops an excellent relationship between Field and Caprisi. The international community itself is very interesting, with its own hierarchy. Field's uncle is a member of the city council and another, Lewis, is the Taipan of the biggest company in Shanghai. You also have the locals, criminal Lu Huang controls the strongest gang in the city and is very influential in all of the city's activities, including prostitution. He is the first main suspect in the murder as the victim lived in his building.
Richard is attracted to another Russian woman who was the murder victim's neighbour. Let's see, what else? Let's just say that there is a lot going on and things move along at a very nice pace. The team investigate the murder and possible other related murders and also an international drug trafficking ring, putting their own lives in danger. It's all very fascinating and a unique story. I liked the characters, the setting, the historical perspective (an time and era that I know little about) and just the whole mystery. Excellent! (4 stars)"
"Having now read An Excellent Mystery by Ellis Peters, I've completed 12 books in the Cadfael historical mystery series and as always, have found the story to be entertaining and engrossing. Cadfael is an ex-Crusader, now a Benedictine monk who acts as herbalist / sometimes medical assistant at the Benedictine monastery at Shrewsbury. This 11th book in the Cadfael takes place in 1141, during the continuing struggles for the English throne between Empress Maud and King Stephen.
The battles themselves take place a distance from Shrewsbury in this story but one of the results is to bring two monks seeking refuge from the battles around Winchester. Brothers Humilis and Fidelus arrive and are given sanctuary at the monastery. Humilis is another old Crusader, who was injured seriously in the Crusades. Fidelus is a mute who has attached himself to Humilis as his care taker. Humilis's injuries are aggravated by the journey to Shrewsbury and it's evident to Cadfael and the Edmund who is basically the monastery doctor, that Humilis has not long to live and they want only to keep him in comfort.
Arriving also at the Monastery is Nicholas, a knight who has been participating in the battles, and was previously Humilis's squire. Due to his injuries, Humilis had called off an arranged marriage 3 years previously. Nicholas wishes Humilis's permission to ask for the lady's hand in marriage and it is granted.
This is the crux of the story, with Nicholas's journey first to ask her hand in marriage and then when it's evident she has disappeared, purportedly to become a nun, to find her. It's an interesting story all-around. Cadfael plays a relatively minor role through the first part as it involves Nicholas's quest, but as the story builds, he plays a more important role, especially when it actually comes down to solving the mystery. There is a side-story involving some other brothers, which could have been left out, I think, but it doesn't hurt the story to have it there.
The final twist, although I sort of had it figured out, was very interesting and different. One of my favorite Cadfael so far and I'm glad I still have a few left on my book shelf to enjoy. (4 stars)"
Currently Reading
"Kolymsky Heights. A Siberian permafrost hell lost in endless nights, the perfect setting for an underground Russian research station. It's a place so secret it doesn't officially exist; once there, the scientists are forbidden to leave.
But one scientist is desperate to get a message to the outside world. So desperate, he sends a plea across the wildness to the West in order to summon the one man alive capable of achieving the impossible ..."
"Born in the town of Sighet, Transylvania, Elie Wiesel was a teenager when he and his family were taken from their home in 1944 to Auschwitz concentration camp, and then to Buchenwald. Night is the terrifying record of Elie Wiesel's memories of the death of his family, the death of his own innocence, and his despair as a deeply observant Jew confronting the absolute evil of man. This new translation by his wife and most frequent translator, Marion Wiesel, corrects important details and presents the most accurate rendering in English of Elie Wiesel's testimony to what happened in the camps and of his unforgettable message that this horror must never be allowed to happen again."
My Ongoing Look at the Mystery Genre - American Cops Part 5
In my last entry I looked at the books of C.J. Box and his park ranger, Joe Pickett.
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| Henry Chang |
"What a great introduction to the Detective Jack Yu mystery series, Chinatown Beat by Henry Chang is. Jack Yu is a detective in the 0-Five Chinatown precinct. He is adjusting to the death of his father, leaving Jack without any other family members.
The story develops very nicely, introducing us to the setting, Chinatown in New York, and to the main characters; Mona, mistress to a Chinatown gangster, 'Uncle Four', who desperately wants to escape; Johnny Wong, the limo driver who loves Mona; and others such as Lucky Tat, an old acquaintance of Jack Wu's who now leads the Ghost Legion, a gang of killers.
Jack Wu first gets involved in the rape of a young Chinese girl. Mona is sorting out a way to get away from Uncle Four, who is very abusive. Johnny Fong also has dreams of escaping his life and becoming successful.
The way I've described it, makes it seem a very simple story. But there is an intricate richness and many intriguing sub-plots that tie the various stories together. The story, itself, is very gritty at times and as it develops, builds up a great head of steam to the ultimate ending. I like Jack Yu very much and enjoyed how his character and relationships grew over the course of the story. It's such a unique world for me and made the story even more fascinating. Well - written, excellent first story. (4.5 stars)"
The remaining books in this series are -
- Year of the Dog (2007)
- Red Jade (2011)
- Death Money (2014)
- Lucky (2017)
Well, there you go, something to start your week with. Have a great week!
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