Reading Advent Calendar 2023 - Dec 14

I'm going where!!!

This morning Clyde and I are making a trip to the vet to check on his glucose levels and to get an injection for his arthritis. It seems to be working. He's actually jumping up on the sofa again and even manages to hop up onto the bed when nobody is looking. Let's hope his glucose levels are more normal. 

Here is your Advent Calendar book for today.

Dec 14 - Death of a Red Heroine by Qiu Xiaolong (Inspector Chen Cao #1 / 2000).

"Death of a Red Heroine by Qiu Xiaolong is the first book in the Chief Inspector Chen mystery series set in Shanghai. I bought the book in 2017 and it sat on my shelf until Nov 2022 when I dusted it off and finally gave it a try. It's now the beginning of Feb 2023 so it did take me some time to get through it. However this is no fault of the author or the story. It was well worth the effort and I'm glad that I kept reading it. (These days I usually have 4 or 5 books on the go so a relatively deep, involved story can rest on my night stand as I read shorter, quicker reads).

OK, let's get into this story. As I said, it's set in Shanghai. Chief Inspector Chen is new to his position as head of the Special Case Squad and also relatively young for the job. His promotion is an indication of his favorability within the Communist Party, a chance to promote younger members to senior positions. Celebrating his promotion and new one room apartment, Chen is having a party with a few close friends. He's advised that a body has been discovered floating in a canal a short distance from Shanghai. He assigns Detective Yu to initiate the investigation. Yu is an older cop, his father was a cop, and he's a bit jealous of Chen for his promotion. Yu lives with his wife, the lovely wife Peiqin, their son and his father, Old Hunter, in a 2 room apartment.

The investigation discovers that the body is of one Guan Hongying, a young woman who worked in a department store and who is what is called a national role-model worker; one who represents what's best in the Communist Party. Thus begins a long investigation that has criminal elements but when delved into deeper, also political aspects that will threaten Chen's career and that even of his partner, Detective Yu.

It's a rich, deep story with many intricate, related themes; crime, politics, corruption, love, friendship, cowardice, bravery, all intertwined to make a fascinating story. It portrays Communist China as it tries to convert from a socialist society to a modern, economical society. The history of China is covered, to highlight the effect the various revolutions had on people's lives; especially Chen's and his family, Yu's, etc. It's a fascinating portrayal and well worth checking out as it makes the story that much more interesting.

Chen and Yu must walk a tight-rope, but they will find that they have brave friends, colleagues and family who will help them as they try to solve the murder and bring the suspect to justice. Will justice be served? Well, you've got to check it out. Don't be intimidated by the size and scope of the story, as I almost was. It's an excellent read. (4.0 stars) (Number 2 in the series is on order). 😀"