A Loyal Character Dancer: Inspector Chen 2 (As heard on Radio 4)

There is a Washington Post quote on the front of this paperback which reads, “Wonderful”. Well, this book is very good but it is not wonderful, and falls short of Qiu’s first Inspector Chen novel, ‘Death of a Red Heroine’.The plot involves the disappearance of a key Chinese witness in an international people smuggling case and makes very interesting references to the experiences of ordinary people on both sides of the devastating cultural revolution of the late 1960s and early 1970s.Many of the familiar and well-loved elements of Qui Xiaolong’s writing are present; excellent literary writing style, the poetry and food references, the Shanghai topography and a credible feeling of the political constraints under which senior Chinese detectives must work. However, for me the plot line involving Triad gangs was a little forced and too remote. The point on which I felt I could not give this book a top rating was the disappointing use of the device of gathering all the characters together towards the end of the story and then unravelling the complicated plot line for the erudition of all concerned. This is fine for a one-hour television drama or a period Poirot novel but I expect better from a modern crime fiction writer with literary pretensions like Qui. A more mature approach would be for the plot to naturally develop and unfold as the book progresses.The author deals well with the interplay between Chief Inspector Chen and the female American detective temporarily seconded to Shanghai. The tension and slight sexual frisson between the two characters is handled extremely well and is very believable.A very good read with the provisos outlined above, in this, the second novel in the Inspector Chen series.

One of the things that attracts me to Xiaolong's books is the way he has been able to depict China; a society, nay, world, that is as alien as one can come across in this day an age. This alienness come from little things but all are bound up in the Chinese character and civilisation that is thousands of years old and has changed very little beneath the surface. There may be skyscrapers and mobile phones but the cuisine and social structure is what really colours that world.It was, therefore, will some disappointment that this world did not, initially, seem to appear in "A Loyal Character Dancer"; the focus seemed to have shifted to involvement with the US Immigration Agency, a US Marshal, international political "scheming", and (in my eyes at least) "Hollywood" Triads. Thus I struggled with the book in the beginning. It had started out as a different animal to that which I expected and the irritation and disappointment seeped into the pages which became leaden and turned very slowly.It was with some relief that things changed part-way through the novel; whilst the lead, Detective Cao is hampered by having to balance political delicacies with a role as chaperone to Marshal Rohn, his loyal subordinate, Detective Yu, becomes immersed in the China outside the great cities and a wonderful telling of the political blindness that crippled China during the Cultural Revolution unfolds.Phew!

I read this after a recent visit to China. It is fascinating in terms of its background information. The story itself is of incredible complexity. Everything is explained at the end, and I was struck by just how much I had missed. But it is a very good read.

A thoroughly good to gripping detective story. It gives a good flavour of Chinese way of life. What was so remarkable is that the Chinese names didn't appear to be a problem.

Didn't enjoy this one as much as the first book, but still entertaining and informative.