Review: I am surprised this book hasnt gotten more traction; its pretty good.
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 06 22, 2014
It could have something to do wirh its ultra-obscure title. I didnt really expect a lot when i opened this up. It looked like somehting i'd downloaded a long time ago for free. Usually i read a few paragraphs and delete them, not bothering to review.This one hooked me. It's an ambitious effort, reaching back into post-colonial Shanghai for its milieu. As a writer, i resepect the work it took to research all of this. THe upshot is the author paints an authentic picture of this era, and the book stands out for it.It's also a good effort at Police Noir ala Shanghai, and again the setting propels the story.Stong characterization and narrative also are buoying factor. We have a solid mystery- a "Calling Card Killer' is leaving bodies around town and a seconded, but disgraced American detective is assigned to track him down. Along the way he finds all sorts of political roadblocks that Noir lovers will relish. A side story is also introduced of a blue-eyed chinese girl who begs the dettective to save her before she is whisked away. Solid Noir.Some of the detail is a little overdone, but not the point where it becomes overly tedioius. A few trite phrases dont help either.All in all, a solid story and well worth your time and money.