Detective Inspector Chen series

## Genre Information

Urban Fantasy
Noir

Paranormal Mystery
Police Procedural

 (Series Content Ratings Click on Explicit Ratings for details.)

## About the Series

* **Genres:** Urban Fantasy / Noir UF / Police Procedural
* **Theme:**
* **Narrative style**:

## Description

Inspector Chen is in charge of Singapore's supernatural and mystical investigations, set in the near future. ~

Detective Inspector Chen is the Singapore Three police department's snake agent - the detective in charge of supernatural and mystical investigations. Chen has several problems: in addition to colleagues who don't trust him and his mystical ways, a patron goddess whom he has offended and a demonic wife who's tired of staying home alone, he's been paired with one of Hell's own vice officers, Seneschal Zhu Irzh, to investigate the illegal trade in souls. Political pressures both Earthly and otherworldly seek to block their investigations at every turn. As a plot involving both Singapore Three's industrial elite and Hell's own Ministry of Epidemics is revealed, it becomes apparent that the stakes are higher than anyone had previously suspected.

## Books in Series

1. Snake Agent (The Detective Inspector Chen Book 1) (2005)
2. The Demon and the City (The Detective Inspector Chen Book 2) (2006)
3. Precious Dragon (The Detective Inspector Chen Book 3) (2007)
4. The Shadow Pavilion (The Detective Inspector Chen Book 4) (2009)
5. The Iron Khan (The Detective Inspector Chen Book 5) (2010)

#### Shorts, Anthologies

* "Insecticide" () — in "Snake Agent" special edition (Chen & Zhu)
* "And Taxes" () — in "Shadow Pavilion" special edition (Chen)
* "No Logo" () — in "The Demon and the City" special edition (Sergeant Ma, Zhu & Chen & Ma)
* "Willow Pattern Plate" () — in "Precious Dragon" (Inari)
* "Adventures in Ghost Trade" () — in "The Banquet of the Lords of Night and Other Stories" collection (Chen)
* "The Man from the Ministry" () — in "The Banquet of the Lords of Night and Other Stories" collection (Tang, Goddess Kuan Hin)
* The Banquet of the Lords of Night and Other Stories (2005) Short Story Collection

## World Building

### Setting

Singapore Three sometime in the relatively near future

### Fantasy Elements

Demons, magic, reincarnation, Chinese gods, Heaven, Hell, In Between, Hindu gods, Celestial warrior, dragons, Feng Shui Practitioners’ Guild.

### World

Combines Chinese mythology with a futuristic world. The world is something like modern Asia, only cities have been franchised, and Heaven and Hell are real stops on the reincarnation wheel.

The D.I. Chen books take place in Singapore Three, a fantastical port city where business and high technology exist along side magic and ancient religion. The walls between worlds are thin in Singapore Three, and Hell–the Chinese version of if–is only a slip away.

This universe, in which Heaven is not exactly as one prays to & Hell might not be that bad either, is a different one from the usual speculative fiction ones. In Williams' world Heaven and Hell operate as bureaucracies & both are as inept as the humans over whom they preside.

The barriers between Heaven, Hell, and the “real” world are thin, and they all have to deal with each other. Hell is massively bureaucratic and structured with various ministries in charge of doing things to keep evil in the real world. However, there are certain rules they have to follow, and they can’t step on each others’ toes. Zhu Irzh is on the Vice Squad not to prevent and control Vice but to make sure that everything’s being done properly. Hell’s minions do have to watch their step so Heaven’s bureaucracy doesn’t get involved.

Singapore 3, a mass produced spin-off city (like a McDonald’s or Borders but bigger) in China.

### Protagonists

Detective Chen
is the 13th precinct’s Snake Agent, or the cop in charge of all things supernatural and mystical. DI Chen has dedicated his life to serving the forces of good, but things have gotten messy and gray areas have sprung up. For one, his wife Inari is a demon from Hell
He is one of the only cops in Singapore Three who deals regularly with the celestial beings, and his colleagues tend to avoid him because he’s had to deal with Hell too often. Chen is married to a demon who has escaped from Hell because of an attempted forced marriage. He’s world-weary but definitely good at what he does. He’s on the outs with his goddess right now, which will make visiting Hell a bit tougher because he won’t have her protection.
Zhu Irzh
is a demon with a few ethics; he’s not a “good” demon, but he wants to make sure everything runs smoothly and correctly. Chen and he form an interesting relationship of mutual respect and distrust, and their interplay is a lot of fun to read.
## Book Descriptions

1. Snake Agent (2005)
You were supposed to go to Heaven, but ended up in one of the many Chinese hells instead. Who you gonna call? Nobody, you're dead. Luckily, in future Singapore, Detective Chen is on the case. Specializing in supernatural crimes, Chen finds himself in hell teaming up with a demon cop to solve the mystery, return a lost soul to its rightful reward, and restore harmony between Heaven and Earth.
2. The Demon and the City (2006)
The second Detective Inspector Chen novel (after Snake Agent) returns us to Singapore Three. A mysterious murder sends Chen and his demonic partner Zhu Irzh on the trail of a conspiracy between hell and one of the heavenly hosts.
3. Precious Dragon (2007)
In this, the third Detective Inspector Chen novel, Chen and Zhu are given a major assignment to escort an emissary from heaven on a diplomatic mission to hell. Zhu tries to dodge his demonic family's overtures, but ends up embroiled in hell's political intrigues. At the same time, a young boy born to ghostly parents in Hell is sent to live with his grandmother in Singapore Three. The boy, Precious Dragon, is being chased by Hell's most dangerous creatures and ends up being the key to unlock the mystery that is quickly spiraling out of control.Chen and Zhu find themselves in the middle of a struggle much bigger then they can fully comprehend, and when the dust finally settles, neither heaven nor hell will be the same. ~
4. The Shadow Pavilion (2009)
The Snake Agent returns in The Shadow Pavilion, the fourth Detective Inspector Chen novel from Liz Williams! When Chen's partner, the demon Seneschal Zhu Irzh, disappears, along with Chen's wife Inari's guardian badger, Chen must enlist all of his allies and assets in order to locate them. From the strange streets of Singapore Three to the rough and tumble world of Bollywood, where money flows fast and emotions flare even faster; from the realms of the Celestial to the haunts of the Infernal and all the spaces in between, The Shadow Pavilion delivers the thrills, excitement, and near-future occult action fans have come to expect.
5. The Iron Khan (2010)
Being considered a friend to the Emperor of Heaven has its drawbacks—especially when you're Detective Inspector Chen and the Emperor needs assistance in finding the Book; an escaped, self-aware magical artifact with the power to alter the world. Tasked with retrieving the Book before it can alter reality, Chen crosses paths with his former partner, Zhu Irzh, who is in hot pursuit of the Iron Khan, an evil, homicidal immortal intent on conquering Asia by any means. While Chen and Zhu are otherwise occupied, Inari - Chen's demon wife - is whisked away by forces intent on revenge against Chen and ultimately, the Emperor of Heaven. The fantastical deserts of Western China and a mythical city of wonders serve as a backdrop for Chen, Zhu Irzh and Zhu's lover, Jhai Tserai, as they wage an intense, personal war to prevent their world suffering from a cataclysmic destruction. Liz Williams delivers an exotic tapestry of unique urban fantasy - rich with Asian mythology and interesting, fully-formed characters. From the quirky inclusion of a taciturn badger teapot, to the luxurious descriptions of Singapore Three, Williams crafts a solid and fantastical world like no other writer in the fantasy genre. Strong storytelling and unexpected plot twists are guaranteed to keep the reader intrigued - and longing for more.