Status
Series
Genres
Publication
Description
Inspector Chen Cao of the Shanghai Police Bureau is summoned by an official of the Party to lead a highly charged corruption investigation. Tentacles have spread through the police force, the civil service, the vice trade and deep into the criminal underworld. The principal figure and his family have long since fled to the United States, beyond the reach of the Chinese government. But the network is still intact and it is only a matter of time before it becomes stronger than before. Chen is charged - and it is a job he cannot refuse - with uncovering those responsible, and destroying the organisation from the top down to its roots. In a twisting case that reunites him with his counterpart from the US Marshals service - Inspector Catherine Rohn - Chen must find a measure of justice in a corrupt, expedient world.… (more)
User reviews
Inspector Chen is also gripped by the rules of ancient cultures.
Because of Victorian times, Europeans are not supposed to ask for something directly (they do not risk/or impose on somebody to answer "no"). So they never ask for a cup of coffee, they say "Your coffee is excellent" or "Is there any coffee left", and the hostess understands that the visitor wants more coffee. China has different rules, but it is as complicated, and as a result, inspector Chen is often told what to do in a very symbolic and obscure language (I think this is linked to a principle of deniability). It amuses me. I loved A case of two cities.
Politics is always central to the Inspector Chen novels. This one leans more toward espionage than to crime fiction. It's not particularly light reading, either. The complex plot and ambiguous dialogue require the reader's careful attention. I made the mistake of reading this one when I had a lot of distractions. Perhaps that's why I didn't enjoy it as well as the other books I've read in the series. When I'm ready to read the next one, I'll have to make sure I pick a time with fewer distractions.
I have not read the previous three novels featuring this character and there were a couple of times when it felt like I was missing out on some crucial information, but for the most part it was possible to read this book as a standalone novel. For someone who reads crime fiction as much for they way it offers me a window into other places and cultures as for the mysteries A CASE OF TWO CITIES has a lot to offer. Of most interest for me was the small details of life in modern China where a kind of state sponsored capitalism has become the dominant economic force. As Qiu Xiaolong was born in China before moving to the US as an adult I have to assume that this depiction is as authentic as it seemed when reading it and I found this aspect of the book genuinely absorbing. When the book’s action moves to America it is equally interesting seeing a more familiar setting through the eyes of people who are not used to it.
I also enjoyed meeting Chen and seeing him in action. He faces some of the same challenges as fictional police everywhere but having to combine his policing duties with a role as a leading Party cadre adds a layer of complexity and the fact this is topped off with being a recognised poet makes him unique amongst fictional sleuths. His working and personal lives both require a very delicate balancing act between all of these priorities and and this can add both danger and sadness given that he is not always free to do what his heart might want. There are a lot of minor characters in the book and I did find this a bit overwhelming for keeping the story straight in my head plus it meant that none of the other characters was really fleshed out in any depth. His trusted offsider and his wife are probably the only two I’ll be able to remember for any length of time.
Narratively I did find myself getting lost a little at times. Apologies to all the poets out there but the liberal inclusion of poetry and a kind of long-form homage to T.S.Eliot detracted rather than added to the book for me. I’ve never really liked this kind of thing (I do rather like poetry, I just prefer it to be in a separate universe to prose) and here I found it particularly annoying as I was having trouble enough keeping track of all the unfamiliar names and places. But it was probably the style of investigation that made the story harder than normal to follow. I don’t know if was because this case involved such a politically sensitive issue or if this is how Chen’s cases always play out but nothing every really moves in a straight forward direction: every tiny bit of progression has to come via an oblique angle that, at times, isn’t even recognisable as investigative work.
Overall though I really enjoyed A CASE OF TWO CITIES, even if I might have missed a few nuances of the plot and can heartily recommend it to those who like to travel virtually via their crime fiction. The setting, engaging protagonist and understated suspense all make for a very satisfying reading experience.
I did like the fact that Chen
I would say that, so far, this book is an outlier in the series, and that readers would definitely want to start with the first three books. The other caveat is that it feels like this book ends on less firm footing than normal, and leads directly into the next book--to the extent that it almost feels like this is a two-parter more than a stand-alone in some ways. I'll be making a point of picking up the next book sooner than later because of it, but regardless, I certainly recommend the series.
I really like Chen Cao. In this 4th entry in the series, Chen is asked to work on a case of corruption with connections very high up in the government. The realities of both the difficulties in investigating and the likelihood that most of the high ranking officials involved will end up getting
I did like the fact that Chen met up with U.S. Marshal Catherine Rhon once again during his visit to the U.S.