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Death of a Red Heroine

By Qiu Xiaolong

(10)

| Hardcover | 9781569471937

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Book Description

Murder in Shanghai in the '90s presents Inspector Chen with a difficult choice.

The victim, Guan Hongying, was a National Model Worker, a celebrity of utmost probity. But perhaps her personal life was not so pristine. Inspector Chen Cao, a published poet and translator of T. S. Eliot, who has beContinue

Murder in Shanghai in the '90s presents Inspector Chen with a difficult choice.

The victim, Guan Hongying, was a National Model Worker, a celebrity of utmost probity. But perhaps her personal life was not so pristine. Inspector Chen Cao, a published poet and translator of T. S. Eliot, who has been assigned to head the Shanghai Police Bureau's Special Case Squad, is urged by his superiors to consider the political implications of his investigation. Commissar Zhang, an old bureaucrat, doesn't want Chen to peer under any stones. Does Chen dare to persevere?

Contemporary China is a society in turmoil. Faithful old party members, forced to retire, have lost prestige and perquisites; the new capitalists are on the rise. Still ensconced on top of the ladder are the High Cadres and, even above them, the HCC-High Cadre Children-their privileged status analogous to that of medieval princes. Chen is romantically interested in a newspaperwoman whose background would damage his prospects. He relinquished his former Beijing girlfriend as soon as he learned that she was the daughter of a Politburo member, thus far above his reach. Now, if Guan's murderer is to be punished, Chen must invoke her influence by rekindling the old flame. Or else a murderer may go unpunished.

Critics

  • Book review: Qiu Xiaolong's *Death of a Red Heroine*

    Death of a Red Heroine Qiu Xiaolong Soho Crime Paperback 464 pages July 2003 One of the most special things about books is their ability, when well-written, to transport the reader to whatever setting the author chooses to tell his tale in. Death of ... (read full critics)

    curledup published on Tue, 7 Sep 2010

2 Reviews

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  • Ok. This is definetely not a masterpiece of literature. Maybe not even a good book. Yes, probably characters are too simply described and resemble too much stereotypes. For sure the story is unfortunately prevedible and linear. Fine, I could have found better works... Still the first adventure of In ... (continue)

    Ok. This is definetely not a masterpiece of literature. Maybe not even a good book. Yes, probably characters are too simply described and resemble too much stereotypes. For sure the story is unfortunately prevedible and linear. Fine, I could have found better works... Still the first adventure of Inspector Chen gave me what I wanted: some easy atmosphere about China. I'm leaving in September for Beijing and I wanted to taste it a bit before landing. Now I did and it was not so painful.
    A good book if you want to spend some hours in the Far East. Not a good choice if you want something more engaging.

    Is this helpful?

    Jack said on Jun 16, 2011 about the Paperback edition | Add your feedback

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9781569471937 Hardcover $25.00 -- The Book Depository
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