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Brian Klingborg

Auteur de Thief of Souls

6 oeuvres 138 utilisateurs 21 critiques

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Œuvres de Brian Klingborg

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This is the first time I've received a Minotaur Sampler and it didn't disappoint. I enjoyed reading a sneak peek of the first few chapters or so of each of these 5 books. This helped introduce me more to the books and so I could decide whether they would be of interest to me or not.
I found that there was some element of interest with all of the books, but after reading all the way through, I knew which ones I was more intrigued by, and now I have a couple of books added to my tbr list. I'm excited and can't wait to read in particular, The Girl Who Died by Ragnar Jonasson and Gone for Good by Joanna Schaffhausen. I also loved this sampler because it helps introduce me to new authors as well as keeping me up to date on favorite authors of mine already like Joanna Schaffhausen, which you should really read her if you haven't. If you like your suspense story with envy and obsession then check out The Photographer, or if you enjoy mysteries and thrillers in a secluded village, The Girl Who Died is for you and A Peculiar Combination is a type of charming historical mystery. Then the other two books are Gone for Good by Joanna Schaffhausen who is one of my favorite authors and writes great mysteries and this one introduces a fun, new detective character with this book being the beginning of a great new detective series. Last, but not least is Thief of Souls by Brian Klingborn, which I didn't read a lot of that sample because I couldn't get into it too much, but it would be great for those who enjoy murder mysteries in foreign countries.
Thanks so much to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Minotaur Books for letting me read and enjoy this sampler. All opinions are my own.
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Signalé
Kiaya40 | Jun 19, 2023 |
Wild Prey by Brian Klingborg is a 2022 Minotaur publication.

This is the second book in the Inspector Lu Fei Mystery series. I was intrigued by this series as it is set in China, which is something different, at least, but I wondered how the series would fare once that novelty wore off. If this installment is any indication, it looks as though the mysteries will be strong enough to outlast the uniqueness of the premise.

The subject matter of the plot is timely considering the Coronavirus and certain ‘edible delicacies’ that are now illegal to serve. This creates a black-market trade, which is how Lu gets involved in a case that takes a strange turn when he gets involved in a missing persons case that gets him suspended…

I thought the debut was solid- which is why I came back for book two. But, I also thought it was safe beginning, as well, more or less a standard procedural set in an exotic location...

But hang on to your hat because...

This second installment was even more suspenseful- but also more graphic than the debut- but my goodness what a wild ride! A very solid sophomore effort- and then some!

The characters develop a bit more as well and while sometimes Lu seemed petulant with his widow friend, he's a stand up guy who bravely lives by his own moral code.

I loved the way things wrapped up- with some unexpected surprises- and I’m still very intrigued by this series and am eagerly anticipating book three!
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Signalé
gpangel | 4 autres critiques | Aug 17, 2022 |
Exotic location, interesting characters, and a big problem

Wild Prey” opens with a troubling prologue that entices readers and hints at the dramatic events to come. Two men are “harvesting” the saleable parts of an animal. It is dangerous, but the greater the danger, the bigger the prize.

The story continues in the first-person present tense narrative of Inspector Lu Fei, Harbin, People’s Republic of China. Law enforcement in the People’s Republic is decidedly different; few citizens have guns, but a pot of soup can inflict great pain. The police are focused and detail-oriented because multiple cases must be solved at the same time; there is a lot of work. The current important case involves a conspiracy to smuggle exotic animal parts from the nearby jungles of Myanmar. This is both “high priority” and sensitive because rich and powerful people are involved.

The police also must be available to help those in need, and Meirong is one such person. Her sister is missing, no notice, no contact, just gone. The girl may be on vacation, in the hands of human traffickers, or something worse. Meirong sits at the police station, waiting for answers. Every day she sits; she waits, and she will remain there until she gets an answer, any answer. This is not the problem it seems to be on the surface; the sister’s job connects the two cases. She works at a high-end restaurant famous for not only their exotic meats and dishes with medicinal properties, but also for their “off menu” items.

The action unfolds at a deliberate and planned pace. Readers learn the details of each case as the characters uncover information. There is a maze of deception that has to be navigated to find the truth. Everyday life events, personal interactions, professional concerns, cultural experiences, and occasional poems create a unique narrative.

I received a review copy of “Wild Prey” from Brian Klingborg, Minotaur Books, and Macmillan Publishing. This is the second book in the “Inspector Lu Fei Mystery” series. Any information needed from the past is included as part of the current storyline, and personal connections give characters depth and complexity.

“Wild Prey” is now available in print, on Kindle, and as an audiobook from independent bookstores, online booksellers, retail stores, public libraries and anywhere you get your books.
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Signalé
3no7 | 4 autres critiques | Jul 15, 2022 |
Chinese police procedural thriller!

Klingborg has taken up various themes and run with them through this continuation into the exploits of the very unusual Deputy Chief Inspector Lu Fei a police officer with the Public Security Bureau, in the township of Raven, Heilongjiang Province in Northern China. When we first see Lu he’s staking out a local market looking for a fugitive involved in the black market trade of exotic animal products that will be made into medicinal remedies. What with the increasing pressure from international conservationists and in the wake of the ravages of coronavirus, the Peoples Republic of China is serious about stamping out this centuries old trade.
Meanwhile a young girl, Tan Meirong, haunts the Raven police station (the paichusuo) insisting someone find her older missing sister, Meixiang.
It turns out Meixiang was working for a restaurant that sold illicit bushmeat’s for those men needing the vigor of viagara but using the traditional, illegal methods. There’s a little more going on in this restaurant than this though.
Lu ends up going undercover into Burma (Myanmar) to source the operational headquarters of these outlawed products. What he finds is more than he’d bargained for. What he faces is dangerous in the extreme, as is the very unusual person in charge of the operation. All this is part of endeavouring to find out the fate of Miexiang. Lu’s overriding concern is for her.
Along the way were given an insight into the lives of the general populace in the PRC, the hidden face of who is entitled to medical benefits, the fate of unemployed young country women seeking to become more financially independent who often end up working as prostitutes or in sweat shop factories.
Lu’s personal life has him still endeavoring to build his relationship with the delightful Lou Yanyan owner of the tiny bar, the Red Lotus. I love their interactions.
The pandemic flows along underneath, not focused on, just a part of life today.
Lu’s determination to do the right thing is part of the endearment of who he is. That conviction leads him into dangerous situations that had me on the edge of my seat exclaiming, “Now What?”
An enthralling and clever novel, with a lovely underlying wit, that speaks into the today of this area of the world.
More than ever Lu is up there with my favorite Chinese detectives.

A St. Martin's Press ARC via NetGalley
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Signalé
eyes.2c | 4 autres critiques | May 19, 2022 |

Statistiques

Œuvres
6
Membres
138
Popularité
#148,171
Évaluation
½ 3.6
Critiques
21
ISBN
19
Langues
1

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