![Photo de l'auteur](https://pics.cdn.librarything.com//picsizes/82/5d/825dc294c46be8765494c7441514330414c5141_v5.jpg)
John Shen Yen Nee
Auteur de The Murder of Mr. Ma
Œuvres de John Shen Yen Nee
The Murder of Mr Ma 1 exemplaire
Étiqueté
Partage des connaissances
Il n’existe pas encore de données Common Knowledge pour cet auteur. Vous pouvez aider.
Membres
Critiques
Listes
Statistiques
- Œuvres
- 2
- Membres
- 70
- Popularité
- #248,179
- Évaluation
- 3.3
- Critiques
- 3
- ISBN
- 2
The Murder of Mr. Ma is set in London shortly after the end of WWI, focusing on its Chinese community, particularly men who worked under contract during that war—and whose contract stipulations about where the would work and what kind of work they would do were rarely honored. A group of these men who relocated to London after the war have established a tontine: a fund into which each man contributes and which is given in total to whomever among the group lives the longest. Members of the tontine are being killed and British law enforcement isn't particularly interested in the fates of "Chinamen."
Dee and Lao, the central pair of detectives in the novel, make an interesting pair. Dee served as a military judge during WWI, handling adjudicating disagreements among the forces of different nations involved in the fighting, as well as the contract workers. He's utterly brilliant—an intellectual and physical force able to take on almost anyone. Lao is a Chinese scholar teaching Chinese at a London University. He's deeply concerned about English views of Chinese peoples and determined to make a good impression.
While Dee and Lao are unique creatures, their pairing brings together some of the familiar aspects of the Holmes-Watson relationship, but transformed by cultural contexts. Dee's quick-thinking, almost always a number of steps ahead of Lao. Lao records the pair's adventures, regularly guessing at what motivates Dee and at the logic underlying Dee's choices. Both men are in liminal positions: denigrated because of their nationality, but meriting respect as well—Dee because of diplomatic status; Lao because of his scholarly work.
I'm utterly delighted that this book is being marketed as #1 in a series. Within the course of this single title, I was increasingly drawn to the characters of Dee and Lao and their unfolding, complex identities. I can't wait to see how their relationship develops in future volumes.
If you enjoy historical mysteries, particularly those that look at life outside of the "mainstream" culture, you're in for a treat here. Head to your local independent bookseller or get yourself onto your library's waiting list and get to know Dee and Lao.
I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley; the opinions are my own.… (plus d'informations)