Scan barcode
bremaura's review
3.0
A murder rocks the small town of Raven Valley where police emergencies include difficulties with internet access. As Inspector Lu Fei delves into the mystery he discovers a connection to other murders in the big city of Harbin. Can Lu Fei catch the killer before they strike again?
My favorite part of this book was learning about the culture of northern China and particularly within the police force. The mystery is okay, the killer is well done and a bit on the terrifying side. Enjoyable but fairly average with an exception for the cultural aspect. I am interested to see where the Lu Fei mysteries goes next.
My favorite part of this book was learning about the culture of northern China and particularly within the police force. The mystery is okay, the killer is well done and a bit on the terrifying side. Enjoyable but fairly average with an exception for the cultural aspect. I am interested to see where the Lu Fei mysteries goes next.
plantladyreader's review
4.0
I have only read a handful of books set in China, and they've mainly been historical fiction. This cozy-like mystery was set in present-day China, and it was such an interesting place to read about. The author really tried to ensure the reader understood the hierarchy of public officials, politicians, the various factions of law enforcement and the judicial system.
Inspector Lu Fei seems to be the only police officer who is really interested in discovering who murdered a young girl in a Northern Chinese town. With the boyfriend being a convenient suspect, his superiors are content in throwing this kid in jail, and not looking further into what really happened. But when Inspector Fei truly starts looking at the crime, he discovers that this victim may not have been the first, and a serial killer could be walking free. As he investigates further, Inspector Fei realizes he may have caught the eye of the killer, and could be putting his life, and those around him, in danger. Can he stop the killer before he finds another victim?
The first third of this book took me a little while to get through, and I wasn't entirely sure if it was going to catch my interest. The author really wanted to ensure the reader understood Chinese society, to the point where there were paragraphs discussing police systems and history, which was interesting but also felt like reading a textbook at times. BUT once these introductory chapters are out of the way, the story really picks up! I found myself being unable to put this book down, because I had to know who was behind these murders and whether they were going to be caught. I did NOT guess who the killer was, which is always refreshing going into a thriller. The story kept at a good pace for the last two-thirds of the book, with enough happening to keep you reading and needing answers.
Overall, I definitely recommend picking this one up if you're in the mood for a cozy thriller!
4
Inspector Lu Fei seems to be the only police officer who is really interested in discovering who murdered a young girl in a Northern Chinese town. With the boyfriend being a convenient suspect, his superiors are content in throwing this kid in jail, and not looking further into what really happened. But when Inspector Fei truly starts looking at the crime, he discovers that this victim may not have been the first, and a serial killer could be walking free. As he investigates further, Inspector Fei realizes he may have caught the eye of the killer, and could be putting his life, and those around him, in danger. Can he stop the killer before he finds another victim?
The first third of this book took me a little while to get through, and I wasn't entirely sure if it was going to catch my interest. The author really wanted to ensure the reader understood Chinese society, to the point where there were paragraphs discussing police systems and history, which was interesting but also felt like reading a textbook at times. BUT once these introductory chapters are out of the way, the story really picks up! I found myself being unable to put this book down, because I had to know who was behind these murders and whether they were going to be caught. I did NOT guess who the killer was, which is always refreshing going into a thriller. The story kept at a good pace for the last two-thirds of the book, with enough happening to keep you reading and needing answers.
Overall, I definitely recommend picking this one up if you're in the mood for a cozy thriller!
4
sarenasbookadventures's review against another edition
3.0
This book is a solid 3.5 ⭐️ murder mystery. I mostly listened to the audio and I think I enjoyed it a lot more due to the narration. I didn’t realize the author went to UC Davis - a local college here in Northern California. He studied cultural anthropology with a focus on China and Chinese culture. He also lived and worked in China for several years. Set in a rural town in Northern China by the Russian border, the story is very atmospheric. Klingborg includes a lot of facts about the culture and how their local government operates. He also provides definitions for new words - such as guanxi (meaning political and social connections). I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this book and thought it was a great first start to the Lu Fei series.
thetarantulalounge's review
dark
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Thief of Souls is the first book in the Inspector Lu Fei mystery series. I’m not sure how long the series is intended to go, but I know a second book was released earlier this year. In fact, Bookpage’s review of the newest installment is what had me track this one down at my local library.
Inspector Lu Fei is a mid-level law enforcement agent for China’s Public Security Bureau (PSB). He lives and works in the rural agricultural town of Raven Valley. The reader quickly gets the feeling that this job is a serious demotion from Lu Fei’s previous position. He used to work in the bustling city of Harbin, located in northeastern China (Harbin’s Ice & Snow Sculpture Festival looks remarkable). However, an unknown event led to Lu Fei being simultaneously promoted and sent to the boondocks all at once. Instead of solving high-profile crimes, he languishes in Raven Valley responding to calls about lost poultry and fender benders. However, he seems content enough in his life. He barks at his subordinates to keep them in line, enjoys some warmed wine at the local bar, heads home to read some classic poetry or philosophy. Not a bad life.
However, the homeostasis of Raven Valley is thrown out of whack when a young woman is found brutally murdered in her home. Lu Fei faces pressure from every which way to quickly solve the case. The local party secretary, the chief, the community, the media, the national Criminal Investigation Bureau – everyone is breathing down his neck. We see a different side of Lu Fei as he navigates the realities of his social and political contexts while trying to find justice for the murder victim. What’s more important – order or justice? Can we have both at once?
I enjoyed this book immensely. Lu Fei is a fun protagonist. He can play the game but his sense of justice leads him to some impulsive decisions that don’t necessarily help his righteous cause. The writer also uses Lu Fei as a transmitter of classic writings, ideas, Chinese vocabulary, and other contextual information that helps the reader feel transported to contemporary China. I enjoyed learning about Chinese culture as much as I enjoyed unraveling the mystery itself. As a fan of detective media across all mediums, I also enjoyed the hard-boiled elements of the story.
If you enjoy detective novels I can’t think of a reason not to read this one.
4.25/5
jocy_'s review
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault and Murder
jdiedrichs628's review
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
quirkycatsfatstacks's review
4.0
Thief of Souls is the start of a new mystery series (Inspector Lu Fei Mysteries #1), written by Brian Klingborg. It's the first time (I think) that I've read a murder/mystery series based in China, so I was really excited to dive into this novel.
A brutal murder has occurred in a rural village in Northern China. While everyone is shocked by its brutality, most people are more interested in gossip than justice. Fortunately, Inspector Lu Fei is not one of those people.
Unfortunately, Inspector Lu Fei is facing pressure on all sides to merely close the case and walk away. The people have made up their minds on whether justice was deserved, and the government isn't interested either. Yet Lu Fei can't walk away from this one.
“On the night the young woman’s corpse is discovered, hollowed out like a birchbark canoe, Inspector Lu Fei sits alone in the Red Louts bar, determined to get gloriously drunk.”
I've read many mysteries over the years where I was fascinated by the investigation while annoyed by the protagonist. That's the case here, though admittedly, I wasn't incredibly annoyed with Inspector Lu Fei. I just didn't like him all that much.
But if he gets the job done, that hardly matters, does it? It was fascinating to see this tale (the murder of which felt very familiar in some ways) in such a different setting. The cultural and political implications of it all completely changed the story, at least for me.
I should mention that the violence within this book does get fairly...detailed. I tend to assume the worst when it comes to graphic descriptions when reading a murder/mystery, but it still feels like a good idea to warn about here.
Overall, I found that the inclusion of all the details (specifically the ones I mentioned earlier) helped to raise Thief of Souls up higher in my mind. Still, I found myself torn on how to rate it. It's somewhere between a three and a four, and for systems where I can use half stars, I'd feel very comfortable with a three and a half star rating.
Thanks to Minotaur Books and #Goodreads for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Check out more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks
A brutal murder has occurred in a rural village in Northern China. While everyone is shocked by its brutality, most people are more interested in gossip than justice. Fortunately, Inspector Lu Fei is not one of those people.
Unfortunately, Inspector Lu Fei is facing pressure on all sides to merely close the case and walk away. The people have made up their minds on whether justice was deserved, and the government isn't interested either. Yet Lu Fei can't walk away from this one.
“On the night the young woman’s corpse is discovered, hollowed out like a birchbark canoe, Inspector Lu Fei sits alone in the Red Louts bar, determined to get gloriously drunk.”
I've read many mysteries over the years where I was fascinated by the investigation while annoyed by the protagonist. That's the case here, though admittedly, I wasn't incredibly annoyed with Inspector Lu Fei. I just didn't like him all that much.
But if he gets the job done, that hardly matters, does it? It was fascinating to see this tale (the murder of which felt very familiar in some ways) in such a different setting. The cultural and political implications of it all completely changed the story, at least for me.
I should mention that the violence within this book does get fairly...detailed. I tend to assume the worst when it comes to graphic descriptions when reading a murder/mystery, but it still feels like a good idea to warn about here.
Overall, I found that the inclusion of all the details (specifically the ones I mentioned earlier) helped to raise Thief of Souls up higher in my mind. Still, I found myself torn on how to rate it. It's somewhere between a three and a four, and for systems where I can use half stars, I'd feel very comfortable with a three and a half star rating.
Thanks to Minotaur Books and #Goodreads for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Check out more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks