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phira603 's review for:
The Murder of Mr. Ma
by S.J. Rozan, John Shen Yen Nee
informative
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
It's a little funny that I'd never heard of the Chinese Labour Corps, and then I read Yellowface, and then a few weeks later, I read this book.
I wanted to love this book, and there was a lot that was really cool. I love the concept of a Holmes and Watson pair except Chinese immigrants in London, and Dee fits the role terrifically. I also really enjoyed Lao's perspective, showing the ways in which he and Dee navigate the racist expectations and assumptions of white Londoners. The mystery was also solid, with enough clues that it didn't feel like a rug pull, but not so obvious that it was boring.
That said, I still found it a slog to read, even though it was short. Lao's perspective was interesting, but I did not like his character very much. I also found the constant reminders that he was simply relaying Dee's accounts (whenever the action happened outside of Lao's perspective) to be more irritating than anything else. Especially given how frequently it happened. I understand the reason to stick to his perspective, and I don't have a solution to the problem, but I didn't like it.
I may or may not pick up the second book in the series, but we'll see.
I wanted to love this book, and there was a lot that was really cool. I love the concept of a Holmes and Watson pair except Chinese immigrants in London, and Dee fits the role terrifically. I also really enjoyed Lao's perspective, showing the ways in which he and Dee navigate the racist expectations and assumptions of white Londoners. The mystery was also solid, with enough clues that it didn't feel like a rug pull, but not so obvious that it was boring.
That said, I still found it a slog to read, even though it was short. Lao's perspective was interesting, but I did not like his character very much. I also found the constant reminders that he was simply relaying Dee's accounts (whenever the action happened outside of Lao's perspective) to be more irritating than anything else. Especially given how frequently it happened. I understand the reason to stick to his perspective, and I don't have a solution to the problem, but I didn't like it.
I may or may not pick up the second book in the series, but we'll see.