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A review by tasmanian_bibliophile
Chinese Whispers by Peter May
4.0
‘It is in the detail that you will find the devil.’
Li Yan, the head of Beijing’s serious crime squad, is under the spotlight. His bosses, the media and the public are all demanding answers. A serial killer, calling himself the Beijing Ripper, is copying the murders of the 19th century Jack the Ripper. Any hope of keeping the murders out of the media spotlight ends when a visiting Chinese-American professor is murdered. When American pathologist Margaret Campbell (who is Li Yan’s partner and the mother of his son) is invited to perform this autopsy, the results are not what the investigation was anticipating.
Li Yan is also receiving personal letters from the killer, and his life, family and career are under threat. It seems like the killer may have a vendetta against Li Yan and he begins to suspect that someone in the police department is the killer. Unfortunately, Li Yan is fired from his job before he can finish his investigation, which leads him to investigate ‘unofficially’. Will Li Yan be able to catch the murderer, and prevent more deaths?
This is the sixth novel in a series: I’ve added the others to my ‘rainy day’ reading list. While I suspect it is preferable to read the novels in order to fully appreciate the characters, this didn’t prevent me from enjoying this fast paced and at times quite gruesome novel.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
Li Yan, the head of Beijing’s serious crime squad, is under the spotlight. His bosses, the media and the public are all demanding answers. A serial killer, calling himself the Beijing Ripper, is copying the murders of the 19th century Jack the Ripper. Any hope of keeping the murders out of the media spotlight ends when a visiting Chinese-American professor is murdered. When American pathologist Margaret Campbell (who is Li Yan’s partner and the mother of his son) is invited to perform this autopsy, the results are not what the investigation was anticipating.
Li Yan is also receiving personal letters from the killer, and his life, family and career are under threat. It seems like the killer may have a vendetta against Li Yan and he begins to suspect that someone in the police department is the killer. Unfortunately, Li Yan is fired from his job before he can finish his investigation, which leads him to investigate ‘unofficially’. Will Li Yan be able to catch the murderer, and prevent more deaths?
This is the sixth novel in a series: I’ve added the others to my ‘rainy day’ reading list. While I suspect it is preferable to read the novels in order to fully appreciate the characters, this didn’t prevent me from enjoying this fast paced and at times quite gruesome novel.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith