Chinese
Whispers
A Li
Yan and Margaret Campbell Mystery
Peter
May
Poisoned
Pen Press (Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 1-59058-608-5 (1590586085)
ISBN-13: 978-1-59058-608-2 (9781590586082)
Publication Date: October 2009
List Price: $24.95
Synopsis (from the publisher): His victims are young, beautiful and viciously mutilated. He calls himself the Beijing Ripper. The media and terror-sticken public are demanding the arrest of the Beijing Ripper and Li Yan, the head of Beijing's serious crime squad, has been put in the spotlight. American pathologist Margaret Campbell is invited to perform an autopsy on one of the victims and her results send shockwaves through the investigation. Then Li begins receiving personal letters from the killer, and his life and career start falling apart. The need to uncover the Ripper's identity becomes paramount if he is to save himself and his family. Peter May's terrifying new China thriller pits Li Yan and Margaret Campbell against an unscrupulous foe who could prove to be their deadliest enemy yet.
Review:
Is the ghost of Jack the Ripper stalking the young women on the streets
of Beijing? Or is it the work of an earthly, demented mind? Peter May
has written yet another page turner, Chinese
Whispers,
which is the sixth in his China Thriller Series. Note, The Runner
is the fifth book in this series, but is not slated for release by
Poisoned Pen Press until February of 2010.
Set in Beijing, China, we learn that Dr. Margaret Campbell and Li Yan
are now the parents of an infant son, Li Jon. Margaret has gone from
the cutting edge of being the Chief Medical Examiner of the third
largest county in the United States to a frustrated, full-time stay at
home mom. She is unable to perform autopsies since she is an American
on Chinese soil. Her husband Li is now Section One Chief of Criminal
Investigation in the Beijing Police Department. A “Jack the
Ripper” copycat killer is on the loose, and Li must catch the
Beijing Ripper before another innocent young woman dies. His only clue
is the butt of a cheroot, left at the scene of each crime.
Professor Pan, an American, is the next victim, or so they think. The
autopsy is done by Dr. Campbell, and the DNA found on the cheroot does
not match the DNA found the cheroots left at the previous scenes. Then,
his son Li Jon is briefly kidnapped, but found unharmed with a note
from the Ripper addressed to Li. Li starts to feel that the Beijing
Ripper has a personal vendetta against him. He also begins to suspect
that someone in the police department is the killer, but he is fired
from his job before he can finish his investigation. Who can Li trust?
Will Li be able to catch the Beijing Ripper and save more women without
the resources of the Beijing Police Department?
Chinese
Whispers was a riveting
mystery; it kept me in suspense until the end. This story focused on Li
Yan and his role in the investigation while Dr. Campbell had less
importance in the story. Her relegation to the background is just a
metaphor for the frustration Margaret feels about her current role and
purpose in life as a mother to Li Jon. However, she is called upon to
do the autopsy of Dr. Pan, because both are American citizens. Margaret
is also instrumental in helping Li catch the Ripper. I would give this
mystery a 4½ out of 5 stars. My only complaint is that
Margaret did not have more of a key role in the novel. I also recommend
that you wait to read The Runner
first, before reading Chinese
Whispers.
Special thanks to Ruth Miller for contributing her review of Chinese Whispers and to Poisoned Pen Press for providing an ARC of the book for this review.
Review Copyright © 2009 — Ruth Miller — All Rights Reserved — Reprinted with Permission
Have you read Chinese Whispers? How would you rate it?
Mysteries in this series …
The
Firemaker
St. Martin's Minotaur (Hardcover), September 2005
ISBN-10: 0-312-34294-2 (0312342942)
ISBN-13: 978-0-312-34294-4 (9780312342944)
The
Fourth Sacrifice
St. Martin's Minotaur (Hardcover), February 2007
ISBN-10: 0-312-36464-4 (0312364644)
ISBN-13: 978-0-312-36464-9 (9780312364649)
The
Killing Room
St. Martin's Minotaur (Hardcover), February 2008
ISBN-10: 0-312-36465-2 (0312364652)
ISBN-13: 978-0-312-36465-6 (9780312364656)
Snakehead
Poisoned Pen Press (Hardcover), February 2009
ISBN-10: 1-59058-606-9 (1590586069)
ISBN-13: 978-1-59058-606-8 (9781590586068)
The Runner
Poisoned Pen Press (Hardcover), February 2010
ISBN-10: 1-59058-604-2 (1590586042)
ISBN-13: 978-1-59058-604-4 (9781590586044)
Chinese Whispers
Poisoned Pen Press (Hardcover), October 2009
ISBN-10: 1-59058-608-5 (1590586085)
ISBN-13: 978-1-59058-608-2 (9781590586082)
Omnimystery
keywords for Chinese Whispers
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Location(s) referenced: Beijing, China.
