Judge Dee and Lao She must use all their powers of deduction—and kung fu skills—to take down a sinister conspiracy between Imperial Russia, Japan, and China in a rollicking new mystery set in 1920s London.
The follow-up to The Murder of Mr. Ma, this historical adventure-mystery is perfect for fans of Laurie R. King and the Guy Ritchie Sherlock Holmes films.
London, 1924. Following several months abroad, Judge Dee Ren Jie has returned to the city to foil a transaction between a Russian diplomat and a Japanese mercenary. Aided by Lao She—the Watson to his Holmes—along with several other colorful characters, Dee stops the illicit sale of an extremely valuable “dragon-taming” mace.
The mace’s owner is a Chinese businesswoman who thanks Dee for its retrieval by throwing a lavish dinner party. In attendance is British banking official A. G. Stephen, who argues with the group about the tenuous state of Chinese nationalism—and is poisoned two days later. Dee knows this cannot be a coincidence, and suspects Stephen won’t be the only victim. Sure enough, a young Chinese communist of Lao’s acquaintance is killed not long after—and a note with a strange symbol is found by his body.
What could connect these murders? Could it be related to rumors of a conspiracy regarding the Chinese Eastern Railway? It is once again all on the unlikely crime-solving duo of Dee and Lao to solve the case before anyone else ends up tied to the rails.
“Fun, a dizzy mashup of genres: detective fiction, political intrigue, martial arts combat, with some humor thrown in . . . Highly entertaining.”
—New York Journal of Books
“Historical fiction fans will absolutely rejoice in all the tiny details the authors include.”
—BookBrowse
“A rollicking good tale including numerous foggy and furtive pursuits, illicit morgue activity, truncheon-wielding platoons of bobbies, karate death touches vs. Iron Wire style hand-to-hand combat, dagger-wielding Cossacks, black scorpion venom–seasoned whips, and cyanide-laced mooncakes.”
—Booklist, Starred Review
“Fiendishly clever . . . A fair-play treat for mystery readers who prefer their deduction with a dash of adrenaline.”
—Publishers Weekly, Starred Review
“The villainy is delicious in an Agatha Christie sort of way.”
—BookPage
“The theft of a dragon-taming mace leads Judge Dee Ren Jie and his colorful sidekicks to a multinational conspiracy rooted in 1924 London . . . It’s fascinating to watch the conflict of ritual and revolution.”
—Kirkus Reviews
