Brian KlingborgCríticas
Autor(a) de Thief of Souls
Críticas
This is the second book in the Inspector Lu Fei Mystery series. I was intrigued by this series as it is set in China, which is something different, at least, but I wondered how the series would fare once that novelty wore off. If this installment is any indication, it looks as though the mysteries will be strong enough to outlast the uniqueness of the premise.
The subject matter of the plot is timely considering the Coronavirus and certain ‘edible delicacies’ that are now illegal to serve. This creates a black-market trade, which is how Lu gets involved in a case that takes a strange turn when he gets involved in a missing persons case that gets him suspended…
I thought the debut was solid- which is why I came back for book two. But, I also thought it was safe beginning, as well, more or less a standard procedural set in an exotic location...
But hang on to your hat because...
This second installment was even more suspenseful- but also more graphic than the debut- but my goodness what a wild ride! A very solid sophomore effort- and then some!
The characters develop a bit more as well and while sometimes Lu seemed petulant with his widow friend, he's a stand up guy who bravely lives by his own moral code.
I loved the way things wrapped up- with some unexpected surprises- and I’m still very intrigued by this series and am eagerly anticipating book three!
Wild Prey” opens with a troubling prologue that entices readers and hints at the dramatic events to come. Two men are “harvesting” the saleable parts of an animal. It is dangerous, but the greater the danger, the bigger the prize.
The story continues in the first-person present tense narrative of Inspector Lu Fei, Harbin, People’s Republic of China. Law enforcement in the People’s Republic is decidedly different; few citizens have guns, but a pot of soup can inflict great pain. The police are focused and detail-oriented because multiple cases must be solved at the same time; there is a lot of work. The current important case involves a conspiracy to smuggle exotic animal parts from the nearby jungles of Myanmar. This is both “high priority” and sensitive because rich and powerful people are involved.
The police also must be available to help those in need, and Meirong is one such person. Her sister is missing, no notice, no contact, just gone. The girl may be on vacation, in the hands of human traffickers, or something worse. Meirong sits at the police station, waiting for answers. Every day she sits; she waits, and she will remain there until she gets an answer, any answer. This is not the problem it seems to be on the surface; the sister’s job connects the two cases. She works at a high-end restaurant famous for not only their exotic meats and dishes with medicinal properties, but also for their “off menu” items.
The action unfolds at a deliberate and planned pace. Readers learn the details of each case as the characters uncover information. There is a maze of deception that has to be navigated to find the truth. Everyday life events, personal interactions, professional concerns, cultural experiences, and occasional poems create a unique narrative.
I received a review copy of “Wild Prey” from Brian Klingborg, Minotaur Books, and Macmillan Publishing. This is the second book in the “Inspector Lu Fei Mystery” series. Any information needed from the past is included as part of the current storyline, and personal connections give characters depth and complexity.
“Wild Prey” is now available in print, on Kindle, and as an audiobook from independent bookstores, online booksellers, retail stores, public libraries and anywhere you get your books.
Klingborg has taken up various themes and run with them through this continuation into the exploits of the very unusual Deputy Chief Inspector Lu Fei a police officer with the Public Security Bureau, in the township of Raven, Heilongjiang Province in Northern China. When we first see Lu he’s staking out a local market looking for a fugitive involved in the black market trade of exotic animal products that will be made into medicinal remedies. What with the increasing pressure from international conservationists and in the wake of the ravages of coronavirus, the Peoples Republic of China is serious about stamping out this centuries old trade.
Meanwhile a young girl, Tan Meirong, haunts the Raven police station (the paichusuo) insisting someone find her older missing sister, Meixiang.
It turns out Meixiang was working for a restaurant that sold illicit bushmeat’s for those men needing the vigor of viagara but using the traditional, illegal methods. There’s a little more going on in this restaurant than this though.
Lu ends up going undercover into Burma (Myanmar) to source the operational headquarters of these outlawed products. What he finds is more than he’d bargained for. What he faces is dangerous in the extreme, as is the very unusual person in charge of the operation. All this is part of endeavouring to find out the fate of Miexiang. Lu’s overriding concern is for her.
Along the way were given an insight into the lives of the general populace in the PRC, the hidden face of who is entitled to medical benefits, the fate of unemployed young country women seeking to become more financially independent who often end up working as prostitutes or in sweat shop factories.
Lu’s personal life has him still endeavoring to build his relationship with the delightful Lou Yanyan owner of the tiny bar, the Red Lotus. I love their interactions.
The pandemic flows along underneath, not focused on, just a part of life today.
Lu’s determination to do the right thing is part of the endearment of who he is. That conviction leads him into dangerous situations that had me on the edge of my seat exclaiming, “Now What?”
An enthralling and clever novel, with a lovely underlying wit, that speaks into the today of this area of the world.
More than ever Lu is up there with my favorite Chinese detectives.
A St. Martin's Press ARC via NetGalley
Inspector Lu Fei still finds almost no help from his fellow police officers, but at least he does have one friend in a high place-- and two fellow characters to help him carry the load. One, the teenage Meirong, is alternately funny and endearing as she camps out in the police station to shame Lu Fei into finding her sister. Little does she know, he is working on the case, he's just not telling her everything he's doing. The second character helping to carry the story load is the female warlord in Myanmar. She's not your typical thug even though you'd be a fool to turn your back on her. And at least Lu Fei has one person who's not involved in his work. It's the bar owner Yanyan with whom he's passionately in love, although she still seems to be in love with her dead husband. Watching that relationship unfold is interesting, to say the least. Will Lu Fei win Yanyan over? We shall see.
For those of you worried about those animal trafficking scenes and the descriptions of the dishes made from the animals, Klingborg does not go overboard. He knows that a light touch is the best way to proceed and although those scenes are few and of short duration, they still resonate and show the importance of why this trade must stop. We humans have to be intelligent enough to devise new ways to show off immense wealth and to cure erectile dysfunction. Don't we? In Wild Prey, Brian Klingborg shows that there are people willing to put their lives on the line to put a stop to one of the more disgusting ways to prove you're a big shot.
(Review copy courtesy of the publisher and Net Galley)
A young woman is brutally murdered just weeks after her mother died. A suspect is quickly brought in, but Lu Fei isn’t convinced he is the guilty party. As he digs deeper, he comes under scrutiny by the CID who has been called in to help with the investigation. Lu Fei doesn’t play by the same rules and is the only one truly interested in seeking justice for the murder victim.
But as he dodges political interests, he slowly comes to a horrifying realization, one that could put those he cares about in grave danger…
A modern-day murder mystery set in China- I think that would be a first for me. This story forced me to pay closer attention to details, to absorb a different political landscape and the corruption that lay within.
Because of the unique cultural setting, the story feels fresh, and a change of scenery can certainly do wonders-
But at the end of the day, this is still basically your standard police procedural. Once this became apparent, I couldn’t allow the uniqueness of the location to distract me from the quality of the mystery itself.
After some thought, I’ve decided the story was very solid. The author follows the usual formula for this genre and doesn’t veer too far of course in that regard. Still, despite having made a few guesses, I found I was way off track.
Once I saw how the pieces of the puzzle were coming together, I was embarrassed that I had not seen it sooner. Nevertheless, for the first book in a series, the author gives the reader a good foundation to build on. Lu Fei has great potential, and I am looking forward to seeing how this series will progress from here. I hope that once the cultural novelty wears off, what remains will be a go-to series with developing characters and thought-provoking mysteries.
4 stars
This book, unlike the first in this series, is not for the faint of heart. There is animal cruelty, which is not gratuitous, and serves the purpose of showing that there are still those in China who believe that animals will provide men with prowesses, etc. Did the author have to be so graphic in his descriptions, probably not, but perhaps he wanted to bring attention to the underworld trade in exotic, and sometimes endangered, species and this was one way of doing that.
This is the second book in the series and can be read without having read the first book because the author does a good job of giving just enough information on some of the characters from the first book, so the reader isn’t lost. However, the first book was character driven and Klingborg created an unusual character in the ethical police inspector Lu Fei. Read the first book so you understand more clearly why Lu Fei is willing to jeopardize his livelihood to bring these criminals to justice.
If you can’t abide the animal cruelty in this book and you haven’t read the first book in the series, read the first one instead. If you can’t abide animal cruelty and can skip over those scenes, then read this book.
This is definitely a series you’ll want to read if you like books set in foreign countries and featuring a well-researched main character who lives there.
My thanks to Minotaur and Edelweiss for an eARC.
I received a review copy of "Thief of Souls: Inspector Lu Fei 1" by Brian Klingborg from Minotaur through NetGalley.com.
Lu Fei is a strong main character. Luckily for him, he's well versed in the martial arts, but he lives a very lonely life, spending many evenings after work drinking in a local bar. One of the reasons why he's lonely is due to his integrity. He's going to do what's right, no matter what, and that puts him at odds-- over and over again-- with corrupt police officers. He even has problems with the constables in his station. The constables' pay is unbelievably low, and they get so much disrespect from people that they have no real incentive to do their jobs properly.
The strongest parts of Thief of Souls are Lu Fei himself and all the information Klingborg gives readers about modern China, a lot of which is fascinating, and I felt that I came away from the book with a much better understanding of the country. However, that presented a problem. The author had to interject this information into the story so often that I began to feel as though I were attending class instead of reading a mystery. To his credit, I really don't see how he could've done this any differently. The information was crucial to the story, but it constantly interrupted the flow.
I also found the killer's identity much too easy to deduce, and I hope Klingborg spends more time in the next book fleshing out his secondary characters because, even though Lu Fei is an interesting character, he can't do it alone.
Even though this first book in the series has some problems, it's still a read that kept my interest throughout, and I'll be interested to see what sort of investigation Lu Fei will be heading next.
“On the night the young woman’s corpse is discovered, hollowed out like a birch bark canoe, Inspector Lu Fei sits alone in the Red Lotus bar, determined to get gloriously drunk.”
The grammar and present tense construction create a sense of immediate action, of conscious time, of being in the moment evolving along with the plot. The week and a half that follows are filled with a slow deliberate investigation, increasing in intensity till the frantic dramatic end.
It is exceedingly cold in Heilongjiang in January. Chinese citizens regard The Public Security Bureau, the institution of law enforcement in the People’s Republic, as equivalent to a pit of quicksand. However, solving crimes and catching criminals is part of the job, and there has been a murder. This death has very unusual aspects that point to something very sinister, more than just any “ordinary” murder. Her heart is missing.
The investigation is organized and methodical with a mixture of traditional procedures and modern technology. As one might expect, there is also some degree of politics involved. However, the rules of investigation are different in China. There is no right to remain silent and a lawyer is not required to present during police questioning. As a result, threats (such as going down to the station to let the sergeant here pry off a few toenails) are used to encourage the “sharing “of information.
“Thief of Souls” is compelling and surprising; it provides an insight into the rapidly evolving modern Chinese society. The strategies, people, and atmosphere are all unique; however, the goal is the same as in any crime fiction-- solve the terrible crime. I received a review copy of “Thief of Souls” from Brian Klingborg, St. Martin’s Press, and Minotaur books. This has everything a reader expects in a great mystery – unexplained murders, complex situations, a dedicated investigator, a little light hearted humor, and a surprise ending. As a bonus, it is set in an uncommon location. It is listed as book one in a series, so I cannot wait to find out what adventures await Inspector Lu Fei in the next books
When a woman is murdered in his town, though, it attracts national interest because of the gruesome details. Some of her organs were removed and money to pay for her expenses in the afterlife was placed in her mouth. Naturally, a group of crime scene technicians, a medical examiner, and a someone officious higher ranked investigator were sent to run the investigation. They are eager to close the case and are thrilled to have a convenient neighbor that they can fit to the crime. Lu is not so sure and his continued investigation trods on more than a few toes.
I enjoyed Thief of Souls quite a bit. It was absolutely fair and for that reason, I knew who the murderer was long before Inspector Lu. There should have been a couple more viable suspects just to make it difficult. Of course, as a reader I had an advantage over Inspector Lu with interludes from the killer’s point of view. I really don’t think those interludes are necessary and they quickly made the killer obvious. When they reviewed two other cases, there was a detail that should have been investigated and it was not. I noted it as a reader and was surprised Inspector Lu missed it at first.
However, other than that, I enjoyed the book. It is a good procedural that is enhanced by the details about Chinese criminal justice practices. The characters are sufficiently complex, except for a couple oafish cops on the force. There is also a good sense of place, rich in context and social texture. I hope to read more in the series.
I received an e-galley of Thief of Souls from the publisher through NetGalley.
Thief of Souls at St. Martin’s Press | Macmillan
Brian Kingborg on Twitter
https://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpress.com/2021/05/12/9781250779052/
But, there's a big difference from your garden-variety procedural: the action and events take place in northeast China, up near Mongolia. Yes, there is a large city nearby, Harban, but most of the activity takes place in a much smaller burg, Raven Valley Township. I don't know enough about modern China to know if the descriptions of life there is somewhat realistic, but I'm guessing the author did a decent job of research. Things feel realistic.
So, a young woman, Yang Fenfang, is found murdered in her house. She has also been eviscerated, i.e. her organs "harvested". In addition, her TV and laptop appear to have been stolen, and later on, we learn that she used to have a fancy pair of red shoes, which are also missing. The cops figure to finger a local, Zhang Zhaoxing, who seems to have had rather a fetish regarding Yang Fenfang. But Inspector Lu Fei isn't sure they guy has either the smarts to pull off the murder, nor the skills to do the evisceration, even though the guy worked as a butcher. So, he looks further afield.
It seems that Yang Fenfang had previously worked as a hostess of some sort in the large city near by, Harban. She had come home recently to help ease her mother's last days and prepare her for a proper funeral. In looking into the goings on in Harban, Inspector Lu discovers several similar murders of young women, each of whom were eviscerated, each of whom had some attachment to an item that was red, and each of whom had recently been involved in the funeral rights of a close family relative.
Well, no need to go on. It's a pretty engaging story which also involves a spot of romance, in that Inspector Lu Fei has become a bit soft on the young widow, Ms. Luo Yanyan, who is the owner of the Red Lotus, the bar where Inspector Lu likes to while away his idle hours drinking.
Assuming this novel turns out to be part of a series, I'll be looking forward to further adventures of Inspector Lu Fei.
#ThiefofSouls #NetGalley
I rather think Klingborg has nailed it with his introduction of a new Police Officer and his crimal investigations in the countryside of modern Northern China.
Inspector Lu Fei lives in a rural region as an officer with Public Security Bureau by preference. When a particularly grotesque murder is revealed right in his backyard, he contacts the Criminal Investigations Bureau in Beijing. An uneasy alliance ensues with Superintendent Song.
The inquiry leads Lu to some strange places, including evidence of Party graft and corruption, and to the conclusion that they have a serial killer on their hands.
A commentary on life in general in China, of how Lu came to be where he is, of historical happenings in the recent past effecting Lu’s decisions about his life, I found fascinating, as are the chapter introductions wth quotes from Chairman Mao.
I must admit I wondered about Klingborg’s understandings but reading his bio shows that he is indeed qualified to write from Lu’s viewpoint. He’s a Harvard Graduate of the East Asia Studies program, has lived in South East Asia. He also studies and writes about martial arts.
It so happens Surprise! Surprise! that Lu Fei is a martial arts proponent earning the name Bruce Lu during his school years. I must say Lu’s reactions are realistic if not always graceful.
I enjoyed looking at life through his laconic, rather cynical lens after the mode of the ‘hard boiled detective with heart’ trope.
I’m pleased to say that Inspector Lu joins the other modern Chinese detecting / police novels I enjoy such as Inspector Chan, Rei Shimura and Inspector Chen Cao.
The way Lu looks at his life, his passion for duty, and respect he displays are aspects I enjoyed.
I’m hooked!
A Minotaur Books/St. Martin's Press ARC via NetGalley
All the authorities, that is, except Inspector Lu Fei. He is an interesting, multi-layered character just different enough to promise to be captivating throughout this series. He is a graduate of China's top police college but because he doesn’t play politics very well he has been banished to this sleepy backwater town, where he hopefully can’t cause much trouble. However, this murder has taken place in his town and he is determined to find the real killer, whatever gets stirred up or uncovered in the process. This makes him even less popular than he already is, jeopardizes his career and puts him and some of the people he is close to in very real danger.
Author Brian Klingborg gives us a fascinating peek into the Chinese culture both in the small towns and big cities, plus a bonus Lu Fei’s quotes from Confucius and quotations from Chairman Mao Zedong to introduce each chapter. Politics are politics the world over, but each culture has its own twist and seeing how things work makes this an interesting read. The plot is well developed and moves smoothly along. Things do bog down a bit here and there with confusing detail and the ending is a bit rushed, but neither detract from the satisfying conclusion. All in all Thief of Souls was a very enjoyable book. Thanks to St. Martin's Press/Macmillan/Minotaur and Criminal Element for providing advance copies for my reading pleasure and honest review. All opinions are my own.
Inspector Lu Fei works for the police force in a small Northern China town. A young woman is found dead and her organs have been removed. It's fair to say this case will present some challenges for Lu Fei as he attempts to figure everything out.
There is a great deal of background info about the country that is provided by the author. I've always loved police detective mysteries and the fact this one took place in China did bring something unique to the table. Things like the political atmosphere both past and present just added these complex layers to the story.
With that being said, my knowledge of the history of China is probably similar to the average American. So the book presented the opportunity to learn a thing or two and made it a worthwhile read. However, if you already know a lot about China going in, perhaps the mystery just won't be enough to sustain your interest. This book is the first in the series and while you get little bits about the main character's personal life, I do hope there is more development with him in future books.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an advance copy! All thoughts expressed are my honest opinion.
The easiest suspect would be a young man who want to school with her and who has been stalking her but Lu Fen isn't convinced that he's the murderer. As he looks into Yen Fenfang's life he finds other possibilities including the sugar daddy who's been paying for her apartment in Harbin.
Things get even more complicated when it is discovered that Yen Fenfang is not the first woman who was murdered in a similar fashion. Chinese record keeping isn't the most accurate record keeping since failure to solve crimes could lead to serious loss of face.
Lu Fen isn't alone in his investigation. Higher ups from Beijing come to help begin the investigation bringing big city expertise and profiling to the case. However, they head for the next crime and leave Lu Feng to continue his investigation.
I enjoyed the story and the glimpse into modern China. I liked that Lu Fen was determined to do his job to the best of his ability despite efforts of those with more power to divert his actions. I enjoyed the mystery which had a number of twists and turns.
Fans of international mysteries will enjoy Lu Fen's first adventure and be looking forward to more.
I will admit, when I was offered Thief of Souls, I downloaded it to look at, never suspecting I would devour it in 24 hours. The mystery is good with enough red herrings and a chilling, deranged murderer, and interdepartmental conflicts. There are chilling scenes, and threatening scenes, and emotional scenes, and a hearty dash of wit and humor.
But what charmed me was the location and the characters.
Lu quotes Master Kong--Confucius to us--revealing his traditional, unmodern, unCommunist values. Lu believes in love before marriage, filial piety, and most brazenly of all, he believes in justice not convenient arrests and forced convictions. It gets him into trouble with his superiors, this insisting on finding the woman's killer when they already have a man in custody.
As Lu follows the trail into Harbin city, he unveils corruption, is pursued by thugs, kills a man in self defense, and unearths the underground gay culture.
Klingborg does an excellent job of succinctly explaining how Chinese police, law, and government works, and readers learn about the lives of rural and city Chinese people. Central to the story are traditional Chinese beliefs about death.
Stability takes precedence over public safety, we read, involving the suppression of information, quick, although not always accurate solving of crimes, and fiddling with the statistics. And of course, deniability is par for the course: "Our justice system doesn't wrongly convict innocent people."
I look forward to reading another Inspector Lu Fei mystery.
I was given a free galley by the publisher through Net Galley. My review is fair and unbiased.
DP Lyle, award-winning author of the Jake Longly and Cain/Harper thriller series
Author Brian Klingborg, through his extensive research, has created a story richly atmospheric, thrilling and quite engaging. In Lu Fei, he has created a noble, duty-bound, Confucian and most poetic protagonist. He also educates the readers in China's ethos, political climate, culture and spiritual traditions. But this is by no means a textbook. It is gritty and at times most graphic in its portrayal of horror. Yet there are also moments of tenderness, thoughtfulness and even humor. Although, a bit too gritty and graphic for this reader, the story is certainly well written, informative and entertaining.
Triggers: graphic violence, homosexuality and coarse language.
I am grateful to author Brian Klingborg and Minotaur Books for having provided a complimentary uncorrected proof of this book through NetGalley. Their generosity, however, has not influenced this review - the words of which are mine alone.
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I found that there was some element of interest with all of the books, but after reading all the way through, I knew which ones I was more intrigued by, and now I have a couple of books added to my tbr list. I'm excited and can't wait to read in particular, The Girl Who Died by Ragnar Jonasson and Gone for Good by Joanna Schaffhausen. I also loved this sampler because it helps introduce me to new authors as well as keeping me up to date on favorite authors of mine already like Joanna Schaffhausen, which you should really read her if you haven't. If you like your suspense story with envy and obsession then check out The Photographer, or if you enjoy mysteries and thrillers in a secluded village, The Girl Who Died is for you and A Peculiar Combination is a type of charming historical mystery. Then the other two books are Gone for Good by Joanna Schaffhausen who is one of my favorite authors and writes great mysteries and this one introduces a fun, new detective character with this book being the beginning of a great new detective series. Last, but not least is Thief of Souls by Brian Klingborn, which I didn't read a lot of that sample because I couldn't get into it too much, but it would be great for those who enjoy murder mysteries in foreign countries.
Thanks so much to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Minotaur Books for letting me read and enjoy this sampler. All opinions are my own.