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Book Reviewed by:On the mountainous border of China and Tibet in 1708, a detective must learn what a killer already knows: that empires rise and fall on the strength of the stories they tell.
Li Du was an imperial Chinese librarian. Now he is an exile. In 1780, three years of wandering have brought him to Dayan, the last Chinese town before the Tibetan border. He expects a quiet outpost barely conscious of its place within the empire, but Dayan is teeming with travelers, soldiers, and merchants. The crowds have been drawn by the promise of an unmatched spectacle; an eclipse of the sun, commanded by the Emperor himself.
Amid the frenzy, Li Du befriends an elderly Jesuit astronomer. Hours later, the man is murdered in the home of the local magistrate, and Li Du suspects it was no random killing. Everyone has secrets: the ambitious magistrate, the powerful consort, the bitter servant, the irreproachable secretary, the East India Company merchant, the nervous missionary, and the traveling storyteller who can't keep his own story straight.
Beyond the sloping roofs and festival banners, Li Du can see the pass over Jade Dragon Mountain that will take him out of China forever. But he cannot ignore the murder that the town is all too eager to forget. As Li Du investigates, he begins to suspect that the murderer intends to kill again. The eclipse is coming. Li Du must solve the murder before the sun disappears. If he does not, then someone, perhaps Li Du himself, will never again see its light.
Chapter 1
It was a cold morning in early spring when Li Du came to the top of a small hill and saw below him the city of Dayan. The sun had not yet touched the valley, and the only perceptible movement was in the pale smoke that blurred the rigid curves of the tile and wood rooftops.
Beyond the city to the north, a mountain emerged slowly into the dawn. Its base was blue and featureless, a shape without dimension against the brightening sky. But on the distant summit, the snow and ice glowed golden pink in anticipation of sunrise.
Li Du could see the pass that would take him over the mountain and down to the river valley on the other side. But between him and that ridge lay Dayan, unavoidable. With a small sigh that puffed into the cold air, he rose, rinsed his bowl in a stream that ran by the hilltop temple where he had stopped to drink tea, put out the little fire he had made, and began the descent into the valley.
It took him a little over an hour to arrive at the houses on the ...
Elsa Hart's Jade Dragon Mountain is a fast-paced novel set in a remote town in 18th century China, just bordering Tibet. Rich detail of time, place and culture raise it above the usual mystery – its no wonder that this is one of our best scoring First Impressions books. 21 of 23 reviewers gave it a 4 or 5, and everyone is looking forward to the next installment in this exciting series!..continued
Full Review
(739 words)
(Reviewed by First Impressions Reviewers).
Donna Leon
This debut historical mystery deftly combines ingenious plotting and suspense with a subtle understanding of China, its culture, and its people. The protagonist, Li Du, a librarian and intellectual, is well worth keeping an eye on. Louise Penny
Jade Dragon Mountain is an amazing book-truly wonderful. Stunning in its atmosphere, setting, the gift of language, and great writing. Elsa Hart and her protagonist, Li Du, deserve a place in every collection. If you like great books, you will love Jade Dragon Mountain.Jade Dragon Mountain is the start of a new mystery series that proved a hit with the members who reviewed it for First Impressions. Here are some other recently published, or soon to publish, mysteries set in far flung locations to add to your "must-read" list:
The Invention of Fire by Bruce Holsinger
Apr 2015. 432 pages. Published by William Morrow.
A richly resplendent and descriptive murder mystery which conjures up a vivid and wholly realistic depiction of medieval London in all its loud, vibrant, filthy glory. This is the second John Gower novel following A Burnable Book. More info
Hell's Gate: A Detective Mollel Novel by Richard Crompton
Jun 2015. 256 Pages. Published by Farrar, Straus & Giroux.
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