Inspector Chen and the Private Kitchen Murder

August 1, 2021
A particularly intriguing case triggers a sleuthing rebirth for a former police detective. In the twilight of his career, veteran inspector Chen Cao has been eased out of the Shanghai Police Bureau, put on sick leave, and given the nominal post of director of the Shanghai Judicial System Reform Office. Considering his frequent scrapes with Communist Party loyalists and the outsider status his literary passions have earned him, this ought to be the perfect spot in which to live out his golden years. But when his former colleague "Old Hunter" mentions the plight of young Min Lihua, Chen's professional curiosity is piqued. It doesn't hurt that Min shares Chen's literary soul or that Old Hunter flatters Chen by continuing to call him Chief. Min, whose private dinner parties have made her something of a celebrity, has been arrested for the murder of an attendee. As Chen investigates, he realizes that the juiciest thread in the case involves high-ranking Party official Judge Jiao, whose sex video has turned up on the internet. The Party's fervid desire to transfer Min far away from the public eye also makes the detective suspicious. As in Chen's dozen previous cases, bits of verse and references to favorite writers and books are woven into the tale. Chen's identification with the righteous fictional sleuth Judge Dee fuels his quest for justice. The plot is full of unpredictable detours and sidebars that intensify the pleasure of following Chen's vibrant curiosity. An exhilarating blend of recent history, mystery, and the writer's craft.

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Starred review from August 30, 2021
Qiu’s stellar 12th mystery featuring Insp. Chen Cao (after Becoming Inspector Chen) finds Chen, an honest cop, reassigned to the newly created Shanghai Judicial System Reform Office due to his zeal in following the evidence, even if it implicates influential Communist Party members. With no real work, Chen’s intrigued by an offer from a former colleague who heads a PI firm, which has been hired to exonerate a murder suspect, Min Lihua. Min, a chef and courtesan, operates a private kitchen that serves gourmet meals in a private home to selected guests with sufficient wealth and influence. Min’s assistant chef, Qing, who was about to leave for another job, was found bludgeoned to death in Min’s home following a private dinner, and Min’s been charged with Qing’s murder. Chen agrees to look into the case unofficially, finding unexpected help from his enterprising secretary, Jin. Qiu artfully creates parallels to a famous murder case from the Tang Dynasty. Newcomers and fans alike will look forward to how Qiu raises the stakes for Chen in the next book.

October 15, 2021
In the twelfth Inspector Chen mystery, the former Chief Inspector of the Shanghai Police Bureau, currently sidelined by disapproving Communist Party officials, manages to investigate a murder that took place in the kitchen of a highly influential courtesan/chef. The courtesan's assistant was found in the kitchen with a fractured skull after an invitation-only dinner. With no guests left and no sign of forced entry, the courtesan/chef is the prime suspect. Former Inspector Chen accepts a special-consultant role in the agency of a former Police Bureau buddy, enabling him to question the diners on the fateful night. Readers may question Xiaolong's decision to demote Chen, only to give him investigative powers as a special consultant; it doesn't quite ring true to Xiaolong's theme of watchful Party oppression. The digressive plot is relieved by vivid descriptions of Chinese gastronomy, including street-stall offerings. This is a lesser entry in what is overall a very strong series, but Xiaolong's look at modern China remains of interest.

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