Don't Cry, Tai Lake: An Inspector Chen Novel (Inspector Chen Cao #7) (Paperback)
"Dark, gorgeous…feels authentically Chinese and it works like a charm." --Washington Post Book World on A Case of Two Cities
In Don't Cry, Tai Lake by Qiu Xiaolong, Chief Inspector Chen Cao of the Shanghai Police Department is offered a bit of luxury by friends and supporters within the Party – a week's vacation at a luxurious resort near Lake Tai, a week where he can relax, and recover, undisturbed by outside demands or disruptions. Unfortunately, the once beautiful Lake Tai, renowned for its clear waters, is now covered by fetid algae, its waters polluted by toxic runoff from local manufacturing plants. Then the director of one of the manufacturing plants responsible for the pollution is murdered and the leader of the local ecological group is the primary suspect of the local police. Now Inspector Chen must tread carefully if he is to uncover the truth behind the brutal murder and find a measure of justice for both the victim and the accused.
“Thought-provoking, poetic and suspenseful.” —The Wall Street Journal
“A meticulously crafted whodunit.” —The Japan Times
“Enjoyable!” —Publishers Weekly
“This environmental mystery is also an example of hard-hitting investigative reporting…. Despite the grim subject matter, the novel is filled with beautiful descriptions and poetry (Chen is poet as well as detective) that reinforce the beauty that is being polluted and lost. Magnificent.” —Booklist (starred)
“Peppered with poetry and told with clarity and elegance.” —Kirkus Reviews