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Index Interviews: Mariah Stewart A Giant Leap for Auslan Storytelling Perseverance: The Key to the Doors of Success, Part I Parenting Your Book Return to This Issue's Index Return to Homepage Subscribe
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Mystery/Thriller Book ReviewsBeautiful Ghosts by Elliot PattisonSt. Martin's Minotaur, April, 2004Hardcover, 368 pages ISBN: 0060198303 Ordering information: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk 
Former Beijing detective inspector Shan Tao
Yun has become used to his new life in Tibet.
After being unofficially released from the gulag
(he was imprisoned for refusing to participate in
corrupt Beijing politics), Shan lives a nomadic
life with Buddhist monks who are under constant
threat of arrest by the Chinese government who has
outlawed the practice of any religion that is not state-sanctioned.
Just as he is about to set off on a spiritual retreat, Shan
is embroiled in the aftermath of a murder in an
ancient, ruined monastery which hides a great historical treasure.
As Shan investigates, he finds that a number of people
have an interest in the case: the FBI agent who is
on the trail of stolen Tibetan art, an American
billionaire whose obsession with Tibetan treasures knows
no bounds, a Chinese Minister of Culture whose obsession
with power rivals that of the billionaire and the Chinese
military official who arranged for Shan's release but who
is finding Shan to be a real thorn in his side. Shan must
play a delicate and dangerous game in order to
protect the artifacts and people of the country he has come
to call home.
This is the fourth book in this tremendous series set in Tibet, which is part mystery, part thriller and part historical novel. In this story, Elliot Pattison examines the art of Tibet, much of which has been destroyed by the Chinese occupiers. Shan finally learns the fate of his son in this book, which adds emotional depth to the story. In addition to the present-day mystery, the author intertwines an intriguing parallel story from Tibet's past which involves a long-lost Chinese Emperor's son. Elliot Pattison's insights into Chinese-occupied Tibet are so discerning that his books and access to his website has been banned in China by the government. This is one of the most interesting and entertaining mystery series being written today. --Claire E. White The Enemy by Lee ChildDelacorte Press, May, 2004Hardcover, 400 pages ISBN: 0385336675 Ordering information: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk 
The enigmatic Jack Reacher is back in a powerhouse entry in this
outstanding series. The Enemy takes readers back to 1990, when
Reacher was still in the military police. Reacher has just been
transferred from Panama (where his unit was looking for Noriega)
to Fort Bird, North Carolina where Reacher will be the acting Military
Police CO. On New Year's Eve, a two star general is found dead
in a sleazy motel when he was supposed to be on his way to
an important conference in California. The general's briefcase
with top secret documents is missing and his wife is then found
murdered in the couple's nearby home. But Reacher and his attractive
assistant find their investigatory efforts blocked at every turn by
the new base commander. When Reacher won't back off the case, which
clearly has political implications, he finds himself the prime
suspect in the murder of a Delta Force officer. To complicate
matters further, Jack finds out that his mother is dying, so he
and his brother must make the trek to Paris to see her, where he
finds out that the mother he thought he knew had hidden depths.
The Enemy provides a fascinating glimpse into a younger, less cynical Jack Reacher than has been seen so far in this excellent series. Lee Child expands Reacher's backstory and we finally learn more about his childhood and his mother's extraordinary life. The investigation is filled with suspense, political intrigue and the kind of intricate plotting and hard-hitting action that is classic Lee Childs. The narrative voice is pitch-perfect: Reacher is a tough guy with an incisive mind, a personal code of honor and a mean right hook. Childs' lean, mean prose style and compelling hero make for a top-notch series that shows no signs of losing steam. Claire E. White Click Here to Return to the Book Reviews Index ** To visit the archives of mystery books reviewed in The IWJ, please click here. |