Mystery/Thriller Reviews

Beautiful Ghosts by Elliot Pattison
St. Martin's Minotaur, April, 2004
Hardcover, 368 pages
ISBN: 0060198303
Ordering information:
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Beautiful Ghosts
by Elliot Pattison

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 Child
Delacorte Press, May, 2004
Hardcover, 400 pages
ISBN: 0385336675
Ordering information:
Amazon.com

The Enemy
by Lee Child

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

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Mystery/Thriller Reviews

Beautiful Ghosts by Elliot Pattison

The Enemy by Lee Child