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The back of the cover is what drew me to this book. It tells how an American forensic pathologist and Beijing policeman are drawn together into an investigation involving political overtones. The book opens with three separate murders taking place, one being an apparent suicide of a high ranking Chinese politician who is burned to death. However, at each scene, a lone American cigarette butt is left. Enter Margaret Campbell, who is in Beijing to teach a class about forensic pathology. Having just lost an ex-husband to suicide, after he committed a murder and was sitting in jail, Margaret flees to China, hoping to find solace in another place. When asked to perform an autopsy on the apparent suicide, Margaret discovers that the victim had been murdered, with a bullet hole in the back of his head. This becomes distressing to the cop, Li Yan, investigating the crime, as two other victims, with no relation to the third victim, were found, and three cigarette butts are the only clue. Margaret runs a DNA test on these butts and discovers that the same person smoked all three cigarettes. Enter another American, a disgraced research scientist, Dr. James McCord, who is in China working for a think tank firm, Grogan Industries, to help with the production of a super rice, which will help feed millions of hungry people. It seems McCord's idea was to risky to be researched in America, as the FDA wanted to run more tests on his super rice to see what risk factors would arise. As Li Yan and Margaret investigate the three murders, several high ranking Chinese politicians are putting into motion a plan to stop them. Johnny Ren, a Triad hitman attacks Li Yan at the park one night during a storm to prevent the police from finding his gloves which he threw away, hoping that the police wouldn't get smart and look for the evidence. The investigation proceeds as Li Yan and Margaret grow closer together. When Margaret's driver and Li Yan's uncle are murdered, both crimes being blamed on Li Yan, the two take off to clear his name. The book moves at a rapid clip that ends with a showdown in the desert. I found the forensics interesting, along with clashing of the American and Chinese cultures that are portrayed. At times, the book seems to slow down, but I believe the author is showing a detailed Chinese system that has evolved over the years. And when the two mysteries -- the super rice think tank trying to protect their crop and the victims of the hitman are tied together -- the ending makes sense. For fans of police procedurals and thrillers this book has it all. I rate it B+, as there are some over the top scenes that took away from the plot.
Reviewed by Steven M. Sill, January 2003
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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