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Dr Margaret Campbell is a forensic pathologist from Chicago who specializes in working with burn victims. Lately things have not been going well for her in her life and she is looking for an escape far away from where she is now. She jumps at the chance to go to China where she will be teaching American forensic techniques at the People's University of Public Security, but she starts off on the wrong foot. She offends her hosts with her ignorance of Chinese customs causing them to lose face ('mianzi') and having to deal with a stupid 'yang-guizi' (foreign devil, in other words her). Plus she also 'insults' Li Yan, a deputy section chief. He is the person with whom Dr Campbell will be working with as he is investigating a suicide by a man who set himself on fire. When she finds evidence that it was not a suicide, but murder she will have to work together with Li Yan to find out the truth -- that is if she can manage not to offend anyone else. She should have read her briefing materials before she set foot in China. Now that she is there, she will have to make the best of it. One thing that impressed me with this book is the true-to-life detail given inside the story from someone who is not Chinese by birth. You do not need to be Chinese to appreciate this, but Peter May's writing provides a unique perspective inside the Chinese mind. The United States and China are as different as night and day, yet May manages to bring this story from two different points of view -- the police detective who knows how things are done in China and the forensic pathologist who does not. However, Dr Campbell goes the extra mile to open the mind of her police partner as she details how things are done in the states. Both sides will never totally agree with how they do things, but in the end they both learn something new from each other. THE FIREMAKER is a great novel from a sociological standpoint as well as with the mystery itself as Li Yan and Margaret Campbell investigate a series of deaths related to the first one. Peter May is probably the only non-Asian to be a member of the Chinese Crime Writers' Association and yet he is able to write about both cultures without having to resort to stereotype. His book was a pleasant surprise and a great experience. You may want to try it.
Reviewed by Angel L. Soto, October 2005
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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