It also deals with the Chinese police, both the positive and the negative. THIEF OF SOULS BRIAN KLINGBORG. The descriptions of rural China, its people, and the social and political forces at play are fun, fascinating, and the perfect backdrop for a crime. It is Lu’s responsibility to determine who did it. Lu refuses to deem the murder solved with the first possible suspect, although those above him would be fine to leave it there. Thief of Souls (Inspector Lu Fei Mysteries #1) by Brian Klingborg. Thief of Souls by Brian Klingborg, the first of a new series, features Inspector Lu Fei and combines a murder mystery with modern-day China resulting in quite the intriguing read. The protagonist, Inspector Lu Fei, is an accomplished martial artist. "Riveting." I'm already looking forward to the second book in this series." Lu is smitten with the barkeep, Yanyan, a beautiful widow. Excerpt from Thief of Souls by Brian Klingborg. Thief of Souls (Book) : Klingborg, Brian : "In Brian Klingborg's Thief of Souls, a brutal murder in a rural village in Northern China sends shockwaves all the way to Beijing but seemingly only Inspector Lu Fei, exiled to this tiny town, is interested in finding justice for the murdered village girl .."-- … Police investigator Lu Fei, quotes Confucius, understands the power of the past, and navigates corruption and back-handing among Chairman Mao’s descendents. Lu Fei gets a call on his night off, because the duty constable cannot find the chief. Klingborg’s Thief of Souls is an impressive detective novel set in modern day China. In Brian Klingborg's Thief of Souls, the brutal murder of a young woman in a rural village in Northern China sends shockwaves all the way to Beijing--but seemingly only Inspector Lu Fei, living in exile in the small town, is interested in justice for the victim. A woman's corpse, 'hollowed out like a birchbark canoe' is discovered. A young woman is found murdered in her deceased mother's home. Meanwhile, Inspector Lu Fei of the Public Security Bureau is alone in a bar planning to 'get gloriously drunk' on warm wine, to the sound of traditional Chinese fiddle music. In Brian Klingborg's Thief of Souls, the brutal murder of a young woman in a rural village in Northern China sends shockwaves all the way to Beijing-but seemingly only Inspector Lu Fei, living in exile in the small town, is interested in justice for the victim.Thief of Souls, the brutal murder of a young woman in a rural village in Northern China Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. --Cara Black"A gruesome crime; a rural cop with a keen mind and a sense of his place in modern-day China―Thief of Souls is written with humor and insight, supplying from page one a plot that rolls steadily down the runway, constantly gaining speed the whole way until with a final burst of takeoff velocity, it takes you to a place you never thought you’d be." There has been a murder. Conjures up memories of the Bangkok Tattoo series by John Burdett, except this is China instead of Thailand. Thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy i. Nothing too exciting happens in the quiet town of Raven Valley Township in northern China, which doesn’t bother Inspector Lu Fei much. Reviewed in the United States on May 10, 2021. As such, the CID head is interested in pinning the crime on the first available suspect rather than wading into uncomfortable truths, leaving Lu Fei on his own. Though he is not on duty, the deputy chief gets a call from his constable, Huang, "excitable disposition, dumb as a wheelbarrow full of pig shit." He writes a tight, complex mystery with personable characters. A downside: Every ten pages or so, I bumped into what felt like a lecture on Chinese politics and history, taking me out of the story. His investigation takes readers on an eerie and fascinating journey through Northern China, its politics and, of course, it's bad guys. Inspector Lu, banished to a small rural town, finds himself in the midst of a possible serial killer investigation with the eyes of the top brass on him . From the first sentence, I was hooked. . A religious fanatic? Klingborg is also the author of. Klingborg does a fabulous job of giving us a detailed sense of time and place and walking us through the differences between Western and Chinese cultures, including policing practices. Some electronics are missing--was it a robbery gone wrong? The murder mystery intriguing in itself is supplemented by Klingborg's portrayal of the Chinese bureaucracies and customs as he takes you into the homes and lives of his characters. ARC Review: Thief of Souls by Brian Klingborg ARC Review: The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba by Ch... April ( 8 ) We work hard to protect your security and privacy. I've been an avid reader of mysteries and detective novels and I particularly enjoy those with an unusual setting. A darkness worse than death. On the night the young woman’s corpse is discovered, hollowed out like a birchbark canoe, Inspector Lu Fei sits alone in … Police procedurals, post 87th Precinct, seem to all have similar setups -- if the series is to continue, there is a recognizable set of rascals and heroes populating the stationhouse, no matter whether the location is in Manhattan, Detroit, Saudi Arabia, Sicily, Rio de Janero, Dublin along with many other UK locations. I received a free electronic ARC of this mystery novel from Netgalley, Brian Klingborg, and a special request from St. Martin's Press - Minotaur Books. The story is enjoyable because the characters' lives retain the Chinese culture. Amongst the corruption and rushed judicial processes, Lu is fighting an uphill battle. Klingborg, Brian, 1967-(author.). Then his cell phone rings; its his night off but he the unthinkable has happened in his rural, backwater township: a woman has been murdered, and her organs removed. thief of souls by brian klingborg An Inspector Lu Fei Mystery #1 “On the night the young woman’s corpse is discovered, hollowed out like a birchbark canoe, Inspector Lu Fei sits alone in the Red Louts bar, determined to get gloriously drunk.” I highly recommend Thief of Souls and look forward to the second installment of this series. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Minotaur Books for this Advanced Reader Copy and the opportunity to review, When a woman is found dead and her organs removed in a rural village in Northern China, Inspector Lu looks into the murder and finds old enemies. Help others learn more about this product by uploading a video! In Thief of Souls, Brian Klingborg provides a masterful and immersive narrative creating a riveting twisted string of reveals that propels this page turner onward. She is from this small village but moved to. Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. He does not ordinarily carry a gun. Lu feels he and his inexperienced team at the the local Public Security Bureau will need help in this investigation so he calls in the Crime Investigation Bureau, much to the chagrin of his chief. --Barbara Nickless, author of the Sydney Parnell series"With a compelling story, a rich, well-realized setting, and a thoroughly engaging protagonist, Thief of Souls delivers everything one could want in a crime novel - insight, thrills, and entertainment. Brian Klingborg’s Thief of Souls – A Review March 25, 2021 By readsusanberry. “Engrossing and atmospheric. 0 of 1 copy available at Lehigh Valley Library System. This was a bit of a challenging read for me, but through no fault of the author. You're listening to a sample of the Audible audio edition. It’s also a solid detective story with engaging characters that transported me to another culture. When readers pick up a mystery, they expect to be entertained. Listen to Thief of Souls by Brian Klingborg with a free trial.\nListen to unlimited* audiobooks on the web, iPad, iPhone and Android.