A police procedural with a difference set in China

Philip Ye stole my heart, yes… the brilliant enigmatic detective simply stole it all away.

Then came Constable Ma, the accused – I wanted to hold her and tell her don’t worry. It will be okay

Fatty Deng was one of the best investigators for the prosecutor

Finally Prosecutor Xu Ya, the woman I was jealous of. You see, she had a huge crush on Philip Ye, so she became my competitor. And yeah she was intelligent.

All 4 came together to solve the mystery of a disappeared lad and a murder in the alley.

Laurence Westwood is a brilliant author, he had my breath hitched with the magnanimity of his writing. The words… Oh my.. the words with its subtlety and perceptive sharpness had me in total awe of the brain which could write a magnum opus that this book was. I don’t have enough adverbs to express the exhilaration I felt when each subplot was linked so astutely.

The story had hidden depths that were revealed at strategic points. I lost myself trying to get to them all. The plotlines had so many layers that each one revealed not only the culture and legal conditions in China, it showed me their spirituality. The mystery in the book was obvious, but the suspense was built in each page through the maze that the plot was. The dead ends that I thought them to be were simply clues written by the brilliant author.

There are some books which demand that they ought to be read with patience, giving it the time and the loving care that it deserved. This book was one of them. I was about to run through it, but the words held my hand lovingly, made me stop, and take a moment or two or three and read the whole night away. That was the beauty of an intricate story which had been told from the heart but written from a very intelligent brain.

In short, I would say this police procedural had a soul, and an author like Laurence brought it to light with the ingenuity of his words. My midnight read… And it deserved losing sleep over.

I received a digital copy of the book from the author, and this is my journey into its pages, straight from the heart!! STRICTLY HONEST AND UNBIASED.

All my reviews can be read here

After a (probably ill-advised) degree in Theoretical Physics, Laurence commenced upon a varied career in law enforcement and information security consultancy.

He regularly lectures at the University of Warwick on computer law and IP enforcement.

He has had a long-standing fascination with the political, military, social and legal history of China.

He lives just outside of Stratford-upon-Avon, England.

Chengdu: a teeming, modern metropolis.

Yet China’s painful turbulent history still leaves its mark on the minds of all who live there.

Philip Ye, half English, half Chinese, is a homicide detective with the Chengdu Public Security Bureau who suffers his own anguish from a life blighted by tragedy and the unsettling appearance of ghosts that often intrude in on his investigations.

On a misty grey morning one such apparition leads him to a busy street corner during the rush hour where he bears witness to a shocking event. Against his better judgment, Phillip is drawn into the search for a missing, vulnerable boy. His investigation brings him into contact with Xu Ya, a brilliant and beautiful public prosecutor. She is new to Chengdu, determined not only to make her mark but to also leave behind her own personal heartbreak. They have crossed paths before. He has no memory of her, but she remembers him very well indeed….

Soon enough Philip Ye has a vicious murder on his hands, and then another – the boy’s disappearance seemingly sparking a chain of violent events. With the help of Xu Ya – dedicated to upholding făzhì, the Rule of Law, in China ‒ and her indefatigable and worldly-wise assistant Fatty Deng, Phillip Ye is quickly on the trail of a mysterious figure known as The Willow Woman. But, unbeknownst to them all, there are secretive and subversive forces at work within the dark heart of the city and tremendous danger awaits…

Publication Date : 7th January 2019