The Murder of Mr. Ma

SJ Rozan, John Shen Yen Nee — 2024

For fans of Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes films, this stunning, swashbuckling series opener by a powerhouse duo of authors is at once comfortingly familiar and tantalizingly new. Two unlikely allies race through the cobbled streets of 1920s London in search of a killer targeting Chinese immigrants. London, 1924. When shy academic Lao She meets larger-than-life Judge Dee Ren Jie, his life abruptly turns from books and lectures to daring chases and narrow escapes. Dee has come to London to investigate the murder of a man he’d known during World War I when serving with the Chinese Labour Corps. No sooner has Dee interviewed the grieving widow than another dead body turns up. Then another. All stabbed to death with a butterfly sword. Will Dee and Lao be able to connect the threads of the murders—or are they next in line as victims? John Shen Yen Nee and SJ Rozan’s groundbreaking collaboration blends traditional gong'an crime fiction and the most iconic aspects of the Sherlock Holmes canon. Dee and Lao encounter the aristocracy and the street-child telegraph, churchmen and thieves in this clever, cinematic mystery that’s as thrilling and visual as an action film, as imaginative and transporting as a timeless classic.

Reviews

Kathy gerrard@kgkathyhg

Sep 19, 2024

Really good story line first Introduction to these authors, short book and quick chapters would recommend of your in a reading slump I will be looking out for more adventures of deep and loa.

"No story ever truly ends"

Nicola Sarah Brooks@nikkisbooknook

Apr 18, 2024

Take Agatha Christie and Arthur Conan Doyle, give them an authentic Chinese flavour and plop the adventure into 1920's London and you have this great murder mystery.

This has all the vintage feel of my favourite Poirot or Holmes adventure but with a brilliant cultural twist. Finally main characters who aren't upper crust, English take the limelight! Lao and Dee face more than just murderers and immigrants, willing or otherwise - they all have to deal with the strange looks, sly comments and genteel racism of 1924, London.

Lao as the shy academic with the crush on his landlady's daughter wants more than his academic career - he'd quite like to write a book. Then there is Judge Dee, we first meet him when he has been arrested for taking part in an affray. He and Lao make a great pairing.

The problems of opium addiction are never shied away from and every character had a flaw that was easy to latch onto and made them feel a bit more "life-like". The shorter chapters help to keep the fast pace going. I love learning more about Chinese culture and history. I even went and learned more about the real life persons Lao and Dee were based on.

Historical or vintage murder mystery with a new and unique voice!