The Eye of Jade by Diane Wei Liang

The Eye of Jade by Diane Wei Liang attracted me right away by the great cover, which unfortunately has nothing to do with the mystery inside. This is the first book from Diane Wei Liang, and reviews have already called her the Chinese Agatha Christie. If you've written a mystery... you are the next Christie or Stieg Larsson.

Mei Wang leaves her police job at the Ministry of Public Security to open her own detective agency. She hires a male secretary named Gupin, who has moved from a farming village to make money in Beijing. A family friend tells her of a priceless treasure that might have been sold on the black market, and prompts her to investigate. She follows a few leads and ends up meeting some interesting characters in dark alleys, seedy gambling joints, and pawn shops.

It seemed pick up when we learn about her spoiled, shallow, pretty sister Lu. She's a thorn in Mei's side, but let's get back to the mystery. Then her mother has an attack and ends up in the hospital unconscious. The daughters rally around, with help from family friend Auntie Zhao.

I feel bad for Ling Bai and her daughters, but the majority of the book deals with the daughters trying to give her the best care, dealing with the hospital policies and their relationship as sisters. There are stories about her family history during the cultural revolution, and her college friends. The mystery disappears far too soon and I lost interest. Only at the very end is the eye of jade brought up again and the mystery of what or who it is revealed. This is more of a domestic drama that a detective story.

2007 / Paperback / 288 pages