Death Notice

April 1, 2018
An elaborately plotted thriller that explores the limitations of justice.The murder of the legendary Sgt. Zheng Haoming of the Chengdu Criminal Police reopens an 18-year-old investigation and resurrects a number of ghosts. First on the scene of Zheng's murder is Capt. Pei Tao of the provincial Longzhou Police Department, who had an appointment with Zheng. Pei and Zheng have a history that goes back to the police academy and a crime committed long ago by "Eumenides," a self-styled avenger, and together they had been investigating the possibility that Eumenides has resurfaced. In Greek mythology, Eumenides were the Furies, three goddesses of revenge; in their earlier appearance Eumenides executed three victims. And Eumenides is back, as several victims receive a "death notice" listing the nature of their crimes and the day of their execution. All are guilty of crimes that either were not, or could not be, punished by conventional justice, and Pei and the Chengdu police attempt to both avert the fatal punishments and unmask and apprehend Eumenides. The connections between today's police and the original Eumenides' crimes are dark and twisted, and Pei has a role in both Eumenides' creation and the present pursuit. Much blood flows, and many careers destroyed, before the Furies are dealt with. This is, according to the publisher, the first of a three-part series; the end of this first part certainly invites speculation about the future of several characters, and the dense plotting and exuberant bloodletting would support several novels. But though individual histories and physical details clearly distinguish the characters, the dialogue does not reinforce their variety. The story, set in present-day China, does not offer much local flavor, and the generally homogeneous speech patterns contribute to a general flatness.A complex exploration of crime and punishment that's not totally engaging.

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April 9, 2018
Set in Chengdu in 2002, this uneven opening volume in a bestselling trilogy in China—the first of Zhou’s books to be translated into English—offers little that American suspense fans haven’t seen before. Shortly after Sgt. Zheng Haoming begins looking into new evidence concerning a case he investigated in 1984, he is found stabbed to death in his apartment. Meanwhile, someone using the pseudonym Eumenides, for the Greek goddesses of retribution, posts a call for justice on a message board, asking the public for the names of wrongdoers who deserve punishment. Since this person seems to be the killer in the 18-year-old case, the police re-form the original task force. Eumenides begins to post a series of execution notices, but, despite the forewarning, the police are unable to prevent the killings. Zhou does a credible job keeping the clues and the complicated plot straight, but clichéd prose (“You cut right to the center, like a hot knife through butter. A woman after my own heart!”) may be a problem for some readers. Few will eagerly await the second volume.

May 1, 2018

This first volume in a best-selling Chinese trilogy begins with an investigation from the past coming back to haunt Sgt. Zheng Haoming. Zheng had headed up a secret task force 18 years earlier in the city of Chengdu. The suspect was Eumenides, an anonymous executioner who killed a high-profile government official as well as two police academy students. Zheng has received a new death notice and is following up on evidence that may finally identify the murderer. But then he is killed, and the old task force is reunited, along with some new members. The team must investigate the subjects of the new death notices and protect the fresh arrivals. However, Eumenides appears to be always at least two steps ahead of the police, and more people end up dead. Making his English-language debut, Zhou Haohui has written a suspenseful and well-plotted mystery, planting several convincing red herrings throughout that will keep readers guessing. The cliff-hanger ending will leave readers shocked and clamoring for the next installment. VERDICT Recommended for hard-boiled crime fiction fans and anyone who enjoys a good mystery with an international flavor. [See Prepub Alert, 12/11/17.]--Kristen Stewart, Pearland Lib., Brazoria Cty. Lib. Syst., TX

Copyright 2018 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from May 1, 2018
When Captain Pei Tao of the suburban Longzhou police is found crouched over the bloodied body of Sergeant Zheng Haoming, Chengdu's most revered detective, he insists that the murder is connected to Zheng's investigation of a notorious cold case. Eighteen years ago, Pei's girlfriend, Meng Yun; his police-academy roommate, Yuan Zibang; and a Chengdu police detective were killed by a vigilante using the moniker Eumenides. Now Pei, after receiving a letter from Eumenides announcing that his final act will take place soon, has come to Chengdu hoping to join forces with Zheng. Although reluctant to eliminate Pei as a suspect, Zheng's commander, Captain Han Hao, allows Pei to join the new Eumenides task force. As the task force scrambles to protect those targeted in Eumenides' proclamations, Pei and the team's criminal psychologist, Mu, revisit the killer's first crime, revealing the dangerous competition between Pei and Meng that spawned Eumenides. Zhou's story is thoughtfully constructed (and skillfully translated), balancing an exploration of loyalty, jealousy, and the moral tension between law and justice with Pei's sharp observations and gifted logic. This procedural, the first novel in China's most popular suspense trilogy, boasts the rich cultural immersion, the bird's-eye view of procedural technique in an international police force, and the complex mysteries that have long driven the popularity of Scandinavian crime fiction.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)