The Firemaker

But now the babysitter see smoke filtering through the leaves...the flicker of flames through the green gloom...The children have run ahead...She runs after them into a clearing where the flames lick upward from a buddled central mass...The babysitter feels beat on her face, and shelds her eyes from the glare, trying to see what it is that burns so fiercely. At its heart, something moves. Something strangely human...And she realizes that it is a charred black band reaching out toward her. Margaret Campbell, a Chicago forensic pathologist, has been invited by the Chinese government to teach at the Beijing police univeristy. She has accepted the six-week assignment with misgivings but is desperate to escape a troubled life in America. Arriving in Beijing, she checks "Nothing to declare" on the health declaration they gave her on the plane-nothing, that is, "except a broken heart and a wasted life, neither of which was contagious." She gets off to a bas start when her car knocks senior detective Li Yan off his bicycle. In a furious clash, he dresses her down in perfect English. But Li soon finds himself reintroduced to Margaret by his superiors when the newly promoted detective's first case requires Margaret's special expertise to identify a horribly burned corpse. Thrown together to track down a killer. Margaret and Li must bury their personal and cultural differences when they uncover a conspiracy that threatens not only their lives, but the lives of millons.

This book works. The descriptions of China put me there. I cared about the characters and the relationship that builds between them. Margaret blunders while learning how things work in China were honest. The mystery was intriguing with building suspense, and the plot is plausible, which makes it all the more terrifying. I also learned, which I enjoy, about the Social Revolution and genetic engineering. I don't often compare authors, but fans of Tess Gerritsen will definitely enjoy this, but so will anyone else who likes an extremely well done mystery.

My wife had said, "You've got to read this book, it's brilliant!" but since I had gotten out of the habit of reading I didn't hold out much hope of getting round to it. I picked it up at 4.30 one afternoon and 9 hours later at 1.30 the following morning I finished it. I quite literally could not put it down! The story - not only a "Whodunit?" but also a "Why'dtheydoit?" pulls you in and will not let you go. The setting described so colorfully and in such detail that you could feel the heat and dust, smell the outdoor restaurants, and practically find your own way round Beijing. The characters drawn so skilfully and sympathetically that you NEED to discover what happens to them. The theme so scary, it may put you off eating certain food items forever. Wonderfully written, great twists in the story, exotic locations - someone has to make this into a movie! There must have been an extraordinary amount of detailed research in a wide range of subjects to create such a plausible plot.

Dr. Margaret Campbell is in Beijing to teach a six week forensic pathology course at the police academy. Her specialty is identifying burned bodies. When three dead bodies turn up, one of them completely burned, Margaret is asked to do the autopsies. Lead detective on the case is Li Yan, a newly promoted Deputy Section Chief, who is trying to live up to the reputation of his uncle who is a bit of a legend in the Beijing police. All three bodies are identified as professional hits yet do not seem to have anything else in common. Cultures clash as Margaret, an American, doesn't understand the proper etiquette for dealing with her Chinese associates. She and Li Yan need to ignore their growing attraction to find out who killed these men and why. Forensic pathology plays a strong role in the solution to the crime. Details of the autopsies are done with clinical precision and, as a medical doctor, Margaret is able to provide detailed scientific explanations of health issues, uses of medications, and the dangers of dabbling with Mother Nature. I especially liked the way May used Margaret to demonstrate how not to behave in China. Margaret responded to situations in a way that I feel is typically American. I am certain I would have made the same mistakes. As Margaret begins to understand the Chinese culture and history, so does the reader. If you get a chance to see May during his tour, you must do so. You will enjoy listening to tales of his research trips to China with stories of strange foods and mysterious limo rides into spy compounds. But, regardless whether you get that opportunity, this is definitely a book you shouldn't miss. There are five more books in this series that have been published in the UK. We can sincerely hope for an accelerated release schedule in the US to get us quickly caught up with this wonderful author.