First published 2001
The executioner Devil Hand stands ready to break his personal record of 1,044 consecutive successful beheadings. He prepares to decapitate Tou the Sixth Rank Innkeeper in Beijing's main square when a tch'i-mei suddenly appears. The undead creature disrupts the execution at the crucial moment, ruining Devil Hand's concentration and his historic attempt. Master Li and Number Ten Ox soon discover that this walking corpse has just finished devouring a high-ranking Chinese official as its final meal. The two investigators find themselves pursuing a dangerous case that leads them after a Chinese version of Jack the Ripper. Their investigation proves both absurd and perilous as they track this killer through the streets and shadows of ancient China.
Genres: historical-fiction, adventure, mystery, fantasy
Vibes: suspenseful, thought-provoking, whimsical
Tropes: amateur-sleuth, dark-humor, found-family
Setting: Beijing, China
Period: Ancient China
300 pages · Paperback · Denoël