by S. J. Rozan
First published 2001
Lydia Chin accepts what seems like straightforward work from Grandfather Gao, a powerful elder in New York's Chinatown. The Chinese-American detective must travel to Hong Kong with her partner Bill Smith to hand over a family treasure to the grandson of Gao's late associate. The job turns dangerous when kidnappers snatch the young man before Lydia can complete her delivery. Two competing ransom demands arrive, confusing an already tense situation. The victim's family shuts out the American investigators, leaving Lydia and Bill to navigate Hong Kong's unfamiliar criminal landscape alone. They must decode local customs and power structures while racing against time. The city operates by different rules than New York, and Lydia discovers that failure could cost more than just her reputation. She faces a choice between abandoning the case or risking everything to save a stranger in a place where she barely understands the stakes.
Genres: mystery, crime, contemporary, thriller
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, race-against-time
Setting: Hong Kong, New York's Chinatown
312 pages · Hardcover · Minotaur Books