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A review by saltygalreads
Love and Murder in the Time of Covid by Qiu Xiaolong
3.0
I was immediately intrigued by the title of this novel: Love and Murder in the Time of Covid. It conjures visions of surreptitious sleuthing in narrow lanes under the watchful eye of the CCP, and I wasn’t far wrong.
Former Chief Inspector Chen Cao is “recruited” to investigate a series of violent murders close to a hospital in Shanghai, along with the current Chief Inspector and his faithful assistant, Jin. The pandemic is raging in China and the people are suffering as their medical system is completely overwhelmed, some literally dying on the doorsteps of the medical facilities. Meanwhile, the regime clamps down ever harder on communication with the outside world, spinning a story of control and success over Covid due to their superior zero-Covid policy. At the same time, a close friend of Chen Cao’s has written an account of the suffering of the people he has called The Wuhan File and, at great personal risk, Chen Cao is translating this and working with others to get the document out of China.
I note that the publisher has classified this as a police procedural and I think that is a better description of this novel than calling it a mystery. There is very little focus on the “whodunnit” aspect of the story as Chen Cao very easily gets to the bottom of the case. The true interest in the novel lies in the peek into Chinese life that it affords the reader – the subterfuge, the veneer of calm and stability overlying an atmosphere of threat and danger, and the hidden meanings in speech. I will admit to googling quite a bit on the history of Chairman Mao’s reign and cultural revolution to understand some of the references. Some of the language reads a little stilted and awkward, but at the same time is rather charming. One thing that jars, however, is the treatment of Jin as Chen Cao’s “little secretary” and all the attendant sexism that implies. At one point, the Chief Inspector states he will leave Chen Cao in Jin’s “soft hands”, which made me physically cringe. The inclusion of The Wuhan File was a stroke of brilliance however, as a nod to The Wuhan Diaries, and was an excellent addition to the storyline.
Altogether, this was a fascinating read and a glimpse into what lies beyond that red curtain. Many thanks to Severn House for allowing me to read it.
Former Chief Inspector Chen Cao is “recruited” to investigate a series of violent murders close to a hospital in Shanghai, along with the current Chief Inspector and his faithful assistant, Jin. The pandemic is raging in China and the people are suffering as their medical system is completely overwhelmed, some literally dying on the doorsteps of the medical facilities. Meanwhile, the regime clamps down ever harder on communication with the outside world, spinning a story of control and success over Covid due to their superior zero-Covid policy. At the same time, a close friend of Chen Cao’s has written an account of the suffering of the people he has called The Wuhan File and, at great personal risk, Chen Cao is translating this and working with others to get the document out of China.
I note that the publisher has classified this as a police procedural and I think that is a better description of this novel than calling it a mystery. There is very little focus on the “whodunnit” aspect of the story as Chen Cao very easily gets to the bottom of the case. The true interest in the novel lies in the peek into Chinese life that it affords the reader – the subterfuge, the veneer of calm and stability overlying an atmosphere of threat and danger, and the hidden meanings in speech. I will admit to googling quite a bit on the history of Chairman Mao’s reign and cultural revolution to understand some of the references. Some of the language reads a little stilted and awkward, but at the same time is rather charming. One thing that jars, however, is the treatment of Jin as Chen Cao’s “little secretary” and all the attendant sexism that implies. At one point, the Chief Inspector states he will leave Chen Cao in Jin’s “soft hands”, which made me physically cringe. The inclusion of The Wuhan File was a stroke of brilliance however, as a nod to The Wuhan Diaries, and was an excellent addition to the storyline.
Altogether, this was a fascinating read and a glimpse into what lies beyond that red curtain. Many thanks to Severn House for allowing me to read it.