Lydia Chin is hired by Grandfather Gao, one of the most respected figures in Chinatown, for what appears to be a simple task. Lydia, along with her professional partner, Bill Smith, is to fly to Hong Kong to deliver a family heirloom to the young grandson of a recently deceased colleague of Grandfather Gao. But before they can deliver the heirloom, the grandson is kidnapped and two separate ransom demands are made.
An assignment to deliver an heirloom jade Buddha to Hong Kong turns sour when a child is kidnapped and a family business appears to have connections with criminals. In this adventure PI Lydia Chin travels to China, accompanied by her business partner and pal, Bill Smith. Kathy Hsieh gives some veracity to Lydia, who is characterized by the author as a relentlessly upbeat Chinese-American. But Hsieh's frequent slurring of contractions, and occasional overcompensating, are distracting. More significantly, Hsieh isn't up to the task of portraying male characters. When reading the dialogue of tough guys like Bill Smith, she stretches her voice to a false baritone that sounds more silly than macho. A straight reading of these characters' lines would be preferable to turning them into caricatures. S.E.S. (c) AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine
About the Author
S. J. Rozan, a native New Yorker, is the author of nine novels. She has won the Edgar, Nero, Macavity, Shamus and Anthony awards for Best Novel and the Edgar award for Best Short Story. Her previous novels Absent Friends, A Bitter Feast, Reflecting the Sky, Concourse, Stone Quarry, and No Colder Place are all available from Sound Library®.
