Review: A Loyal Character Dancer

Inspector Chen of the Shanghai, China police department returns. Chen was educated in the liberal arts, studying literature and becoming fluent in English. Some odd application of Chinese job assignments in the 1990's placed him in the police department instead of on a university faculty. He retains his membership in the Chinese Writers Association, and Qui's books featuring Chen contain frequent asides of phrases and fragments from Chinese poetry and historical literature as Chen considers his world, his job, and his relationships with others.

But the books nevertheless are satisfying police procedurals, with classic police techniques - interviews, checks of phone records and travel itineraries, autopsies, and examination of evidence.

The title of this book refers to a custom during the years of the Cultural Revolution. Dancing as a form of social interaction and pleasure was forbidden during those years, but young persons discovered that if they held large banners over their heads which were inscribed with Chinese characters proclaiming loyalty to Chairman Mao - they could dance without fear of reprisal. Hence the phrase - the loyal character dancer.

A woman who was well known for her dances of this type during the years of the Cultural Revolution has disappeared. Her husband has emigrated to the US, and has agreed to provide testimony in an illegal immigration case in US courts. Chen is assigned to find her, to satisfy US officials that China is willing to persue cases which violate human rights. But in addition to the basic investigation, Chen is also assigned to escort an American immigration official who has arrived in China to search for the missing woman.

A nice collection of continuing characters from the preceding Chen story return, as well as a specialist in Chinese homeopathic medical theories who has contacts which help Chen.

Qui also gives us an understated, nicely presented sexual tension between Chen and the American woman who is in Shanghai to find the missing woman.

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Woodstock - RAM

Book Review: A Loyal Character Dancer