I thoroughly enjoyed Jade Dragon Mountain (#531), Elsa Hart's debut historical fiction mystery. Li Du has been exiled by the Emperor of China from his post as a librarian in Beijing. He has wandered for ten years, and is now in the remote southeastern province of Yunnan. He is making for Dayan, its capital, to seek permission from his cousin Tulishen, the governor there, to leave China for good when he is caught up in the excitement swirling all around Dayan. The Emperor is soon to arrive and preside over a total eclipse of the sun. His cousin is counting on advancing his career by making a strong impression with the planned celebrations, but the sudden death of an elderly Jesuit astronomer during the festivities leading up to the main event creates a complication. Tulishen wishes it could be swept under the rug, but he finds himself obliged to charge Li Du with investigating the death. When it turns out to be murder, Li Du must find the killer before the arrival of the Emperor, or suffer the consequences.
An unusual place and time for setting this mystery, China in the late 1700s is still not open to most Westerners. The politics of economics play a role here, as well as a cast of interesting suspects. Li Du's methods are not conventional, but that is a large part of the appeal of this story and its exotic setting. I hope we see further adventures from Li Du in the future!
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