In celebration of Chinese New Year, the Year of the Pig

Author Qiu Xiaolong is a Shanghai native who left China in the 1990's for the United States, and currently resides with his wife and daughter in St. Louis and teaches literature at Washington University. There's an interview by Mystery Readers International that gives insight into his life, his writing, and his take on China today.

A Case of Two Cities: An Inspector Chen Novel by Qiu Xiaolong

"Chinese expatriate Qiu's gripping fourth Inspector Chen novel (after 2004's When Red Is Black) captures an honest detective's struggle to be true to his professional ideals under a repressive regime. The Communist Party leadership appears to be vigorously investigating rampant corruption among the profligate power elite during China's economic reforms of the recent past. After the head of the Fujian special case squad is murdered in sordid circumstances, Chen Cao of the Shanghai police bureau discovers that the dead man had been probing a wealthy businessman, Xing Xing, who fled to the United States to escape prosecution. Chen himself is then given the highest authority to carry on the investigation, which takes him to the U.S., but he soon realizes he's not meant to succeed." ~ from Publisher Weekly Review

Book One: Death of a Red Heroine
Book Two: A Loyal Character Dancer
Book Three: When Red is Black