A review by taylormcneil
Hold Your Breath, China by Qiu Xiaolong

adventurous dark emotional informative mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

As a fan of the Inspector Chen Cao series -- this is the most recent in the series -- I enjoyed the book. Like most of the others in the series, the subtext is all about contemporary China and the failure of the Chinese Communist Party to fairly govern the country. Money and power are what matters in Qui's China -- probably a reasonably accurate judgment. Chen is faced with a serial killer -- and the toxic effects of pollution in a country that put economic growth above the people's health. If you like this series, do read this book -- it's very much in keeping with earlier entries, especially "Don't Cry, Tai Lake," which it is basically a sequel to.