A Loyal Character Dancer, Qiu Xiaolong

   This is the second in a series of novels about Chief Inspector Chen by Qiu Xiaolong. I was very pleased with the first novel in this series. Qiu Xiaolong is a remarkable writer. Consider that he did not spend the first 40 years of his life in the US. Further, he teaches English in the US. These novels of his were written in English, not translated from his native Mandarin into English. That is quite respectable alone. But it is not enough to make me want to read these stories. Yet, here I am, fascinated and addicted to the characters, the setting, the romance built into these.
    This book surrounds a murder and a disappearance. One man is mysteriously murdered and his corpse left in a park. The woman who has disappeared, the loyal character dancer, is of intense interest by both the underground mafia, and the American government, who has sent a special marshal, Catherine Rohn, to retrieve the woman, Wen Liping, who has disappeared.
   The Americans want her because she is a part of an agreement which is contingent for a man, her husband, in the US, to testify against some major mafia figures. But the whole affair is much more complex than it appears.
   The book is set in the late 80s, but it is affected by events that had happened in the 60s. In the 60s, Mao sent China's educated youth to the countryside to learn how to work like peasants. Wen, being a young woman in this period, is particularly beautiful, and becomes a victim to a local magistrate's influence. He wants her, so he takes her against her will. He marries her. He beats her. He cheats on her. She is subjected to debilitating work. Her life was one of misery. So, when the call came for her to go to the US to rejoin him, she could hardly be blamed for not wanting to go to him. But, the politics of the situation is too great for her to ignore.
   She had managed to find a place to hide. But, eventually Chen is able to unravel her whereabouts. He eventually convinces her that the mafia has connections everywhere, and that eventually they will find his report which identifies where she is located. When she is located, her benefactor will suffer the consequences for having harbored her. So, eventually she agrees, though Catherine is able to promise to her that she will not be forced to stay with her husband.
   Chen is very wary. Despite being romantic, he is also quite paranoid. He pays attention and is savvy. He knows he is being watched, and that he has enemies. He doesn't really trust anyone except his trusty sidekick and his sidekick's father, referred to as Old Hunter.
   I really enjoyed this novel. I recommend it. I will be reading the third in this series probably within a month.

The Executioner #1: Mafia Wars, Don Pendleton

   I remember a long time ago, my mom bought or was given a box filled with books from a couple of series: The Executioner and The Destroyer. I probably read every one of the Destroyer series that the box contained. Maybe there were 60 or so in the box. I really enjoyed them. The other series was The Executioner. I may have read one or two, I cannot really remember. But I never took to it. For whatever reason, I wanted to give it a shot. So, I got this one and gave it a read.
   Joe Kenney classifies it as "glorious trash." I think he's being a bit generous, myself. These books are trash. They probably translate to TV movies or episodes very well. It's so kitsch. For Kenney, the book is a monument against political correctness. It might not be politically correct in today's climate, but it wasn't in its own day. Quite frankly, I don't find it to be politically reckless at all. It just doesn't fit today's climate.
   The hero is getting revenge against the mafia for killing his father over a trivial debt. That's how it all gets started. He goes on a planned rampage that brings the entire mafia down in his area. My problem with it is that, though the mafia is certainly involved in bad affairs, there is a certain kind of peace because of their ability to monopolize their trade. There are no turf wars. But, once they are removed, there will be a kind of power vacuum which means a kind of war. I guess that is a fairly serious look at how Bolan's actions would have long lasting impact on the area when it's just a cheap thrills type of book. Such thinking isn't really important. Bolan's father took a loan he couldn't pay back, and he paid with his life. But was it worth killing dozens of people over it? Perhaps those soldiers who fought for the profit lines of the mafia aren't worth anything. It's just a story, right?
   The other thing that I found so kitsch was the 'romance'. The porno scenes inside are so cheesy as he gets into these sort of semi-grotesque sounding women who welcome him with open legs like the cheesy sluts they're portrayed to be. I love sluts. But I prefer my sluts to have something between their ears as well as their legs. They don't have to be smart, but they ought to have more personality than a cardboard box or an inflatable doll.
   Books like this are good because they give me a contrast to the high quality fiction which I am generally fond of reading. I think Stephen King, among others, mentions that it's a good habit to read everything good or bad. I would have to say the chances of me reading The Executioner #2 are slim to none.