Dr. Margaret Campbell is a total disaster. Sleep deprived after a long flight to Beijing, totally unaware of local customs and courtesy, the welcome banquet did not go well. And things went downhill from there. Margaret, a forensic pathologist, has come to Beijing for a series of lectures at the university, hoping to find distraction from her life in Chicago. Because her expertise is burn victims, she was asked to help with the autopsy of a burned body found in a city park, and then to assist police detective and newly appointed Section Chief, Li Yin, in the investigation. The culture clash between the two is monumental. This is the first book in an early series by Peter May, originally published in 1999, so if you are one of his fans, don’t expect the depth and atmospheric feeling of the Lewis Trilogy. That being said, I enjoyed it and look forward to the next book. It will be interesting to see his writing gradually mature.

eGalley review                                      Publication date 1.9.18