Ghost Hero
New York private investigators Lydia Chin and Bill Smith look into rumors surrounding newly surfaced works by a Chinese artist believed to have died around the Tiananmen era. Questions of forgery, exile, political memory, and collectors' motives converge in a sharply plotted investigation.
Work Information
When works by a dead artist appear, art-market gossip draws buried political memory back into the present.
Ghost Hero is a Lydia Chin and Bill Smith novel by S. J. Rozan. Lydia is hired by a collector to investigate rumors that new works by Chau Chun, an artist thought to have died years earlier, have appeared. The case expands beyond forgery into Tiananmen-era memory, exile, and the New York art market.
Review Summaries
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The novel is praised for crisp dialogue, intelligent structure, and a plot that does not rely heavily on violence. Its integration of art-world intrigue and political history is a central strength.
Book Information
- Publisher
- Minotaur Books
- Published
- 2011-09-27
- Pages
- 325 pages
- Language
- 英語
- Size
- 16.41 x 3.19 x 24.08 cm
- ISBN-13
- 9780312544508
- ISBN-10
- 0312544502
- Price
- 8978 JPY
- Category
- 洋書/Mystery & Thrillers/Police Procedurals
"Rozan again proves that the private detective novel thrives in the 21st century." -- Oline Cogdill, The Sun-Sentinel on On the Line American-Born Chinese PI Lydia Chin is called in on what appears to be a simple case. Jeff Dunbar, art world insider, wants her to track down a rumor. Contemporary Chinese painting is sizzling hot on the art scene and no one is hotter than Chau Chun, known as the Ghost Hero. A talented and celebrated ink painter, Chau's highly-prized work mixes classical forms and modern political commentary. The rumor of new paintings by Chau is shaking up the art world. There’s only one problem – Ghost Hero Chau has been dead for twenty years, killed in the 1989 Tianamen Square uprising. But not only is Ghost Hero Chau long dead, but Lydia’s client isn't who he claims to be either. And she’s not the only PI hired to look for these paintings. Lydia and her partner, Bill Smith, soon learn that someone else – Jack Lee: PI, art expert, and, like Lydia, American Born Chinese – is also on the case. What starts as rumors over new paintings by a dead artist quickly becomes something far more desperate – a high-stakes crisis the PI's will find themselves risking everything to resolve.
S.J. ROZAN is author of many critically acclaimed novels which have won most of crime fiction's greatest honors, including the Edgar, Shamus, Anthony, Macavity, and Nero awards. Born and raised in the Bronx, Rozan now lives in lower Manhattan.
Reviews
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revisiting friends
Yet again SJ Rozan charms with her carefully drawn characters and her well crafted story . Bill Smith and Lydia Chin remain as interesting and fresh now as they were in their first incarnation . Rozan loves NY and breaths life into a city and it's character that I've never even visited . A joy to read .
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Great case
I loved the twists and turns this case took and loved the ending! If I say any more, I'm afraid I will give something away. I got a little confused in some places because there are more characters than I have read in her books before, but it might have had something to do with the time of night/early morning (3-4 am).
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Complex plot
I agree with another reviewer that it is hard to get into the plot. Partly, the plot is "too busy" with too many side characters, descriptions of lunches, etc. You need to stick with it, as it is slow moving in some parts. The plot is interesting enough - rumors about the potential discovery of new paintings by a contemporary Chinese artists famous for his ink paintings, but believed to be dead. Private detectives are hired to track down the rumors, hence, Lydia Chin and Jack Lee enter the case. All is not as it seems. There are competing interests including people who want the paintings found, and someone who does not want them found. There is the Chinese Consulate, someone from the State Department, an art dealer hoping for a profit, and collectors who would like to get there hands on the paintings. The painter was involved in the protest at Tiananmen Square is believed to have been among the people killed. It would case problems for the Chinese government to have events revisited. There is also a side issue concerning a dissident who is in prison in China being "re-educated." The art dealer is in hock to some heavies who will take over his gallery if he can't make some sales to pay off his debt. There are questions about whether the alleged paintings are real or fake, and it now appears that they have been stolen. Some blackmail and other threats are involved as attempts are made to have the paintings authenicated. The problem for Lydia is to solve the case without anyone losing face, or losing their reputations, except for maybe a couple of unscrupulous individuals who get what they deserve. There are some surprises as the action heats up and events wind down to a conclusion.
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Convoluted in the plot
I definitely don't feel this one was worth the $12.99 price. I thought the plot was convoluted with too many competing interests at play that weren't believable to me. While I liked the Jack Lee character, it wasn't clear what part he will play in the Lydia/Bill dynamic. Is he a potential interest for Lydia, thereby killing the attraction/tension between Bill and Lydia? Or will he serve a purpose in another book to yet be penned to draw Lydia and Bill into a bona fide relationship? I love this series because of the undercurrents to the relationship between Lydia and Bill and this book put Bill in the corner.
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S.J. Rozan's colorful characters are better than ever
The Lydia Chin/Bill Smith series is one of the best of it's genre. Rozan's writing style is breezy and filled with words I had to look up, which I love. She cleverly combines east and west, dark and light in her plots as well as her characters. Write on SJ, write on.
Related Literary Awards
- The Dilys Award Edition 21 (2012) ・award