Flower Net
by Lisa See
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 114)
Read in July, 2008
Good first novel about the mysterious deaths of two young men: one found in a tank of a cargo ship hauling illegal human cargo from China to Los Angeles, the other buried in an ice skating pond near Beijing. Soon both the FBI and Chinese investigators are pairing up to solve the crimes.
Flower Net follows the attempts by Chinese police detective Liu Hulan and LA assistant attorney general David Stark to penetrate the murky world of Chinese gangs. Author Lisa See occasionally falls to west vs....more
Flower Net follows the attempts by Chinese police detective Liu Hulan and LA assistant attorney general David Stark to penetrate the murky world of Chinese gangs. Author Lisa See occasionally falls to west vs....more
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Read in April, 2008
This is a difficult book to review. If I could rate the portions set in China, I'd hastily give the novel a five star rating. On the other hand, I'd have to give three stars to the sections set in America. See's descriptive flare, which I've enjoyed immensely in her other fiction works, sparkles when the characters are in China - as do her Chinese characters. I especially liked the doctor of herbal medicine. Some of the U.S. law enforcement agents are a bit flat and the relationship between Hula...more
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This story immediately drew me in and took me on an unexpected journey. See successfully juxtaposes Chinese and United States culture and politics against each other using her two protagonists. The mysterious and intelligent Liu Hulan is the rare female investigator of crimes in Beijing China. She is called when a body of a young American is found frozen in a lake. The young man is the son of the United States Ambassador. Liu's counterpart in L.A., U.S. DA David Stark, finds the body of a w...more
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I have read very few mystery novels. Gorky Park, which this one has been compared to, is the only one that comes to mind. But I would probably enjoy reading Lisa See's grocery list. Her 3 mystery novels (read Flower Net, then Interior and Dragon Bones last) are extremely well-written and feature a complex and compelling woman detective. They each illuminate a different aspect of modern Japan; Dragon Bones is about the Three River Gorges Dam and Flower Net is about the cheap labor factories whe...more
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Read in January, 2008
The hidden character of this book is the cultural ethos of China, which invades the story at various moments. Why people can and cannot do what they do in China is a mystery to both the Chinese and non-Chinese characters of this novel. It made me wonder if things are still the same in 2008 compared with 1998 when the book was written, or if China is very different now in its conduct of things like government-to-government relationships than it used to be. Anyways, it's a rip-roaring story, with...more
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Read in January, 2008
This was a random pick-up at Barnes and Noble the night before I left on my honeymoon. A definite step up from the Mary Higgins Clark/James Patterson suspenseful murder mystery, this novel by Lisa See did not disappoint! The murder of the son of a U.S. Ambassador, and the sun of one of China's elite send an American attorney and an unconventional Chinese police detective around the world and back in an attempt to find the killer. Another great beach read, but also a window into the city of Beiji...more
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Read in June, 2008
This was a much "lighter" book than the other two by Lisa See that I've read. Flower Net is basically a mystery and like any good mystery, it grabs you, sucks you in, and the next thing you know all you want to do is read the book until the last page is turned. It takes place in modern-day China and Los Angeles and has murder, deception, and a love story wrapped into the storyline. A good summer book.
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2 deaths, an American in China and a Chinese on a ship with undocumented immigrants off the coast of the US seem to be connected to Detective Lui Hulan and US Attorney David Stark who were involved years ago before Hulan returned to China. This leads them to uncovering secrets best left alone.
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Read in August, 2008
This is one of the Red Princess series. I've read one and enjoyed it - interesting insights into modern China. Seems timely with the Olympics. This is different from her other books like Peony in Love - once I got to the foot binding section I stopped - too horrific!
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The setting and details about China were fascinating but the story did not have the emotional resonance that See creates in her non-thriller tales. Perhaps I want too much from a so-called mystery/thriller. That said, I will at some point read the next in the series.
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I liked this book quite a bit for its setting in late 20th century China and its exploration of the obscurities of contemporary Chinese culture. The heroine, a "Red Princess," illustrates how privilege can shift in a revolutionary culture.
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Fairly good mystery/thriller utilizing the Chinese culture & locations with which See is so familiar. What I considered unrealistic may be attributable to my own wimpiness in shunning life threatening situations rather than pursuing them.
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Mystery taking place mostly in modern-day China. Very interesting to learn about the Chinese culture, and the mystery is good too. This is the first of several books from the "Red Princess" series (with the same protagonist).
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Read in April, 2008
The ultimate resolution of the murders is a little bit too grandiose to be believed, but See's insights into the ambiguity of modern China are always of interest and the relationship between Hulan and David is a winner.
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Read in June, 2007
I really enjoyed reading about the Chinese culture and how difficult it was for someone from the U.S. to try to work in that kind of culture. An interesting story line with some crazy rollercoaster twists and turns.
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This was an interesting mystery with a surprising ending that made a lot of sense. What I liked best about it was the glimpse of modern Chinese culture it provides. The author clearly knows her stuff.
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The first and best of the Red Princess mysteries. Inspector Liu Hulan shines in a complex novel in which tragedies of the past continue to influence the present (1997). Powerful.
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This was a nice combination of mystery novel and glimpse into (relatively) modern-day China both culturally and politically. Good read, but a bit formulaic in the end.
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Read in June, 2008
A little more hardboiled than I like, but very well written. I'll be reading the others. I still with Snow Flower and the Secret Fan is my favorite of hers though.
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A good read - although set in more modern time China. I enjoyed her other two books better as they are set in ancient China.
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