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The Skull Mantra (Inspector Shan #1)

by Eliot Pattison (Goodreads Author)

3.94 · rating details · 688 ratings · 168 reviews

Winner of the 2001 Edgar Award for Best First Novel, Skull Mantra was a sensation when first published and received wide acclaim from critics and readers alike. The Skull Mantra was ranked with Gorky Park and Smilla's Sense of Snow as a novel as much about a people and a place--the Tibetans of the high Himalayas--as it is a gripping thriller. The corpse is missing it...more

Paperback, 416 pages

Published September 30th 2008 by St. Martin's Minotaur (first published 1999)

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Apr 01, 2009

Kelly rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: adventure, rule-of-50, religion

I just couldn't get into this book. It was so slow-moving and the descriptions of the torture just too horrific. It's too bad because it sounded like it would be right up my alley.

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Nov 23, 2008

PaulaB rated it

I knew it was good from the get go, not simple, not easy, but a very well built story, full of details, making it difficult for you but still grabbing your attention every step of the way. And it is indeed a very good crime story.
What I especially liked though, were the details of the characters' names. It's a very cunning way to keep you sharp while you read, and also to state the difference between the Chinese and the Tibetan - it's very hard to keep track and if you don't pay attention...more

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Jun 26, 2009

Nancy rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: general-crime-fiction-and-mystery, mystery-series-first-novel

(read in 2005)

As a debut mystery, this one turned out pretty well, which is something I do not say often. The plot was good, the characterization done well, and the writing kept me interested until I finished.

Shan Tao Yun was a highly placed investigator in Beijing who has found himself in the Chinese version of a gulag in the Tibetan mountains. His mates in the prison camp consist largely of Tibetan monks who have been arrested at various times with the takeover of the PRC i...more

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Apr 28, 2009

Annabelle rated it

· review of another edition

I loved this book. It has such a unique and creative setting and conceit, a Chinese Detective who was a good party member but a bit too honest, is sent to the Gulag in Tibet, and is transformed by the Tibetan Buddhist priest he is imprisoned with. He becomes transformed and bonded to their struggle, trying to keep the Chinese military from abusing them more. He vividly depicts the landscape, the Buddhist subculture, beliefs, practices, and the unremitting genocidal practices of the Chinese. He ...more

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May 18, 2011

Jacqie rated it

· review of another edition

I really did love this book. The reason for four stars instead of five is that I had some difficulty with patching together the engrossing scenes to make sense of the whole plot. This is probably user error on my part- the book is rich and densely written and I think I tried to read it too quickly. The author uses a mystery framework to explore the situation between Tibet and China, Chinese politics, and China's relationship with Western business. There is so much in here. Shan is a wonderf...more

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Apr 03, 2011

Sophie rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: crime-fiction, owned, fiction, favorites

I usually try to make sure to read series in the correct order, but because of ~various circumstances~ I didn't do that in the case of this series and I ended up reading the first book after having read the second and the third.

It's been a while since I've loved a series of books as much as I love these, so please don't expect an objective review here.

What was interesting for me to see was that in comparison to the second and the third book, the first one resembles much mor...moreI usually try to make sure to read series in the correct order, but because of ~various circumstances~ I didn't do that in the case of this series and I ended up reading the first book after having read the second and the third.

It's been a while since I've loved a series of books as much as I love these, so please don't expect an objective review here.

What was interesting for me to see was that in comparison to the second and the third book, the first one resembles much more a traditional crime novel. One set in a very different environment than usual, but altogether the focus is a lot more on the case than it is in the other two books I've read. Which is a good thing when it comes to recommending it to people looking for new crime novels, I think, because that way there is enough familiarity in the book to make the reading experience more comfortable to people who would be put off by too much foreignness. (I do not mean that as an insult or a criticism. But one of the things I have noticed at work is that while people may be looking for something new, sometimes it's best if it's not too different from what they're used to, at least at first.)

In this book, we meet Shan Tao Yun for the the first time. He's a prisoner of a lao gai, a labor camp in the Himalayas. A former government inspector, he is one of the few Chinese imprisoned there. When a body is discovered in the mountains, he is asked to investigate by the highest official in the region, because of his previous experience.

The case is well-constructed and builds up slowly, with the puzzle pieces coming together one by one. Pattison is good at this, but what he does even better is describe the people and the situation they're in, whether it's the Tibetans or the Chinese. I like that he tries to describe the people in all their facets, and I find that he manages to capture their humanity, with all their faults. Even though there is good and bad, there is no black and white.

And I don't think I've ever read a book that is so good at describing places and their meaning. When Shan is in Lhasa and sees the Potala palace for the first time, his awe is palpable. The same goes for when Shan is visiting the different gompas and, well, everything really. Pattison really lets the reader see and feel the places he is describing.

The only complaint I have about this book is that there is not enough Lokesh. But, since I wouldn't have felt that way if I hadn't read the other books first, I don't think that is a valid complaint.

I don't think this kind of book is something for everyone, but then again, few books are. But it is the right book for me, right now, and I am very happy to have read it. (less)

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Jan 14, 2009

Jane rated it

· review of another edition

For those of you who enjoy reading mysteries and/or for those of you who are interested in Tibet, I have a book recommendation for you. As you may or may not know, I've been slowly working my way through the rather large collection of paperback mysteries in my employer's library. There's one that's been sitting there for a while that I'd been ignoring due to its horribly cheezy title. I finally picked it up the other day and read the back of the book and decided to give it a try. The book is The...more

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Jan 24, 2012

Brendan rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: 2011, fiction, history-journalism, mystery

The Skull Mantra follows the investigations of Shan, a Chinese prisoner in a Tibetan labor camp, exiled for his mis-steps in the political minefield of Beijing. When a headless corpse is discovered on the road leading out of town, Shen is recruited by the local military leader, Colonel Tan, to run a parallel investigation alongside the official Ministry of Justice inquiry. The ensuing adventure digs down to the core of the Chinese presence in Tibet, to the essence of contemporary Communism and...moreThe Skull Mantra follows the investigations of Shan, a Chinese prisoner in a Tibetan labor camp, exiled for his mis-steps in the political minefield of Beijing. When a headless corpse is discovered on the road leading out of town, Shen is recruited by the local military leader, Colonel Tan, to run a parallel investigation alongside the official Ministry of Justice inquiry. The ensuing adventure digs down to the core of the Chinese presence in Tibet, to the essence of contemporary Communism and corruption, and to the vile treatment the Chinese government brings to bear on those who resist its rule. A few thoughts:

We read this book for my mystery book club and while the mystery is solid and interesting, this is really a book about Tibet and its struggle under Chinese rule. At the same time, Pattison does an excellent job including only information necessary for the telling of the story--or rather, building a story that necessitates telling a lot about how Tibetans live today. The resolution of the mystery is pretty complex, but Pattison does a great job pulling all the threads together into a narrative that explains the mystery nicely.
The mystery is fraught with tension as our investigator must play his cards from a powerless position within a matrix of influences, political dangers, and secrecy. The complex system of respect and language results in multifaceted conversations in which people say one thing, mean another, and accidentally reveal a third.
Comrade Shan is an intriguing character, a man with strong integrity who has come to embrace Buddhism late in life but still clings to secular ideas of justice and ethics. He makes a good intermediary through which Western eyes like mine can view the events.
Boy, Americans sure come off looking dopey in this book. Throughout the novel, the impending visit of American tourists looms over everyone's actions, completely aware that to make the government look bad when the tourists show up would be the worst crime someone could commit. Sure enough, they turn up at a critical time and the scene is darn funny for it.
My favorite scene is Shan's visit to the rogyapa village, a place where Tibetans bring their corpses for sky burial (the ritual of cutting up the bodies to offer to vultures). The people from the villages are both revered and shunned, objects of both admiration and fear. There's a funny moment where one of the soldiers is wrestling with some of the rogyapa children and they pull out toy cleavers and pretend to cut off his limbs to prepare him for sky burial. Yikes.

The Skull Mantra is a lovely book, full of moving images and thoughtful language. It has a complex mystery that takes real teasing out. It reads a little slow in the beginning, but overall it's quite good.(less)

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Sep 26, 2009

Carl rated it

· review of another edition

I'm being generous in giving this 3 stars. In a way, it reminded me of a Tony Hillerman book: a body found in mysterious circumstances, which can only be explained by delving into the native culture/religion, which is at odds with the modern, conquering culture, so someone must bridge that gap to understand, thus find, the killer(s). Add a remote, beautiful, exotic location, an intricate plot, and you may have a great book.

The main problem with this book was the overly intricate ...more

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Aug 20, 2009

Joyce Hansen rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: award-winner, current-events, history, thriller, suspense-fiction, religion

Hearing Nancy Pearl on NPR this morning reminded me that I had read this gripping mystery a few years back, and I highly recommend it.

Summary: The corpse is missing its head and is dressed in American clothes. Found by a Tibetan prison work gang on a windy cliff, the grisly remains clearly belong to someone too important for Chinese authorities to bury and forget. So the case is handed to veteran police inspector Shan Tao Yun. Methodical, clever Shan is the best man for the job, but...more

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Dec 28, 2009

Bruce rated it

This mystery is intriguing and well written. However, more intriguing to me is its cultural and political description and commentary, occurring in Tibet and portraying the tensions between the Chinese rulers and the Tibetan people. The monastic and Buddhist culture is fascinating, and their intimate place in daily life is illuminating. The protagonist, Shan, is a Chinese man on a largely Tibetan work gang in the gulag, sentenced to an indefinite number of years on trumped up charges when hi...moreThis mystery is intriguing and well written. However, more intriguing to me is its cultural and political description and commentary, occurring in Tibet and portraying the tensions between the Chinese rulers and the Tibetan people. The monastic and Buddhist culture is fascinating, and their intimate place in daily life is illuminating. The protagonist, Shan, is a Chinese man on a largely Tibetan work gang in the gulag, sentenced to an indefinite number of years on trumped up charges when his investigations as a detective in Beijing threatened those in power. Now a murder has occurred and he is temporarily released from the labor gang to lead an investigation, an investigation that the political leadership intends as a perfunctory political whitewash rather than a true effort to ascertain facts.

Pattison skillfully develops many characters in addition to Shan, and it is a tribute to his skill as an author that in the context of this genre several characters become very rounded. The mystery becomes ever more convoluted and interesting, and loyalties and alliances are unclear. In general, the author’s sympathies lie with the Tibetans rather than with the Chinese occupiers, but there are wheels within wheels that make the situation entrancingly complex. I don’t know to what extent Pattison’s descriptions of Tibetan culture and the relationships between those people and that culture and the Chinese is accurate, but it conforms to all that I have learned elsewhere. Pattison does the reading public a service in so entertainingly illuminating these issues. For much of the novel I was convinced that he would never be able to disentangle the multiple narrative strands that he had brought into play, but the solution was elegant and convincing.

Nevertheless, what will continue to haunt me for a long time is the picture provided of the character of the Tibetan people and their faith, so very different from anything in my direct experience. Buddhism and Taoism are so integral to their daily lives that one is forced to examine one’s own values and conceptions. Fascinating.
(less)

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Mar 14, 2009

janet rated it

· review of another edition

Recommended to janet by: Susan

If you have ever been interested in Tibet, you will proabably be as fascinated by this book as I was. I think critics' comparisons to Smilla's Sense of Snow and Gorky Park are right on the money. I don't normally read mysteries, but my aunt recommended it highly years ago, and I am glad I read it.

You should know that the author is very critical of Chinese politics and its justice system, not only what it has done to Tibet, though there are sympathetic Chinese characters, especial...more

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Nov 19, 2009

Alain Dewitt rated it

· review of another edition

A few months ago, I listened to a podcast by an author/hero of mine, Richard K. Morgan. He was talking about 'Air' by Geoff Ryman. He said it wasn't a great science fiction novel. It was a great novel period.

The same is true of Eliot Pattison's 'The Skull Mantra'. It's not a great mystery novel. It's a great novel period. It's an intricate mystery set in modern-day Tibet. It will keep you guessing until the very end. For me a great mystery is one where you feel like you have all the ...more

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Oct 09, 2009

HBalikov rated it

· review of another edition

A first class mystery! A Chinese political prisoner, now on a road gang in Tibet finds himself forced to investigate a beheading when the corpse turns up on the construction site. I learned a lot about Tibet history and its people, and almost as much about Buddhism. Pattison does this while not breaking the plot. He has a great sense of characterization and, at the end, you don't doubt that things happened in the way they did. One question remains: How soon do I pick up another of his books?...more

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Sep 18, 2010

Susan rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: mysteries

This is one of the most unusual mysteries I've ever read--the detective is a Chinese policeman who was unjustly imprisoned in a Tibetan prison camp. He is temporarily released (under guard) to solve the murder of a Chinese official serving in Tibet. What makes this book extremely rich are the conflict/comparisons between the detective's own Chinese culture now being imposed on Tibet by the Chinese government and the Tibetan Buddhist culture. Many of the characters in the story stand between wo...more

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Jan 31, 2010

Lotte rated it

· review of another edition

I found Pattison's most recent Inspector Shan mystery at the library a few weeks ago and was impressed, then thrilled when I discovered that I was reading the latest of about 10 in a series. I have lots of great mystery reading ahead of me. Living in Tibet, Shan, a displaced Han Chinese, is frequently called upon to use the skills of an earlier life as an inspector in Beijing. Although the books are contemporary, they seem to simultaneously span multiple centuries in the diversity of Tibetan lif...more

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Apr 07, 2009

Edward rated it

· review of another edition

For some strange reason I found this book to be a relaxing read. It did take some time to get into the storey but I found the descriptions of Tibetan culture and religion woven into the storeyline to be a nice way to gain insight into the situation in Tibet. I find the ending to be an interesting contrast to the Tibetan monks spirituality and approach to their lives. Trying to keep track of the characters and their relationships to the bigger picture was difficult at times as I was primarily ...more

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Dec 20, 2011

Sam Bledsoe rated it

· review of another edition

In the ranks of the murder mystery genre, entirely unique (in my limited experience-- I'm a casual devotee of MM, not an addict). 'Exotic' hardly says it. If plot is strategy and characterization tactics, the novel is militarily flawless. However both depend upon logistics, the downfall of many a campaign. I have to say that the logistics of this story are far from transparent. The details are confusing, especially as regards geography. Some authors go into extensive detail about places and the...more

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Oct 21, 2009

Joshua rated it

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I don't often opt to read mystery novels placed in a contemporary setting but The Skull Mantra by Eliot Pattison has hooked me on a new series featuring Inspector Shan, a former Beijing prosecutor who, for obscure reasons (we can assume his quest for truth and justice has worried a certain high party official) has found himself on a prison work detail in Tibet.

When the workers discover a headless corpse dressed in western clothes, Shan is "asked" to investigate by the Ch...more

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Aug 19, 2011

MJ rated it

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Shelves: mystery

I checked his out because I read Ashes of the Earth and liked it so much. This book is quite different but has the same thoughtful prose integrating the past with its effects on the present.

Chinese former inspector displeased highly place party bigwigs in Beijing so was sent to a conscript camp in Tibet. Because of his background the lead camp officer forces him to solve the murder of the former inspector. Lot of info. about Chinese takeover of Tibet and the destruction of Buddhist m...more

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Apr 29, 2009

Monica rated it

· review of another edition

Interesting to read the mixed reviews about this book, which I freaking LOVED and blew through in three nights.
The Tibetan setting is fascinating and beautifully rendered, and I learned an enormous amount about the Buddist religion. I also liked that while the Chinese regime is depicted as horrifically brutal as most oppressive regimes are, Pattison has still created sympathetic, human Chinese characters and resisted the easy temptation to reduce the Tibetan vs. Chinese stuggle into a cart...more

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Jul 31, 2010

Ruby rated it

· review of another edition

I'm not a huge mystery fan, but NPR had a list of mysteries you might have missed, and so far I'm two for two on loving them.

I'm extremely interested in Tibet and the history of the Chinese re-education under Mao. This is the story of an investigator who gets too close to the truth on some government issues and finds himself in a gulag in Tibet - as far away from his Beijing home as possible. While in prison, he is called out to solve a mystery - partly because he is disposable if h...more

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Aug 06, 2011

Alan added it · review of another edition

This book appeared magically in my stack of to read books. I don't remember who gave it to me. Excellent murder mystery that takes place in and around a prison camp in Tibet. The protagonist is a former high ranking Chinese investigator who was sent to the prison without trial for getting too close to discovering corruption in a high level Minister in Beijing. He has been pulled from the labor gang to conduct an independent investigation. Lots of detail about Tibetan Buddhism and the destru...more

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Sep 28, 2009

Laura rated it

· review of another edition

This was an incredibly difficult novel to read. It takes place in current day Chinese-occupied Tibet. The protagonist, Shan, is a former investigator now prisoner working in a Tibetan labor camp.

The subject matter took me way out of my comfort zone. I felt that I shouldn't even read such a novel, for how could I root for the main character (whom I liked) when at any time he might be killed by the authorities? And even if he did solve the murder he had been assigned to tidy up, who's ...more

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Sep 15, 2011

Guna rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: historical, mysteries

This novel is set in contemporary Tibet, and the characters must always deal with the Chinese overlords. Most monasteries has been destroyed, and monks and nuns killed. Some who are left are sent to brutal labor camps. A Chinese man, previously an Inspector in Beijing, has crossed his political bosses, and is also at this camp. The prisoners find a headless body, and Shan is pulled out of the camp and told to find the murderer. There is a lot on Tibetan mysticism and custom, as well as info...more

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Jan 05, 2009

S.E. Allain rated it

This was an interesting book. I had never read a book that took place in Tibet and it was really exciting for me to experience that culture. I thought it was a good mystery, but I got confused often with the Chinese and Tibetan names for things. I also was a little turned off by equating whoever committed the murder with being possessed with Tamdin. But, I suppose that is there culture. All in all, it was a good book, but nothing earth shattering. The best part was learning about the terrible st...more

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May 07, 2011

Oluc rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: poche

The Skull Mantra (Dans la gorge du gragon)
is an investigation story book, that takes place in Tibet during the 70s (about). It is very descriptive writing style, IMHO the investigation is more a pretext to walk through different places and meet various people. It presents the situation in a much more realistic way than "Chinese bad invaders against Tibetans good people". There is a fair share of politic, but it is not a blind "free Tibet", they are real people who tries...more

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Feb 13, 2010

Joyce Lagow rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: police-procedural

1st in the Inspector Shan Tao Yun series, set in contemporary Tibet.[return][return]Shan, a former inspector in the Ministry of Justice in Beijing, is now a prisoner in a hard labor brigade in Tibet, having suddenly fallen out of favor with the Minster. He is the only Chinese in a work gang of Tibetan Buddhist monks. After 4 years with the monks, learning from them as they continue to teach and practice their religion, Shan himself is more Tibetan than Chinese.[return][return]But after the dis...more1st in the Inspector Shan Tao Yun series, set in contemporary Tibet.[return][return]Shan, a former inspector in the Ministry of Justice in Beijing, is now a prisoner in a hard labor brigade in Tibet, having suddenly fallen out of favor with the Minster. He is the only Chinese in a work gang of Tibetan Buddhist monks. After 4 years with the monks, learning from them as they continue to teach and practice their religion, Shan himself is more Tibetan than Chinese.[return][return]But after the discovery of the decapitated body of the prosecutor for Lhadrung County, Colonel Tan, who is in charge of the military forces of the labor camp, pulls Shan out of the brigade and puts him to work investigating the murder. Shan agrees only because a monks is accused of the murder, which Shan knows to be impossible. The Tibetans beliee that it is the work of Tamdin, a protective demon, who has been awakened by the road construction on a sacred mountain.The investigation inevitably, in Chinese Communist-run Tibet, takes on an ugly political dimension, making Shan s task more difficult and more dangerous since he seems to be competing against opposing political factions.[return][return]A debut novel, this is an uneven book, as much of the earlier part of the plot is confusing. What saves the story is Pattison s depiction of Tibet and its suffering under Chinese rule. Pattison gives an especially powerful and sympathetic--one could call it empathetic--view of Tibetan Buddhism, the role it plays in the lives of ordinary Tibetans, and the courage of the Tibetan monks to continue to uphold their values in the face of daily persecution and degradation. [return][return]The plot itself is good, involving as it does Tibetan beliefs as an integral part of the story. It's a rather straightforward police procedural with no real twists, but good enough to sustain the plot. The real story is, of course, Tibet.[return][return]The weakest part of the plot involves Americans who are operating a boron mine in the area. They and their motives do strain credulity, but in the end, they are the least important aspect of the book; the most important is Tibet, its people, and the fidelity of those people to an ancient way of life.[return][return]A promising start, with an unusual protagonist and an exotic locale.(less)

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Mar 12, 2010

Hazel rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: crime

Thanks to Bruce for the recommendation. This was a teasing glimpse into Tibetan Buddhist spirituality and the culture and history of Tibet under Chinese rule. I'm not particularly into mysteries, but loved the setting of this one. I am intrigued by the idea of a spirituality that can resist and triumph over oppression, without being tainted by the oppressor, like water making its way through surrounding rock.

In Literary Fiction by People of Colour, I've been discussing James Baldwin'...more

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Jan 05, 2009

Schmacko rated it

· review of another edition

This book took me weeks to read!

I am not particularly complaining, as I am stating a fact. Usually, books take me a few days, maybe two weeks. The Skull Mantra took me from October 22… And I admit that I got distracted buy three other books, partially because even though it peeked my curiosity, The Skull Mantra is also an incredibly dense read.

It’s a great book, but I have to admit as an American reader, I had a hard time keeping focused. The Skull Mantra is about a m...moreThis book took me weeks to read!

I am not particularly complaining, as I am stating a fact. Usually, books take me a few days, maybe two weeks. The Skull Mantra took me from October 22… And I admit that I got distracted buy three other books, partially because even though it peeked my curiosity, The Skull Mantra is also an incredibly dense read.

It’s a great book, but I have to admit as an American reader, I had a hard time keeping focused. The Skull Mantra is about a murder in Chinese-controlled Tibet. The victim is a Chinese official, and the suspect is a Tibetan monk.

In Tibet right now, several Buddhist monks are in prisons working on roads, bridges, ditches. In a fictional version of these real prisons—the fictional one being called the 404th—there is also a Chinese prisoner, Shan, who used to be a great investigator, but because he pissed some people off in Beijing, he’s been sent to the 404th – to spend the rest of his life an unofficial prisoner lost among the monks. The warden of the 404th, sensing that the murder of the Chinese official is more elaborate and may implicate the warden, makes Shan start his own investigation.. Shan is assigned the warden’s favorite guard, Feng, and a re-educated Tibetan monk, Yeshe, to help with his unofficial investigation.

However, Shan’s investigation is constantly complicated by an American mining operation, as well as the opening of a Buddhist tourist spot for American tourists.

On top of that, the monks both in and outside of the prison think the murder was done by a protective demon called Tamdin. Several Tibetans and Chinese have actually witnessed the demon.

On top of that, there is a monastery hidden in the mountains, one that must remain hidden according to the Tibetan monks.

Confused yet?

There is a LOT going on in The Skull Mantra. Maybe too much. But I did learn a lot about Tibetan politics, Chinese policy, and Buddhism. Author Elliott Patterson did his research, which is why he won the 1999 Edgar for the book, I believe. And the murder mystery is fascinating. I did, however, feel like the main plot was being unfairly obfuscated throughout with tangents, red herrings, obscure history, and the like. There was a little of this that reminded me of Elizabeth Kostovo’s The Historian, in a bad way, as I felt we were sent on several wild goose chases. What saves Patterson is that he is also always telling us fascinating things about the philosophy and history. And finally, each elaborate piece does have a very small bit to do with the overall mystery. Sometimes these tangents are only barely linked to the murder mystery by a very thin thread – the monk’s orphans and that lost monastery being two of the many fascinating but major, off-plot detours.

I’d recommend this book to only the very patient and focused.
(less)

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About Eliot Pattison

Edgar Award winning Eliot Pattison has been described as a "writer of faraway mysteries," a label which is particularly apt for someone whose travel and interests span a million miles of global trekking, visiting every continent but Antarctica. An international lawyer by training, Pattison first combined his deep concerns for the people of Tibet with his interest in fiction writing in Th...more

More about Eliot Pattison...

Books by Eliot Pattison

Bone Rattler: A Mystery of Colonial America (Duncan McCallum, #1)

Water Touching Stone (Inspector Shan, #2)

Prayer of the Dragon (Inspector Shan, #5)

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