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A brisk and suspenseful tale, told with insight and confidence. I won't give any spoilers here, but suffice it to say that the investigation was hampered by the British desire to not lose face. The father of the murdered woman, an unsympathetic character in many ways, persists against all odds in the quest for his daughter's killer.
What I enjoyed most of all, however, was the portrait of Peking during this era. Paul French gives the reader a good grounding in the historical events in China in t ...more
What I enjoyed most of all, however, was the portrait of Peking during this era. Paul French gives the reader a good grounding in the historical events in China in t ...more
This book gave me nightmares. French plunges you so utterly in the fetid world of The Badlands of Peking that you can taste it. I learned about the atmosphere in city at the dawn of WWII and about ugly side of colonial Britain. Here's my teaser: A murdered women's body is found in the shadows of a haunted area in the city. Slashed almost beyond recognition and with her heart cut from her body--hunter-style--Pamela Werner becomes a paragon for the Peking's restless, evil energy. Her crusty father
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It's somewhat rare to encounter a piece of popular non-fiction that's genuinely breaking some novel ground, but French's paper chase about a nearly 80-year-old murder in a city on the brink of occupation is a well-executed exception. Pamela Werner's death and her father's relentless search for the truth of what happened to his daughter is gripping in and of itself, and only becomes more so against a pivotal historical backdrop.
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Jun 15, 2012
Polly-Alida
marked it as to-read
Dec 03, 2012
Kathy Jo
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Sep 01, 2014
Katy
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Mar 15, 2018
Jen
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May 14, 2019
Tammy Grimm
marked it as to-read
May 08, 2021
Kirsten Barber
marked it as to-read
