Damo's Reviews > Death of a Red Heroine

The debut novel by Qiu Xiaolong is a thoughtful and hugely interesting murder mystery set in China in 1990. In a way, the curtain behind which the closed socialist society lives is pulled back to hint at the daily lives of the people and the priorities in which all matters are dealt with. Inspector Chen heads the murder investigation and as well as working as a policeman, he’s also a poet who enjoys just a small level of notoriety.

The murder victim is a highly regarded National Model Worker, an important figure in the Party which makes this a politically sensitive case. One of the primary suspects is the son of a High Cadre member, another politically sensitive position. There is no way that Chen is going to be able to conduct his investigation without close scrutiny from a host of powerful people.

Set just after the events of Tiananmen Square, this is a story that includes deep commentary on the changing attitudes within China. This is underlined when focusing on the Party man who Chen must report to, a man known as Commissar Zhang. An old school party member, Zhang is all too aware that the attitudes and ideals of the younger Chinese people are changing and is just as aware that there is little he can do to stop it. His oversight of Chen, once an important part of the judicial process, appears now to be a superfluous act of bureaucracy.

When it comes to creating an incredibly strong sense of place that the story comes into its own. The city of Shanghai and, indeed, all of the surrounding scenes in which the story is set is brought to vivid life from the sights and sounds of the cities to the everyday habits of the local citizenry. You get a definite sense that the ordinary workers are all doing it very tough, having to come up with creative ways to ensure they put food on the table every day. This includes Chen himself who, although he has his own room, is constantly battling to stock his cupboards.

From what appeared to be a strong start, the main weakness to the story is the meandering nature of the narrative, almost as if the author has been distracted halfway through. Headway is made on the investigation to a certain extent but it’s definitely a staccato affair and requires some patience to follow it.

In the meantime, we’re treated to snippets of verse as Chen indulges his love of poetry which appears to help keep him sane. A sputtering love affair also tends to whisper at the edges of his notice but never appears important enough to capture a significant level of his attention. Fortunately, he’s surrounded by a plethora of friends and colleagues who keep the case ticking over for him.

Overall, I’d have to say I was thoroughly enthralled by the visit to a country and culture which, until now, has been completely closed off to me. I could have done with a little less of the rambling nature of the narrative but Chen has proven himself to be a tenacious and thoughtful character.