My lovely sis-in-law had recommended this book and it was well worth the read. Written by Eliot Pattison, the story is set in Tibet after the Communists took over, a fairly uncommon setting for a mystery. We are introduced to the prisoners of a labor camp, mostly monks and other dissidents, but also a few Chinese communists who just didn't have the right brand of politics. Former inspector Shan Tao Yun apparently made the mistake of going after one too many corrupt officials and is now building roads under the worst physical conditions--cold, hunger, occasional torture, and ongoing physical and psychological brutality by the guards. But then the laborers discover the headless body of a well-dressed Chinese who turns out to be a high ranking official, and now the former inspector is brought out of forced retirement to unofficially investigate and write a quick report that will leave local officials in the clear. Much of the detail involves the practitioners and beliefs of Buddhism which make for fascinating reading--and apparently there are several more books in this series once you're hooked as I was.
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