The Murder of Mr. Ma

This is the debut novel for John Shen Yen Nee, but co-author S. J. Rozan has numerous titles to her credit.  The two protagonists of this tale were actual people...who lived 1200 years apart. Judge Dee is based on Di Re Jie (630-700 CE), who was made into the protagonist of a mystery series (Judge Dee) by author Robert van Gulik in the 1940's and 1950's. Apparently, there is also a "Detective Dee" film series. Lao She was the pen name of Shu Qing Chun, an intellectual who navigated the Boxer Rebellion and died during the Cultural Revolution. In 1924, Lao She wrote Mr. Ma and Son, a father-son duo who, while living in London, confronted the duality of a British fascination with cultural artifacts and fear of a "yellow peril." Interesting pairing. What is even more interesting to me is that, although John came up with the idea and general plot line for the book, S.J. Rozan did all the research and writing. Living Kung Fu master teachers.choreographed the fight scenes in this book. 

Publishers Weekly says of the book, "a bewitching series kickoff that cleverly riffs on the Holmes/Watson dynamic" and concludes their brief plot summary with this recommendation: "The intricate plot, which is bolstered by vivid period detail and playfully riffs on real-life figures in Chinese history (including Lao), is enhanced by healthy doses of humor and well-orchestrated action. Readers will be clamoring for a sequel."

Here is Library Journal's review: Rozan and Nee "create a distinct sense of time and place in this brisk adventure. Lao She teaches Chinese at a London university in 1924 and leads a peaceful life--until Bertrand Russell sends for him. Lao anticipates a quiet discussion about China. Instead, he's sent to jail to impersonate Judge Dee Ren Jie, who was accidentally swept up when police arrested a group of Chinese agitators. After the pair stir up trouble and cause a riot, Dee involves Lao in his plans to solve a murder. Dee served in the Chinese Labour Corps in France in the Great War. One of his former compatriots, a merchant, has been murdered. Then two more Chinese men are killed, all with a butterfly sword. Along with Lao, Dee enlists a shopkeeper, a British thief, and a group of urchins in his investigation. Lao narrates their adventures as Dee impersonates a street legend, "Springheel Jack, the Terror of London," swinging from lampposts and launching himself across rooftops in search of a killer. VERDICT Fans of the Sherlock Holmes canon will appreciate this fast-paced, exciting novel."

Watch the official book launch and meet the authors, the Kung Fu master and see a "lion dance." There is an interview with both authors from the LA Public library