The murders of the son of the U.S. Ambassador to China and the son of a powerful Chinese family launch a joint investigation between the U.S. and China. U.S. Attorney David Stark works with Chinese counterpart, Inspector Liu Hulan to uncover the series of events that led to the murders. This isn't the first meeting for the pair. A decade ago, David and Hulan worked for the same U.S. law firm and were much more than co-workers.

David seems more naive than someone in his position should be. After each conversation with potential suspects, Hulan has to explain the cultural nuances to David (and thus to the reader). Although the web of criminal activity is complex, the narrative is easy to follow. A few too many of the threads are explained briefly after the climactic scene, and it seems a little awkward. (I did listen to the abridged version, but I think I would have had the same reaction to the unabridged novel.)

The setting and plot are similar to Qiu Xiaolong's Inspector Chen crime novels. Readers who like that series may want to give this one a try. ( )