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My first book by See and I liked it.
This was a disappointing read. I do love that it was book-ended by Hulan rather than the really irritating and passively arrogant David Stark. The romance of the two (if you can call it that when it has elements of abuse in it) gets in the way of what in some ways is a good story-puzzle. I predicted the twists but I have been reading crime fiction for years and I think in some ways they were well structured. What I didn't enjoy was the descriptions of various gruesome crime scenes (luckily these...
Definitely not one of Lisa See's best books. She should stick to the wonderful Chinese historical fiction she does so well. Flower Net is also set in China, but in almost-modern China (late 90s). The characters are flat and unbelievable and the story is stilted. Seriously, who is going to believe that an experienced attorney who has worked all over the world, who had planned to marry a Chinese woman and who has spent the last several years investigating Chinese mafia activity is really going to
This book had been sitting on my to-be-read shelf for a while. I finally decided to read it because my reading group, Novel Conversations, decided to read a geographical book, one set in an Asian country. I have read several of Lisa See's historical Chinese stories and enjoyed them and her writing style, So this modern story, which bounced between China and California, got its chance. I am now planning to pick up and read the other books in this series.Hulan, an inspector for the MPS, and David,...
This book is very, very good. Tight plot, well established characters and thrilling moments make this one of my favorite mysteries. Lisa See is a master story teller and should write more like this as there are only 2 more in the series. The story combines the underworlds of both China and California, giving insights into a level of society few get to see. Ms See does her homework!
Brilliant plotting paired with truly wretched dialogue. Come for the action, tune out the talk.keywords: rich brats eat weird, Cultural Revolution fallout, scary corpses, Beijing is not for wimps, that'll teach 'em, honor your aunties darnit, keeping the family compound, the trouble with bear bile
I have very much enjoyed Lisa See's historical fiction. She has a way of drawing you into a world that can be incredibly foreign to most readers.I happened to find this 'early' work of hers at a used book sale. I like detective stories, but typically not the 'gritty/graphic' crime genre. However, this novel is impeccably researched and her writing style is so skilled and engaging that I thoroughly enjoyed it and will seek out the remaining 2 books in the series. There are some fairly gruesome sc...
The story in Lisa See’s Flower Net begins with two murders and government interest in stabilizing the China-U.S. diplomatic relations. As the two nations tentatively unite in common purpose, U. S. attorney, David Stark, has a lot to learn about China and Chinese ways. Haunted by a broken love affair he’s unprepared for his former lover to be a central figure in the investigation.Named for a Chinese revolutionary heroine, Liu Hulan is a modern career woman and determined criminal investigator in
I dithered with the rating and the review of this book. I have read and loved Lisa See's historical fiction but this was a very different genre. Set in (almost) modern day USA and China, the book is a murder mystery with international political intrigue, with some smuggling thrown in for good measure. I don't really enjoy political fiction (with some rare exceptions) or murder mysteries that are about police and gangsters. The beginning was rather slow and I almost gave up. The book starts off w...
Liu Hulan is an investigator for the Chinese state with a past full of secrets and a heart burdened with guilt. When she is tasked with investigating a string of high profile murders end it is arranged that her former lover David, an American lawyer, will assist her she knows there are no coincidences in a surveillance state like China. Content warnings: some graphic forensic descriptions murder victims, and occasional use of rough language
I was very surprised at how unlike any other Lisa See book I've read this one was. It is almost Dan-Brown style, solve the mystery/ who-done-it. While she sticks to her usual theme of involving China and Chinese characters, it is modern-day and takes place half in America half in China.
3.5 stars. Not bad, but not amazing. I liked the premise and was really into it for the first 1/3 of the book or so, then the middle started to lag, and then the ending picked up a bit. I guess I shouldn't be surprised because Lisa See is more well-known for her historical fiction and she didn't stick to the thriller genre for very long.