Some of the best crime novels are sociological explorations of place and time, in which law-breaking and mystery-solving elements are infused into a framework of cultural mores. There is perhaps no finer example of this technique than in Henry Chang’s Chinatown Beat. More than a driving novel of suspense or intrigue, Chinatown is a look at a segment of society closed to most people, who do not share its ethnic heritage. It is a novel of setting, though also of noirish foreboding. The plotlines followed by Chang are dark, and his characters are mired in a labyrinth of local customs and societal distrust. The setting--New York City's Chinatown--takes on an organic, life-sized existence, and it almost supersedes all other fictional components; it would have, had Chang not been so talented at character development. Chinatown Beat has flashes of brilliance diluted by less-eloquent sections, but the potential for Chang’s new series is bright--perhaps brighter than the subject within its pages.You can find Rainone’s full review here.
Monday, January 15, 2007
Year of the Detective
Rap Sheet contributor Anthony Rainone today assesses the strengths (and fewer weaknesses) of Henry Chang’s novel, Chinatown Beat, writing in January Magazine:
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