And Be Sure to Wear Red*

With anti-Asian-American violence still rising in the United States—thanks in part to Donald Trump’s hate speech—plus ongoing concerns about COVID-19’s especially communicable omicron variant, today’s Chinese New Year (aka Lunar New Year) celebrations might be slightly more low-key than usual. But as we bid au revoir to the Year of the Ox and hello to another Year of the Tiger, there will surely be many fireworks to see and wishes of good luck to share.

Should you prefer a more private observance of this occasion, Mystery Fanfare’s Janet Rudolph has posted a short list of Chinese New Year-related crime novels worth starting. I’ve only read three of her choices, so far: Earl Derr Biggers’ The Chinese Parrot, Kelli Stanley’s City of Dragons, and S.J. Rozan’s The Shanghai Moon. How about you?

* Red being the de facto Lunar New Year color, of course.