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The Firemaker
A grotesquely burned corpse found in a city park is a troubling mystery for Beijing detective Li Yan. Yan, devoted to his career as a means of restoring the respect his family lost during the Cultural Revolution, needs outside help if he is to break the case.
The unidentified cadaver in turn provides a welcome distraction for forensic pathologist Margaret Campbell. Campbell, married to her work and having left America and her broken past behind, throws herself into the investigation and before long uncovers a bizarre anomaly.
An unlikely partnership develops between Li and Campbell as they follow the resulting lead. A fiery and volatile chemistry ignites, exposing not only their individual demons, but an even greater evil--a conspiracy that threatens their lives, as well as those of millions of others.
This was an exciting detective thriller set in China that I enjoyed. It was a bit slow at the start but not enough to prevent me from enjoying the story.
In China to lecture at the Centre of Material Evidence Determination, Dr. Margaret Campbell is asked to assist newly promoted Deputy Chief Li Yan on a case dealing with a burn victim, which is her expertise as a forensic pathologist. As they research why the victim died, things are not as they seem and we are taken on a rollercoaster ride that had me flipping the pages to see how this one ends.
Peter May is an excellent writer which accounts for his having penned over 20 books. His writing is tight, the story draws you in, and I plan to read more of his books. I highly recommend this book if you like mysteries as this one is not one to be missed.
Reviewed by: Linda C.
