Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book. I enjoyed reading this mystery based in northern China; the unique location made the book appealing to me. I appreciated learning about life in this locale rather than the typical urban crime. That said, the background information (which I appreciated) sometimes disrupted the flow of the book. It was interesting to read about the cultural differences between China and the United States, assuming it's been accurately depicted by the author who is a foreigner, both regarding everyday life and police investigations. This book was a nice change of pace from others of its type largely because of the locale and its politics. I'm glad to have been able to read it.

Thief of Souls is not my usual favorite type of murder mystery book.
While the ending had the satisfying quickness and skillful enthralling ending, the rest of the book was just to boring and didn’t have the excitement and action I crave.

What a pleasant surprise Thief of Souls proved to be! A dazzling debut to the Lu Fei series by Brian Klingborg. It's the perfect example of a riveting read you simply can't put down. Klingborg crafts a clever mystery populated by colorful characters. He adds a healthy dose of history, humor, and philosophy to this splendid tale. How can you not like an Inspector who quotes Master Kong? Seriously, this is a well-written mystery that will delight everyone fortunate enough to read it. I expect to see Thief of Souls on a plethora of Top 10 lists this year. Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the complimentary copy. I can't begin to describe how much I enjoyed this one. #ThiefofSouls #NetGalley

Thief of Souls: An Inspector Lu Fei Mystery
By Brian Klingborg
Published by Minotaur Books (4 May 2021)


Book blurb:

The brutal murder of a young woman in a rural village in Northern China sends shockwaves all the way to Beijing--but seemingly only Inspector Lu Fei, living in exile in the small town, is interested in justice for the victim.

Lu Fei is a graduate of China's top police college but he's been assigned to a sleepy backwater town in northern China, where almost nothing happens and the theft of a few chickens represents a major crime wave. That is until a young woman is found dead, her organs removed, and joss paper stuffed in her mouth. The CID in Beijing--headed by a rising political star--is on the case but in an increasingly authoritarian China, prosperity and political stability are far more important than solving the murder of an insignificant village girl. As such, the CID head is interested in pinning the crime on the first available suspect rather than wading into uncomfortable truths, leaving Lu Fei on his own.

As Lu digs deeper into the gruesome murder, he finds himself facing old enemies and creating new ones in the form of local Communist Party bosses and corrupt business interests. Despite these rising obstacles, Lu remains determined to find the real killer, especially after he links the murder to other unsolved homicides. But the closer he gets to the heart of the mystery, the more he puts himself and his loved ones in danger.

My thoughts:

“On the night the young woman’s corpse is discovered, hollowed out like a birchbark canoe, Inspector Lu Fei sits alone in the Red Louts bar, determined to get gloriously drunk.”

And so begins Thief of Souls. I was immediately taken with this book and with Inspector Lu Fei. He is intelligent, handsome, and sarcastic and wants more than anything to solve the murder of a young woman in Raven Valley Township. The murderer is arrested fairly quickly and the crime solved. Or is it?

Politics somewhat hinder his investigation, but Inspector Fei is dogged in insisting that the case be fully explored. He has to face danger, tread carefully through a political minefield, and fight an old enemy if he is to find the killer. He is aided by an unlikely friendship and alliance with Deputy Director Song from Beijing. Song comes with political baggage of his own, but is nonetheless willing to aid Inspector Fei, even if the investigation leads to violence.

The author explains the Chinese criminal system, comparing offices to their US counterparts for context, which I found interesting and helpful. The narrative had me immersed in the biting cold of a northern China winter near Harbin City. I was there, with Inspector Fei, shivering in the cold. I was in the Red Lotus bar with him as he flirted with the owner and dodged questions from locals about the case. This book was an entertaining, immersive experience with engaging characters and fascinating setting. I’m hopeful that this is just the first in a series and we will hear more from Inspector Lu Fei.

My favorite quotes: “The nail that sticks up gets hammered down” and “A man made of mud fears the rain.”

Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books/St. Martin's Press for the free e-copy in exchange for an honest review.



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When a woman is found dead and her organs removed in a rural village in Northern China, Inspector Lu looks into the murder and finds old enemies. He wants justice for the victim but is thwarted by enemies and corrupt interests and puts himself in danger. I enjoyed the story with an intriguing plot and interesting setting. A downside: Every ten pages or so, I bumped into what felt like a lecture on Chinese politics and history, taking me out of the story. Thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thief of Souls is an enjoyable novel. I liked reading about the small town where Inspector Lu is exiled, and the politics of the police and local government. The whole subplot about the party chief Mao seemed a bad distraction and very unnecessary to have him be gay.Also, the murderer was rather obvious once introduced.
But, as a whole the novel has charm and intrigue to spare.
Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.

I'm conflicted on this one--much to like, but sooo many cultural details that need to be given (and are, although they are not woven in so skillfully as to not detract.. I also had issues with the MC--did not really like him or buy his need to fall in love --backstory was a bit choppy. I did enjoy the bits of quotes from Mao and the philosophers that pepper the book.
As a mystery, it was well crafted, although I did correctly guess the villain pretty much as soon as he was introduced.
Place was supposed to add to the story and I did feel the gritty nature of the place but frankly, it could have been anywhere in the world that is gritty. I am giving it four stars but would I read another-- only a maybe.

I really liked Thief Of Souls. I thought it was very well done, deep character development and a very good storyline that I didn’t guess until the very end right before it was revealed. The only think I have to say is the ending was a tiny bit rushed once the killer and motive was revealed. But otherwise this was a really good book.