Chief Inspector Chen has been removed from his police role. He’s possibly one of the last honest ones. He was to find politics played a more devious role in Shanghai. On sick leave from his new job as Director of Judicial System Reform Office Chen is contacted by an old friend to look into a murder at a private party as an advisory. It soon becomes clear there are many interested parties who want the outcome to be their version of the truth.
A really involving story that draws you in to a world so different culture wise. It’s told in a way that never gets too heavy. You can really care about characters and really become involved in the outcome of the mystery.
I was given an arc of this book by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Inspector Chen has been moved from the policeforce is now the director of Shanghai Judicial System Reform Office. He went after the truth and didn't listen to those above him who had other ideas.
Canongate Books and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you).It has been published so you can grab a copy now.

When another murder is found, he asks his secretary to find out some things for him. She likes doing it and soon is asking her own questions.

This takes some time and not everyone is telling the truth. Chen is sent away, so she sends messages on her phone. Chen tries to make sense of what he hears but it's not coming clear yet. Then he gets an emergency text from his secrtary. Will he be in time to save her?

There’s a murder, of course there is. And it’s not a straightforward one – a celebrity chef has seemingly killed her kitchen / personal assistant in a fit of jealous rage. The circumstances make no sense to seasoned Inspector Chen. He’s been sidelined into a make-work role, with no responsibility but a superficial sheen suitable for a police investigator of his standing. Chen has some friends in the right places, but his fate may be too tightly bound to his benefactors’ in the long run. In the meanwhile, he can’t help asking questions in pertinent places, especially when another murder occurs – also linked to the chef’s final dinner party.

The mystery in the Inspector Chen series has long played second fiddle to the political machinations, to the manoeuvring and manipulation within a powerful agency of state. And that state appears to be in a permanent state of flux; rapidly evolving into the leading global superpower. We know that the China depicted in these novels is driven, dynamic and productive, but it also carries the emotional baggage and societal discord of a century of unresolved conflicts and personal catastrophes.

And that’s why these stories are so fascinating. The author avoids the common western conceit that the PCR is governed by a cruelly despotic regime, aggressive in its acquisition of military, technological and geographic territory. Chen moves in a complex world of tangled loyalties, where commercial interests, political power and bureaucratic corruption can obscure the truth – or reveal a killer.

The story unfolds through suggestion and insinuation. Chen devotes as much time to his semi-retirement project – reinventing the Chinese historical mystery, no less – as he does to insightful interviews with unwilling witnesses. His investigation involves the type of artful manipulation that might make Machiavelli blush. He has a new sidekick, a secretary who interprets her role with considerable latitude, and their oblique conversations are quietly delicious.

This is a true detective adventure, in which Chen makes considered deductions after observing the suspects and considering the consequences of each action. It’s also a considered commentary on contemporary Chinese society. And it’s a subtle love story, too.

Is this the right place to start a relationship with Inspector Chen? Definitely not. It’s oblique and challenging, even if you’re already acquainted with the characters through the previous 10 or so novels. Is this a richly rewarding experience for long-time admirers of the series? Definitely yes. As ever, Qiu Xiaolong achieves a level of cross-cultural exchange found only in the very best literary fiction.
8/10

A Chinese detective is placed on a medical leave, for political reasons, and while reading an English language version of a fictional historical, Tang Dynasty detective, is approached to conduct a secretive investigation of a murder that is remarkably similar to the book he is reading. There are layers upon layers of references and similarities in this book of murders and poetry that are intriguing and winsome but something gets lost in the translation. It may only be that this is the 12th in the series and the character development is better earlier in the series. I found some portions of the book fascinating and others a bit challenging. I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

This is the first book i read in this series and won't surely be the last as I found it intriguing.
The mystery is solid, full of twists, and the characters are fleshed out.
I was fascinated by the cultural differences, the description of contemporary Shanghai and how this works in a crime story.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Inspector Chen, who has been sidelined from his position is pulled into an effort to exonerate Min, who has allegedly murdered her kitchen assistant. She's been arrested and more or less disappeared, which makes this more challenging, Then Chen realizes there are parallels to a case from the Tang Dynasty. It's an interesting look at policing in modern Shanghai. I'd only read one of the books in this series and was fine with this as a more or less standalone. I like Chen, his assistant may not be meant to be amusing but is, and the case is complicated enough to keep you guessing,. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

This is a very welcome addition to the Inspector Chen series for its die-hard fans because the book before this ‘Becoming Inspector Chen’, seemed like it would be the last. We are once more in the capable hands of a master storyteller who blends elements of Chinese culture and literature, gastronomy, history and current affairs to give us an engaging crime story with the remarkable hero, poet-inspector, Chen Cao. In this book, the twelfth in the series, Chen returns, although in a uncertain role having run afoul of the authorities. He is on convalescent leave when a sensational murder takes place in the house of a woman who runs an exclusive private kitchen for the city’s creme de la creme. That it mirrors an historical crime is a detail expertly woven into the plot and provides an almost karmic, overarching arc for Chen Cao’s journey and role as well. Everything that happens seems to have happened before in another age and every coincidence has a purpose. The crime itself feels secondary to some of these more complex ideas.
Some beloved characters like Old Hunter return and a vibrant new assistant, Jin, is introduced who keeps us guessing as to her motives.

As a newcomer to China, I have found Qiu Xiaolong and his books to be the most enlightening exploration of Chinese culture. Through them, I have discovered some fantastic literary works and cuisine and I am grateful, especially in these times, to have a brilliant and thoughtful native writer exploring and explaining the Chinese way of life to the rest of the world. That he does so using the crime genre makes his books hard to put down and definitely not to be missed!

I admit this caught my eye because of the title. However it's an interesting read. Once you get past the Chinese names it is a murder mystery, but with the added interference of the Chinese internal security services.
Inspector Chen has been put on convalescence leave after he has ruffled too many feathers with his investigations. He has a new secretary who keeps him abreast of what is happening in the world and is happy to do his research. He is contemplating writing a book on Judge Dee when an old friend gets in touch asking for his help in investigating a murder. A murder has been committed at a Private Kitchen run by a infamous woman and she has been accused of the murder. An anonymous person has engaged the agency Chen's friend works for to find the real murderer.
It's a different read, and is peppered with historic references (well they might be) referring to ancient China.

Good solid Chen mystery. These books take a little getting used too because of the difference between European novels and a very different setting, cultural background and relationships between individuals and the state. In this novel, Chen has been sidelined and on sick leave, but is still dragged into an investigation, with the help of a new sidekick - younger and very different from Chen. Mystery solved, but Chen is still under government surveillance - I'm hoping a new posirtion will open up so Chen continues his sleuthing!

Xiaolong Qui's Inspector Chen mystery series has been around for a while, but it's new to me—and am I ever glad I discovered it! I don't know if this comparison will mean much to many people, but discovering Qui was like discovering a Chinese Leonardo Padura Fuentes. Qui who was born in China, chose to remain in the U.S., where he was working on a book about T.S. Eliot. after the government's violent response to the Tiananmen Square protests. For a period, he was an exile, but is now able to travel between the U.S. and China.

As a result, Qui is in an excellent position to write about life in contemporary China. He's chosen to do this through his creation of Inspector Chen Cao, an ethical policeman who is deeply uncomfortable with the "necessary compromises" made to keep socialism in the Chinese manner functioning on a day-to-day basis. You know that kind of thing—the diplomat whose pilfering of embassy funds is kept hidden because the government finds it more valuable to keep him in his position during crucial negotiations (note: this is a hypothetical example; The Private Kitchen Murder has noting to do with diplomats, embezzlement, or a potential international crisis). Chen is critical of malfeasance, but still embraces the goal of developing a socialist China that can offer a better life for its citizens. He's not naive; he's also not completely cynical.

Reading this novel was fascinating because I know so little about modern Chinese history—my reading has been limited to a few Cultural Revolution memoirs. The Cultural Revolution is long past in The Private Kitchen Murder, but still a significant part of the contemporary zeitgeist. Characters walk a very fine line, even with trusted friends, regarding what can and can't be said—and have to consider all possible interpretations and uses of an action before taking it. Qui's depiction of Chen working his way through this kind of puzzling existence while trying to marry ethics and realism puts the reader into a very productive (I think) sort of unease. Like Qui, readers have to play out events in the manner of a chess game, anticipating moves and moves in response to those moves and further moves into response to those moves.... Chen mourns the loss of aspects of the China of his past, despite its poverty, but also recognizes the kinds of economic growth (for some) that a gradual move toward semi-capitalism has allowed.

The Private Kitchen Murder is well-plotted, so it satisfies as a mystery as well as a cultural portrait. Chen also makes a fascinating central character, something along the lines of Steve Burrows' Domenic Jejeune or P.D. James' Adam Dalgleish. He's not just a successful investigator, he's also a translator of English/Chinese poetry, a poet in his own right, and a student of Chinese history. Chen can contextualize events not just in relation to the Cultural Revolution, but also in relation to internal politics of the Tang Dynasty. In other words, this is a book that will keep you thinking along multiple paths.

Depending on how one counts them, there are 10-12 additional novels in this series, The Private Kitchen Murder being the most recent. I'm going back to start with the first and work my way through the series. Soon. The time spent doing that reading will have been exceptionally well invested. I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley; the opinions are my own.

Chen has been given involuntary "convalescent leave" from his previous position, which he suspects is to prevent his "interference" in important cases. His friend Old Hunter who is working privately for a rich client, wants Chen to informally investigate the incarceration of Min, a well-known woman who was recently accused with the murder of her assistant. Chen sees a parallel between Min's situation and that of a woman in the Tang dynasty. Chen has been assigned a new secretary, Jin, who is proving helpful in this informal investigation. (I hope any future books will have Chen and Jin working as a team.) The descriptions of life in contemporary Shanghai are fascinating. I've enjoyed mysteries which are set in locations that are integral to the story--Gamache in Canada, Bruno in France, Brunetti in Venice-- and now, Inspector Chen in Shanghai. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC.

A Promotion For Chen….?
The twelfth in the Inspector Chen mystery series finds Chen no longer an Inspector but a director of judicial reform. Chen is well aware, unlike others, that this is no promotion but a method of preventing him from interfering in any cases that may arise. When a ‘private kitchen’ murder arises, which bears an uncanny resemblance to a book that he is reading, Chen knows that he cannot stand on the sidelines. A wholly engaging and cleverly drawn mystery with a well drawn cast of characters. A worthy addition to this long running series.

This is an odd series. I've never figured it out and I've read every title in it.

The prose is so stilted and awkward that through the first few books I had always assumed I was reading English that had been very badly translated from the Chinese. The dialogue is so unnatural that sometimes you just have to laugh at it. Worse, it's sprinkled with more exclamation points than a Facebook posting by a thirteen-year-old girl from Sherman Oaks.

That said, the central character is fascinating and original even if sketched rather thinly. This new entry in the series is disappointingly simplistic. It has a very slight primary plot and no real subplots. It extends the series without fundamentally changing or improving on it. Sadly, the prose is again inexplicably wooden, and the dialogue is absurdly artificial and badly labored.

I suppose the bottom line here is that very little English-language fiction gives us any recognizable insight into what life might actually be like these days in contemporary China. And for that alone, if nothing else, the titles in this series must be seen as having merit.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Severn House Publishers for an advance copy of Inspector Chen and the Private Kitchen, the twelfth novel to feature Shanghai based Chief Inspector Chen.

Chen has been promoted to director of the newly created Shanghai Judicial System Reform Office and promptly put on convalescence leave in a bid to keep him out of investigations. He is contacted by a private detective agency and asked to consult on a case, so without seeming to, he looks into the case of Min, a connected woman who runs an exclusive dinner party business from her home, a so-called private kitchen, and who has been arrested for the murder of her kitchen assistant.

I enjoyed Inspector Chen and the Private Kitchen Murder, which, while being more literary than my usual fare of police procedurals and serial killers, I found strangely compulsive.

Chen finds himself in an invidious position, revered by the public for his integrity and determination and reviled by the establishment for those same qualities. As such he has to watch his step and his every word. This results in some seriously convoluted discussions with his new assistant, Jin, and some complicated subterfuge with his interviewees. May you live in interesting times, is the apt phrase here in all interpretations. At the same time he is reading a novel about Judge Dee, a famous ancient lawmaker, and finds uncanny parallels between the two cases. I must admit that, being unfamiliar with Judge Dee and his fictional cases I skimmed over this as not in my wheelhouse.

The murder enquiry itself, stripped of the literary allusions and poetry, is a real mystery and, as I said, quite compulsive. I couldn’t work out who had done it or why or why there were more victims. It’s quite a puzzle and it kept me fully occupied for much of the novel. The rest of the time I spent wondering at the machinations of the Party and its cadres. The freedom our system offers should be cherished.

Inspector Chen and the Private Kitchen Murder is a good read that I can recommend.