Wild Prey is the second Inspector Lu Fei mystery/thriller by Brian Klingborg. Released 17th May 2022 by Macmillan on their Minotaur imprint, it's 304 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

This is a very well written, tautly plotted mystery set in Asia post-covid. The protagonist is wonderfully rendered. He's a morally uncomplicated police inspector, sent to a less desirable posting in a rural area, despite being intelligent, driven, and exceedingly honest. In fact, his utter incorruptibility is a large part of *why* he finds himself policing in a backwater town in China.

This time, a missing persons case gets him drawn into a huge undercover assignment, trying to break up an international smuggling ring dealing in the trade of wild endangered animal products on the black market. I loved the pacing and action driven plot. The writing is superb and the author manages to make the culture and customs accessible at the same time accentuating the challenges of modern conservation in a system with literally thousands of years of support and acceptance of traditional herbal medicine.

The dialogue is peppered with transliterated Chinese phrases which the author does a good job of translating in context. It added verisimilitude without being overly intrusive. There is a pleasantly surprising amount of warm humor in the writing as well, and the dialogue surprised a few chuckles out of me (in a good way).

Four and a half stars. This is top shelf fiction. Although the plot, resolution, and denouement are self contained in this volume, I recommend the first book in the series as well. They would make a great weekend mini-binge read. I heartily wish and hope for further books in the series.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

This is a good book, it is the second in a series and though I had not read the first one, I think one could read it as a stand alone. Inspector Lu Fei works at the Public Security Bureau in a small town about an hour out of Harbin, he used to work in Harbin, but after the events in the first book, he has been banished to this backwoods' town. A young girl comes in to report her older sister missing, Lu initially attempts to tell her that the sister likely met someone and is busy having a good time. After the younger sister hangs around the building for a day, Lu decides to look into her last place of employment to see if she has taken off with someone. The sister worked at a restaurant that secretly sold the meat of endangered animals (tiger, bats, bear, etc), since this took place during covid, this type of activity is highly illegal, but the patrons of the restaurant are all high ranking members of society. After Lu sneaks into the restaurant to investigate further he is almost caught and someone is killed, pressure is put on his boss and he is suspended. He's contacted by a guy that says he's interested in stopping the trade of illegal meat at the source and convinces Lu to go to Myanmar undercover to the source. This is where the suspense and action really take off. This was a good book that i would recommend, I will have to go back and read the first one now. Thanks to #Netgalley and #Minotaur Books for the ARC.

Thank you to Netgalley and Minotaur Books for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

3.25 stars!

Wild Prey follows Police Inspector Lu Fei who comes across a case of a waitress who has gone missing while running a sting operation on the sale and consumption of rare and endangered animals. As usual, Lu's investigation ruffles some feathers, and he is suspended from the police force. Now at what he thinks is a dead end, Lu is contacted by a mysterious government official in Beijing who wants him to go undercover to track down the mastermind behind an illegal animal trafficking network -- and hopefully, the answer to the fate of the missing waitress. The mission will require Lu to travel deep into the lawless wilds of Myanmar, where he will risk his life to infiltrate the hidden compound of a mysterious and ruthless female warlord.

I thought that this book was good, but not great. I thought the "female warlord" was by far the most interesting person in the novel, and I would read a whole series about how she acquired power. As for the plot of this book, I felt like there was a lot going on, but I did want to know what was happening next.

This 2nd in the series sends Chinese Inspector Lu Fe undercover to the wilds of Myanmar, posing as a buyer of exotic bushmeat - all in search of justice for a missing woman.

The young, idealistic Inspector's talent for getting on the wrong side of the powerful has had him assigned to small town Raven Valley near the city of Harbin. A teen girl shows up at the station, insisting they find her missing sister Meixiang.

There's action and violence in spades, but Li manages to learn Meixiang's fate before returning to his 'peaceful life of drinking and chasing wayward chickens.'

I really enjoy this series. Lu is an interesting protagonist and a great lead for these stories. He's dogged determined, dedicated to justice in a place that isn't, but he's pragmatic (knows that there's a certain bit of leeway he has to give to get his target) and a touch impatient. He fights for people that most don't, like the victim at the start of this story who's written off by everyone but her little sister and Lu. I love rooting for him. The insights into contemporary China are also absolutely fascinating and really set it apart from other detective series I've read before.

This second mystery is set up well in the first few chapters though I did find it a bit slow to get to the promise of the book. For this genre I'd say it was too slow but I stuck with it because I knew in the end it'd be worth it (thanks to my trust in this author) and it was. I enjoyed the setting up of Lu's undercover persona and his adoption of it. I'd say once I hit the 40-ish percent mark, I was well into it and read voraciously to the end.

It was low-key thrilling until it got to the explosive bit which was really exciting. I enjoyed the big villain in the jungle (trying so hard to not spoil anything but you'll know when you read it) and their philosophy on things, including how it plays into Lu's survival. (I don't think it's a spoiler to say Lu doesn't die because, really, this is a detective series and he's the lead.) The ending was fantastic! Everything had been planted well for things to turn out how they did and it was really satisfying. I can't wait to see more on Lu's personal side in the future with Yanyan in particular after their last scene together especially.

All in all, I'm looking forward to book three in the Lu series! I still recommend this one, even with its slow start, because I think this series brings a lot of unique things to the table compared to other detective novels out there right now. If you like the genre, don't miss it!

Note: I received a free electronic edition of this book via NetGalley in exchange for the honest review above. I would like to thank them, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to do so.

Whoosh. Wow. W O W.

When one doesn't read the blurbs of books [because I don't WANT to know everything that is going to happen in 2 paragraphs; if I did, I'd just read that and not the whole book [eyeroll] ] by authors one has already read [or not read for that matter, but in this case, I had read the first book in this series and loved it], one is often surprised by the subject matter of said book that one is currently reading. That is exactly what happened with me and this book.

I need to preface this review with this - I really liked this book. It was so good and so well-written and I never saw anything that happened coming. Most of the book blew me away. I learned a TON of stuff that I never needed to learn. E V E R. Still, learning is learning right?

All that said, this was a rough book. There were days where I could only read 5% of the book and then had to quit because it had unsettled me so much. NOT because I was unaware that these things were happening, but because I WAS aware and the writing was so good that it really creeped me out and there were moments where my heart was racing so bad I thought I was going to have a panic attack [yes, I still believe this was an excellent read. I am a weirdo]. I finally finished this at 3am this morning [5.28.2022] and then couldn't sleep because I had wild animals and the jungle and a very creepy man haunting me. I will say that the reveal and the ending was extremely satisfying and very unexpected. And left me with hope that there will be a third book. It was all one could ask for [and not ask for if one is honest] in a good mystery/cultural read. The author does his research and writes with a deft hand and produces an amazing read. I am so glad I found this author and this series; it is absolutely one of my favorites now.


Thank you to NetGalley, Brian Klingborg, and St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Published by Minotaur Books on May 17, 2022

Inspector Lu Fei of Raven Valley Township is incorruptible which, in China, is bad for a career as a government employee. Lu has thus been relegated to a small community where his talents are wasted. Lu begins Wild Prey in a marketplace, watching for a man who is wanted for selling black market products. The man has violated Chinese laws that protect wildlife by prohibiting the sale of animal products that, according to ancient superstitions, improve heath or virility.

Lu next deals with a young woman who reports a missing sister. The sister went missing outside of Lu’s jurisdiction, but Lu’s efforts to encourage an investigation by the correct authorities are unsuccessful. Lu travels to the city where the sister, Tan Meixiang, was last working. Coincidentally, she was employed in a restaurant that is suspected of serving dishes made from black market animals. The restaurant has a reputation for delivering other shady services to its exclusive clientele, but the owner’s connection with powerful people shields him from prosecution. The owner, Wilson Fang, flees from the premises during a shootout for which Lu will inevitably be blamed.

Lu’s unorthodox investigation of the restaurant leads to his suspension. At the same time, it attracts the attention of a well-placed individual in a shadowy government agency. He recruits Lu to act as an undercover operative, posing as a buyer of exotic bushmeat to infiltrate the seller’s facility in Myanmar. The assignment is dangerous; more than one person will become lunch for a tiger before the story ends. Fu believes that the assignment will lead him to Wilson Fang and might therefore help him discover Meixiang’s fate, so he accepts — not that he has much choice. The plot elements and many of the crooked characters come together deep the Myanmar jungle.

Wild Prey is the second Lu Fei novel. Lu is a likable character, a classic crime novel cop who refuses to play the game and whose career suffers because he places justice ahead of the career aspirations of his superiors. While Wild Prey treats the reader to a series of action scenes, Lu is also likable because he’s nonviolent by nature, preferring wits to weapons as problem-solving tools. Lu is nevertheless capable of holding his own in a fight, particularly when his life depends on the outcome.

Lu is pursuing a woman who operates a local bar. In his undercover role, he is expected to drink excessively and sleep with prostitutes. Avoiding the latter obligation is another test of Lu’s character. In the end, Lu’s character serves him well.

The familiar elements of police-based crime novels are freshened by the Asian setting and an atmosphere that emphasizes the customs and cuisine of both China and Myanmar. Brian Klingborn’s descriptive prose transports the reader to fascinating lands while he delivers the excitement and characterization that crime novel fans admire.

RECOMMENDED

3.5 stars

Prey is the second Inspector Lu Fei mysteries novel. I reviewed Thief of Souls, the first novel, yesterday. In case the series needed to be read together or sequentially, I made sure to read them back-to-back. This also made it simple to compare them, both fresh in my mind. I do want to mention that the two books can be read separately.

Inspector Lu Fei is lives in a rural village in northern China, but in this police procedural Lu journeys through southern China and into Myanmar in order to locate a missing woman.

Wild Prey has a strong, more intricate plot than its predecessor. I thought it had more depth and intrigue. I knew the twist at the end, but otherwise, there was a bunch of twists that caught me by surprise.

I still learned quite a bit about China, in different areas than the first book. I liked that Wild Prey covered subjects both similar and separate from Thief of Souls.

Because I read both books so close together, it is difficult for me to distinguish the character development in one versus the other. The new characters that were introduced in Wild Prey were well-developed and easy to grasp. My only disappointment as far as characters were concerned was Inspector Lu. I thought his actions towards his love interest to be thirsty and pushy, not in a good way. I do not know a lot about gender dynamics in China, so I cannot really judge the accuracy. I can only say that it took my opinion of the character down a notch.

Overall, I enjoyed reading Wild Prey and found that it improved upon Thief of Souls, as I predicted. I recommend these books if you are looking for a police procedural that is a bit different.

Chinese police procedural thriller!

Klingborg has taken up various themes and run with them through this continuation into the exploits of the very unusual Deputy Chief Inspector Lu Fei a police officer with the Public Security Bureau, in the township of Raven, Heilongjiang Province in Northern China. When we first see Lu he’s staking out a local market looking for a fugitive involved in the black market trade of exotic animal products that will be made into medicinal remedies. What with the increasing pressure from international conservationists and in the wake of the ravages of coronavirus, the Peoples Republic of China is serious about stamping out this centuries old trade.
Meanwhile a young girl, Tan Meirong, haunts the Raven police station (the paichusuo) insisting someone find her older missing sister, Meixiang.
It turns out Meixiang was working for a restaurant that sold illicit bushmeat’s for those men needing the vigor of viagara but using the traditional, illegal methods. There’s a little more going on in this restaurant than this though.
Lu ends up going undercover into Burma (Myanmar) to source the operational headquarters of these outlawed products. What he finds is more than he’d bargained for. What he faces is dangerous in the extreme, as is the very unusual person in charge of the operation. All this is part of endeavouring to find out the fate of Miexiang. Lu’s overriding concern is for her.
Along the way were given an insight into the lives of the general populace in the PRC, the hidden face of who is entitled to medical benefits, the fate of unemployed young country women seeking to become more financially independent who often end up working as prostitutes or in sweat shop factories.
Lu’s personal life has him still endeavoring to build his relationship with the delightful Lou Yanyan owner of the tiny bar, the Red Lotus. I love their interactions.
The pandemic flows along underneath, not focused on, just a part of life today.
Lu’s determination to do the right thing is part of the endearment of who he is. That conviction leads him into dangerous situations that had me on the edge of my seat exclaiming, “Now What?”
An enthralling and clever novel, with a lovely underlying wit, that speaks into the today of this area of the world.
More than ever Lu is up there with my favorite Chinese detectives.

A St. Martin's Press ARC via NetGalley
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

This review was originally posted on <a href="https://booksofmyheart.net/2022/05/21/wild-prey-by-brian-klingborg/" target="_blank"> Books of My Heart</a>
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<i>Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.</i>

4.5 hearts

Everything I said in my review of the first book, <strong>Thief of Souls</strong>, is still true.  I like Inspector Lu and his integrity is solid.  He is the point of view for our view into this unfamiliar country, China, its culture and politics.  Lu cares about people and treats them with respect.  He is not interested in power and politics but they often get in the way of his job.

It’s an interesting world culturally. There are so many dangers and severe consequences with few upsides available. Dictatorship with oligarchy has all downsides unless you are at the top. You either have to be born there or extremely ruthless. I’m not thinking one can work their way up. One could get favors maybe but those would be pretty limited and at anytime one could be cut off.

For the current case of a missing young women, a nobody except to her younger sister, he works to determine what happened to her and if she is still alive.  Unfortunately, those who are powerful either don't care, or prefer her dead.  It's a good thing Inspector Lu has skills and fortitude because stepped in it here.  He was in extreme danger most of the time.  People around him died and he could have easily died as well. The pace was frenetic!

To the displeasure of some in power, he investigates with meticulous efforts, slowly progressing to the truth.  Truth can be a dangerous thing, but he perseveres. More than one person tries to disable him to stop him from finding the young women or her body and uncover unsavory truths. Fortunately, he has a few friends but he easily makes new enemies.  The political situation is oppressive and he barely manages.

Personally,  he continues to pursue a relationship with the widow, Yanyan.  He seems to make a bit of progress.  I worry about her business and safety if Lu continues to pursue the truth instead of caving to politics.  I look forward to continuing to read the <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/312394-inspector-lu-fei-mysteries" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em><strong>Inspector Lu</strong></em></a> series.

This is the second book I have read in the Inspector Lu Fei mystery series. This is such a gripping mystery series that I loved my visit to the gritty world of this police procedural. I really enjoyed the unique setting and glimpses of Chinese culture.

Police Inspector Lu Fei is such an interesting character. He keeps getting sideways with those in power and it really adds to some interesting scenes in the book. I feel like I got to know him better, which was a wish after reading the first book in the series. Everything he has to go through while he is undercover...yikes!

All in all, a nail-biter with an action packed undercover assignment culminating in a satisfying ending.

3.5 stars
✔️ I enjoyed this second book in the series a bit more than the first ( although no more Mao quotes )
✔️ the author clearly know a lot about Chinese history and culture and shares it with us in these books
✔️ the mystery was good - although the first chapter was a little heartbreaking - illegal poaching and trafficking of wild animals always makes me sad
✔️ I enjoyed some of the returning characters !
✔️ the author does not shy away from talking about political and police corruption that exists in so many places

I would def read the next book in the series

Inspector Lu Fei is a wonderful character. In a series best read in order, Lu Fei os a member of the Public Security Bureau and has a knack for getting on the wrong side of those in power. He finds himself in a backwater after an incident involving his boss. His current case is to track down Chen who is involved with the illegal trade in bush meat - exotic animals and various body parts bring big money and the purveyors will stop at nothing to keep their business going. After a stake out at the public market he returns to the police station and encounters a teenaged girl asking for help finding her missing sister. One thing leads to another and Lu Fei is, again, told to stop his investigation. The missing girl was working at a very upscale restaurant which had a secret menu for those with money and knowledge of its existence. The menu is all exotic fare and 100% illegal. Lu Fei is sticking his nose into their business and must be stopped. Instead of being stopped he finds himself redirected into doing undercover work to investigate the trafficking of bush meat and the powerful woman who is behind the operation.
I read the first book of the series, Thief of Souls and gave it 5 stars. Wild Prey also deserves 5 stars. The topic is dark but not gratuitous and the use of humor is pitch perfect. From the town in Northern China into the wilds of Myanmar, this is a trip into areas hidden from most people. I'm saving a spot on my TBR for future books in the series.
My thanks to the publisher Minotaur and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

A terrific addition to a unique procedural series that is as much about policing in China as it is about the crime. Inspector Lu Fei finds himself pulled into an investigation much bigger than he expected when he succumbs to the persistent entities of Meirong to find her sister Meixing, who went missing from her waitressing job at a restaurant that serves VIPS bushmeat among other things. Meirong won't let go and Lu Fei, against the instructions of his superiors, pushes and pushes until he's suspended. And then, he's approached by an official of the central government who convinces him to go undercover to locate the restaurant owner at the hidden headquarters of the woman who controls the import of prohibited animal parts. Gentle readers should know that this starts with the gruesome mutilation of an animal, that there's more of it, and that there are also some tough things done to people. This twists (no spoilers from me) and not everyone is who they appear to be. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Don't worry if you missed the first one (although you missed a boffo read), this will be fine as a standalone. I'm a fan and I'm eager for the next one.

Brian Klingborg introduced police inspector Lu Fei in Thief of Souls. In a system where it is wise to keep a low profile, he is an honest man who follows his conscience, which inevitably leads to trouble. In Wild Prey, Meiring, a fifteen year old girl, arrives at the station to report that her sister is missing. She is persistent and sits a bench at the station every day demanding action. Lu Fei traces her to a restaurant where the special menu features endangered animals. The restaurant has powerful patrons. When Lu Fei refuses to give up his search for the girl he is suspended. In exchange for information on the girl, Lu Fei is recruited by a government minister to go undercover as a buyer of exotic animals. The trail leads to a compound in the forests of Mayanmar. It is run by Khaw, a female warlord who is surrounded by guards. Lu Fei’s biggest fear is that he will not get out alive.

Klingborg’s story presents a fascinating look at Chinese culture. Lu Fei quotes poetry and has a saying for almost every occasion. He is in love with Luo Yanyan, owner of a local bar. While they have grown closer, she is a widow who still mourns her husband. There are lighter moments provided by Meiring when she insists on helping Lu Fei with his investigation and also comes between Yanyan and LuFei. The descriptions of endangered animals being served and prepared for slaughter are disturbing, but Klingborg keeps the narrative brief. It is Lu Fei’s reaction to what he observes that conveys his revulsion. He is a character that also approaches situations with humor, making him easy to love. This is a wonderful series and Wild Prey will leave you looking forward to Lu Fei’s next case. I would like to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing this book for my review.

Author Brian Klingborg mined all the potential from his first Lu Fei mystery, Thief of Souls, and created a standout in Wild Prey-- even though the treatment of animals and most of the listed cuisine is stomach-churning. From flashes of laugh-out-loud humor to learning Chinese slang to the mind-boggling fact that there are 200 million surveillance cameras in China to the story itself, I was engrossed. Even though there is still the age-old problem of the rich and powerful insisting on being above the law, it is good to learn that China is finally bowing to international pressure and the coronavirus to crack down on the illegal wildlife trade.

Inspector Lu Fei still finds almost no help from his fellow police officers, but at least he does have one friend in a high place-- and two fellow characters to help him carry the load. One, the teenage Meirong, is alternately funny and endearing as she camps out in the police station to shame Lu Fei into finding her sister. Little does she know, he is working on the case, he's just not telling her everything he's doing. The second character helping to carry the story load is the female warlord in Myanmar. She's not your typical thug even though you'd be a fool to turn your back on her. And at least Lu Fei has one person who's not involved in his work. It's the bar owner Yanyan with whom he's passionately in love, although she still seems to be in love with her dead husband. Watching that relationship unfold is interesting, to say the least. Will Lu Fei win Yanyan over? We shall see.

For those of you worried about those animal trafficking scenes and the descriptions of the dishes made from the animals, Klingborg does not go overboard. He knows that a light touch is the best way to proceed and although those scenes are few and of short duration, they still resonate and show the importance of why this trade must stop. We humans have to be intelligent enough to devise new ways to show off immense wealth and to cure erectile dysfunction. Don't we? In Wild Prey, Brian Klingborg shows that there are people willing to put their lives on the line to put a stop to one of the more disgusting ways to prove you're a big shot.

I really enjoy a good detective series, and have gotten to be a fan of several Mystery book series such as the Inspector Gamache series by author Louise Penny, and the Two Rivers series by author Anne Cleeves. Both of those series feature a troubled police detective who's integrity gets him into trouble. The same can be said for Inspector Lu Fei. This series, written by author Brian Klingborg has a main character who drinks too much, has a long-standing crush on the local bar owner, and has a sense of justice that gets him into lots of trouble. This series takes place in China in a small city where not much happens, and yet... Inspector Lu Fei seems to find himself in the center of grizzly crimes in every book.

While investigating cases, we get a glimpse of life in China and life in a Communist country. Much of Lu's daily life is like anyone else's. He goes to work at the police station, where most of the time, the most exciting thing happening is getting a paper cut. But he and his co-workers are also watched by the local Party representative, so one has to be careful not to criticize the wrong people. After work, Lu likes to go to the local bar and moon over the proprietress, while drinking too many beers. But when crimes are to be investigated, Lu is relentless in finding out the truth.

This was a page-turner with a mystery that takes Lu from his small city to the jungles of Myanmar. With lots of danger, betrayals, and twists, this was a great read.

What I Liked:

Setting:

This story could really take place anywhere, in any country. What makes this story so compelling is finding out about what life is like for Inspector Lu. From the food, to the nosy neighbors, to the complex social structures, the details made this world come alive to me. I liked learning about the way this society worked.

Characters:

Inspector Lu is a man who has been thrown away. His once promising career has been derailed by his pesky sense of Right and Wrong. If Lu sees a double standard between how the law is applied between Party big-wigs and everyday people, he feels compelled to point this out. This isn't winning him lots of friends. But he does have the respect of others.

Lu is in love with the owner of his local bar, a widow who is having trouble letting go of the past. I felt for this character, as I think it's hard for any woman to move on from widowhood. Can you find love again and not be judged by your neighbors? I think this happens to many woman. But there are traditions in China which make this even more of an issue.

Story:

The story begins as a young teenager says that her sister is missing. She makes her report, and then won't leave the police station until her sister's disappearance is investigated. She even sleeps in the lobby of the police station, making herself a nuisance until the police finally does something.

And then the hunt begins! Lu finds that the missing young woman works in a restaurant where exotic meat is served purporting to increase a man's virility. Everything you can think of is on the menu, including sex workers. But where is the restaurant getting their supply of Tiger penises and endangered animals? And how is the young woman involved? Lu must go undercover to get his answers.

There were a lot of scary situations that made this a book I could not put down. And this made the book a whole lot of fun!

Inspector Lu Fei returns in Wild Prey the gripping second installment in the series by Brian Klingborg. He's as endearing and in as much trouble as he was in Thief of Souls. This time, while investigating a missing young waitress, he uncovers the illegal trade of endangered animals being secretly killed and sold to restaurants for VIP plate experiences. Unfortunately, this revelation also uncovers and annoys some very well protected criminals and lands Lu Fie suspended from the force. Temporarily relieved of his duties, frees Lu Fie up to go undercover when contacted by a high-ranking government official also hoping to bust this very same operation. Disguised, he infiltrates a compound hidden among the wild lands of Myanmar and run by a mysterious and ruthless woman. Lu risks career and life in search of the truth. Lu Fei remains a man of character searching for justice among corruption, privilege and evil.

This is the second novel about Inspector Lu Fei, who works in a small town outside of Harbin, China. The charm of the first novel, Thief of Souls, were the inner workings of a small town Chinese police department and the lives of the officers, including and especially Lu Fei, who is an incredibly appealing character. In Wild Prey Lu Fei remains appealing, but the topic Klingborg has chosen to spotlight is far more difficult. The first novel was a serial killer story; this one focuses on the illegal (and immoral) killing of rare animals for food.

The book opens with an incredibly awful scene (power through it) that involves the killing of a tiger. What was especially well done, however, was Klingborg’s portrait of the two men who kill the tiger – they are absolutely desperate and will use whatever money they gain to help feed their entire village. It doesn’t excuse what they do but it makes it understandable.

Then the reader is invited back to Lu Fei’s tiny town where a young girl begins showing up at the police station and refusing to leave. She’s looking for her missing sister, who was not only the economic backbone of their little family (their mother is dead, and their dad is an unemployed drunk who “can’t work”) but the emotional center of the girls’ life. Meixiang, the older sister, worked as a waitress at an exclusive place in Harbin. Meirong, the younger sister, shows up every day demanding answers, and Lu Fei cannot refuse her.

His investigation takes him to the Meixiang’s restaurant, which appears to be the place she was last seen, and in doing so he upsets the status quo and alarms some Harbin higher ups. He’s suspended and that’s when he recruited by an officer in the National Forestry and Grassland Association. They are looking to curb the illegal consumption of exotic animals (including bear, pangolin, tiger, wolf, and many others) and shut down a large operation that appears to be based in Myanmar.

One of the delights of the book is Lu’s trip to Harbin with his hopefully soon to be girlfriend, Yanyang, to effect his undercover transformation, which includes euro trash clothes, a fake tattoo, and a new haircut. He then heads to the airport where he’ll meet with the mystery man who he’s seen only on video. His incentive: to find out what happened to Meixiang, and hopefully regain his job in the police department. He can’t imagine doing anything else with his life.

The book than becomes a nonstop adventure story, studded with memorable characters. While what the people in the book are doing to animals (and also, frequently, to humans) is completely grotesque, Klingborg manages to create some fascinating and compellingly interesting characters who prove to be unforgettable.

While I think Klingborg’s gifts are character based, he’s fond of action as both of his novels prove, and he’s also fond of the unexpected twist. There were at least three in this book I didn’t see coming, including the final one, which is very well done. While the idea that Lu Fei would be killed seemed remote – he’s the hero of the series – he sure comes close many times in this novel.

I loved the explication of culture, and the look into a life so different from my own. Books are such an expansive way to see the world – while I may never go to Harbin, China or the jungles of Myanmar, I feel like I made a journey, and that the talented Klingborg has lifted the veil a bit for me to see what’s behind it. I very much look forward to book three.

A missing woman, an exotic animal black market connection, and a policeman undercover make for an intense second installment to this series set in modern day China. After the first book captured my attention, I was primed and ready to grab up this next standalone mystery which took me on another amazing visit to China and following along with the engaging Inspector Lu.

Wild Prey could standalone easily as it begins a new case for the unconventional Inspector Lu Fei though I will say that I think the author gave a much deeper background into Lu Fei and the situation in his part of China in the first book.

Wild Prey opens with a gruesome prologue set in the steaming jungle of Myanmar before shifting to the backwater city, Raven Valley, in China where Inspector Lu is going about his usual police cases and still trying to get the pretty Yanyan to give him a chance. He ends up with a missing person case that should have never been his jurisdiction because it happened in the city of Harlen some distance away.

The author has already painted a picture of modern day China and how things work. Lu is a man of parts. He ended up in a backwater precinct where he probably won’t advance far because he isn’t exactly one who plays by the rules when it comes to the social and political games one must play. He doesn’t care how powerful the person is; he’s not turning a blind eye and will stay tenaciously on a case that others are trying to sweep under the carpet.

That is the situation he finds himself in once again with this mystery. He’s been warned off a case because it might expose powerful party officials who’ve been frequenting a restaurant that serves illegal exotic animals on the menu and some hanky-panky with the waitresses à la carte. One of the waitresses has gone missing and her little sister’s persistent pleas for justice keep him on the trail when warnings from the restaurant owner, the Harlen police chief, and his own chief don’t stop him.

The first mystery was more police procedural tracking a serial killer, but this one jumps those rails and heads into spy thriller territory when Lu is put on probation and approached by a shadowy figure from China’s version of the CIA to go undercover and pursue the missing woman case by following the exotic animal procurement end and tracking the on the run restaurant owner who could lead him to the woman. I was on the edge of my seat and flipping pages rapidly trying to see how Lu, who is the least like an undercover agent as it gets, is dropped into the deep end of the pool playing a shady character role, hanging out with real criminals, and eventually going into a female warlord’s territory down in Myanmar.

Wild Prey was intense and exciting, and the build to the end was full of twists and surprises. It even goes over the top as to plausibility, but I was hooked and couldn’t have stopped reading for anything. The resolve was a big surprise. I was left most satisfied and looking forward to more from this fledgling series. I’d recommend it to those who enjoy murder mysteries set in Asia with a lone wolf Chinese detective as the main figure.