A murder-y romp through early twentieth-century London with an eclectic and lovable duo. The Murder of Mr. Ma was an absolute delight. A special shout-out to wickedly funny cameos of Bertrand Russell and "Spring-Heeled Jack" himself. On a more serious note, this novel does admirable work spotlighting themes of racism, xenophobia, exoticism, addiction, and trauma that Chinese people in Britain (particularly Chinese veterans of the first World War) experienced during this period in history. A must-read for fans of Arthur Conan Doyle!

The publisher’s blurb for The Murder of Mr. Ma by John Shen Yen Nee and SJ Rozan recommends it for fans of Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes and I can’t disagree. But I would go further and recommend it for fans of Sherlock Holmes regardless of print, film, or audio or, well, really anyone who enjoys well-written and entertaining historical mysteries.

Set in 1924 London, someone is killing Chinese nationals and academic Lau She plays Watson to Judge Dee Ren Jie’s Holmes complete with amazing action moves, disguises, and a bit of a drug problem as they search for the killer. This is the first in a series and it is one rollicking tale of derring-do. The main characters are well-rounded and make for a very likeable duo. As to the mystery, it is complex and kept me guessing right to the big reveal at the end. And for us history buffs, there is some real history mixed in with the fiction. Definitely a fun beginning to the new series and I look forward to future adventures of Lao and Dee. I received an audioversion of this book from Netgalley and RB Media narrated by Daniel York Loh who does an amazing job especially with all the different London accents.

A re-telling of The Sign of the Four by Arthur Conan Doyle. The sleuthing duo are Chinese in this case, place of the action is London in the 1920s. Bertrand Russel and Ezra Pound make an appearance. The narrative tone and style are very close to the original.

Watson‘s name in this world is Lao She and his Holmes is Judge Dee Ren Jie. Lao She is a lecturer at the university. He boards with an English widow and her daughter Mary. His world collides with that of Dee and you know the rest, if you‘re a Sherlock Holmes fan.

Dee has come to London to investigate the murder of someone he knew during World War I, when they both served in the Chinese Labour Corps in France. It won‘t be the only murder Dee and Lao She stumble upon.

I knew that this would be a Sherlock Holmes story of some sort, but didn‘t know it would be inspired by The Sign of the Four. My favourite Holmes novella! Sadly, Toby is missing in this re-imagining. The murder story is deftly done, but didn‘t excite me much. Dee stayed a little bland for me. I liked the look at PTSD after WWI and how Chinese were treated and depicted by the West at that time (and unfortunately far into the 20th century).

Dee, similarly to Holmes, is no stranger to drug use. It showed me again how generally bad my historical knowledge of the Far East is. I did some reading on the Opium Wars.

Bottom line, this was nice. I would probably pick up a sequel. Recommended for Sherlock Holmes fans and readers of historical mysteries.

3.5 stars, rounded up to 4. 🕵️🕵️‍♀️🕵️‍♂️½

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher or author through NetGalley. All opinions are my own and I was not required to give a positive review.

I'm grateful for the opportunity to read and review this book and was intrigued by the concept. Unfortunately I'm not sure how I feel about it, even after giving myself some time afterwards to think about it. It certainly wasn't badly written or boring, but I did just plain struggle to get into it. The technical difficulties I was having with the NG app may have played a role in the disconnect, but that's no fault of the book. I think this is one I will come back to another time because of how much I wanted to like this book and my current inability to pinpoint why I didn't love it.

Thanks to RB Media & NetGalley for providing an audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

If you like your mysteries chock full of historical fact & cultural nuance, this one is for you. I, for one, knew nothing about the history of Chinese immigrants in England in the '20s, and it was pretty fascinating stuff. The tone of the story is very formal, as it is presented from the POV of the quiet, unassuming Lao She, standing in as the "Dr. Watson" in this story to Judge Dee Ren Jie's "Sherlock." But that makes it no less entertaining, as this reimagined classic pairing is itself in the style of the Guy Ritchie Sherlock movies - plenty of narrow escapes, fistfights, elbow rubbing with the hoi polloi, and opium.

The mystery itself is complex, and a bit daunting, as the two are in a race against time to save a group of Dee's former fellow infantrymen from the war, who seem to be getting killed one by one in similar fashion. They employ the assistance of a Chinese herbalist/shopkeeper named Hoong, who assists Dee with recovery from his bouts with opium use to keep his PTSD at bay.

The whole thing is quite rollicking, but does anyone enjoy descriptions of fights? I do not, and I'm sure I'm not alone - save that shit for the series adaptation, won't you, John Shen Yen Nee?

Daniel York Loh provides a very measured, calm presence in the VA that suits the shy Lao She well.

Overall, an enjoyable read. 3.5 stars rounded up

I simply could not get into this one. I love a good mystery, but I think that I might need the physical book for this novel.

The Murder of Mr. Ma is a historical mystery following Chinese academic Lao She as he is roped into helping a famous judge figure out who is killing Chinese immigrants in post World War I London. This story is an adventure and a half. The many action movie fight scenes and witty one liners move the narrative forward, while the issues of racism and opium abuse ground it in reality. Anyone looking for a unique take on a classic murder mystery will like this read.

It’s rare these days that a book actually lives up to its marketing, but the Murder of Mr. Ma delivered on its promise as a swashbuckling, martial arts Sherlock Holmes. While those things might not seem like they go together, Nee and Rozan pulled it off spectacularly. The star of the show might just be Loh’s narration though. Each character had their own voice which added to the theatrics and made it easy to follow who was speaking.

This was not only a lot of fun, but I also learned about the WWI Chinese Labour Corps and how Chinese immigrants were treated in 1920s London (spoiler - it wasn’t great). As if solving a murder wasn’t hard enough, the dynamic duo of Judge Dee and Lao had to also navigate constant racism and negative stereotypes to bring the murderer to justice.

The mystery aspect was well done. I had an idea of who the killer was, but not the mechanics so there were still plenty of surprises to hold my attention. The characters were flawed, but lovable (if a bit exasperating - looking at you Lao). The ending seems to set this up as a series, and I’m looking forward to seeing what hijinks Lao and Dee get up to next time!

I would definitely recommend this to any Sherlock Holmes and/or historical mystery fans, especially those that aren’t afraid to have a little fun with the classics.

This unique whodunit set in 1920s London is a murder mystery infused with racial and social themes and packed full of action. The characters are interesting and the writing is quick witted and engaging. I really enjoyed the narration, too.

An extremely charming novel set in post world war I, that explores the intricate relationships between the British and Chinese cultures. The wonderfully woven tale gives the reader a true sense of the smells and senses of the lesser London boroughs giving you a feeling of being fully immersed. Crime and the east end are synonymous so the characters are gently assisted by the likes of the local ruffians!
Enjoy this detective book of note.

This read like a more modern Agatha Christie. Set in post-World War I London, Lao and Dee investigate the deaths of several Chinese men. Their adventures in solving these serial murders involve humor, martial arts, and kept me hooked until the end. Looking forward to a sequel!

Excellently narrated across a myriad of characters The Murder of Mr. Ma is much like watching an action-packed movie with your eyes closed. I especially appreciated how well Daniel York Loh's voice flowed over names, varied accents, and genders; sometimes even needing two voices for one character - well done! If you enjoy a classic mystery with touches of history check out this first installation of the Dee and Lao series. I can't wait to read the next one!

First book in a new series. I didn’t feel it found its identity or place in mystery. Tackled many subjects and written a well , but felt very dense in setting up too many characters for the series. This happens Sometimes in the first book of a series, as thee author is trying to establish the base for the rest of the books, but can it becomes dense and loses its focus on the genre of the book, which is what happened. It is a well written book. It’s just dense with too much character information and a little slow.

Thank you to NetGalley and RB Media | Recorded Books for gifting me this ALC of the audiobook to review.

This book is like a Sherlock Holmes murder mystery, with a 1920s- Chinese spin.
Sherlock Holme’s quirkiness is Dee’s addiction to opium and his special skills are partially in deduction, but mostly in fighting. As a person who likes Sherlock Holmes a lot, these didn’t seem like worthy exchanges/ sacrifices to be made. I was not a big fan of the fighting scenes, because they feel a bit like fillers within the story. I am not a big fan of action movies, to begin with, but reading about them is even less satisfying.

Lao, the Watson-like character, unfortunately, lacks some of the charm that Watson seems to have. He comes across as well-meaning, but ultimately clumsy and inexperienced and apart from his heritage, he doesn’t have any qualities that make him interesting. As Dee comes across as more neurotypical than Sherlock Holmes, Lao is also not the sidekick that makes Dee more accessible to people around him. Lao, in fact, seems to be the one out of the two of them that is socially awkward. At times I felt a bit like Lao is a child that is being taught how the world works by Dee. This is even more strange if you consider that Dee is actually new to London and its ways, while Lao has lived there for a while. Lao did not add much to the case at all, apart from providing the narration and that was a bit unsatisfying to me. In general, I wished both Lao and Dee to be more badass. The case just seemed to dwindle down until Lao & Dee had no choice but to catch the killer.
As both Lao’s and Dee’s characters still lack some finetuning and character development I would say that this book is not as character-driven, as it should be. I am hoping, as this is the first book in the series, that we will find out more about the characters in the future and that they will go through more character development.

This is a book for you, if you are a fan of Sherlock Holmes, possibly fight/case scenes and want to read a book with some additional insights into the Chinese culture of the 1920s but are willing to forgive the fact that the main characters don’t measure up to Watson and Sherlock Holmes yet. 3,5 *** from me

Thank you Net Galley and publisher for this ARC!

What a great story! I really enjoyed this. I love how well the characters worked together. I am a stab for a good cozy mystery!

In the book The Murder Of Mr. Ma Vy John Shen Yen Nee it is the first book in the new series called Dee & Lao mysteries and I must admit this one started with a bang. It is set in 1924 London Mr. Loa is a shy academic and when he is summoned by Lord Russell he couldn’t imagine with the man wants this is where he would meet a very respected fellow countrymen name Mr. Dee. After a failed bit of subterfuge Mr. Dee and Mr. Lau Will start an investigation on a man murdered by a butterfly sword and he will not be the last. They will be plagued by stereotypes Mr. Dee’s Bad personal habits Mr. Lau‘s romantic crush and they even get a little help from Spring Heeled Jack. This was an awesome book I think Mr. Dee and Mr. Lau when merchants around London all start a rainy day fun it seems someone wants it can The duo stop him before everyone is dead? This was such a great book I loved the authors writing style I love to read a book and find the MC in the situation I have no idea how he’s getting out of police for him to do so in a brilliant way and that is a lot of the book. They have some great fight scenes and although Mr. Lau isn’t professionally trained like Mr. D they are still both formidable opponents but it’s their investigation skills that are put to the test. I highly recommend this book if you love great mysteries with an awesome narrator in Daniel York Loh you will love this audiobook I only hope he is the narrator for future books because he did such a great job with accents and setting a great intriguing tone for the book. I want to thank recorded books the author and NetGalley for my free arc copy. Please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

A stellar match of narrator and subject matter. Daniel York Loh's voice lends this delightful cozy historical detective novel with action-flick level fight scenes just the right element to remind readers of its early 19th Century London setting.

An interesting take on Sherlock Holmes. London 1924, Chinese immigrants are turning up dead, each by a butterfly knife. Can Dee (Sherlock) and Lao (Watson) be able to figure it out before one of them fall victim? I think it was a decent story but the writing is in first person of Lao and this became quite confusing at times. I listened to the audiobook so perhaps reading it would have made more sense. I do feel like it should have gone back and forth between Lao and Dee's perspective. There are a lot of fight scenes which made this seem like a film and not a novel. First person fight scenes were kind of hard to follow along. I did enjoy the narrator and think that he did a great job! I thought the story was good overall.


Thank you to RB Media and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Title: The Murder of Mr. Ma
Author: John Shen Yen Nee, SJ Rozan

Genre: Detective Fiction

Rating: ⭐️ 3/5 ⭐️


When I first laid eyes on the title and cover, I was immediately intrigued. Getting an advance copy of the audiobook made my day.

The narration style really hooked me. That’s what kept me engaged. However, the book was just okay for me. The pacing felt a bit sluggish, and I saw the plot twist coming. What I did enjoy was the strong sense of community between Lao, Dee, and their comrades. It was admirable how they stood up for their fellow countrymen, although it did strike me as a bit odd for a judge to go to such lengths. But, well, it was the 1920s.

The Murder of Mr. Ma is a murder mystery set in 1920s London. It follows two Chinese men, a judge and a professor. They team up and try to solve the case as to why Chinese men keep getting killed.

I enjoyed this book! I loved the action and adventure in it. The mystery kept having twists that kept me interested. There were some quirky characters. I liked the bits of humor and the narrator’s tone. It also examined how the Chinese were treated during that time, which I feel like isn’t a popular topic in books.

I listened to the audiobook and I really enjoyed it! The narrator was great and it kept me interested.

It wasn’t quite a five star for me but I did really enjoy it! Thanks so much to netgalley and RB media for the ALC of this book in exchange for an honest review!