It’s London 1924 and the shy academic Lao She gets pulled into a chase of a murderer. He encounters Judge Dee Ren Jie, who’s arrived the city to investigate the murder of a man he served with under WWI. Dee has just interviewed the grieving wife when another man is found dead, and then another, and another. It’s clear someone is targeting Chinese men, but why? Will Lao and Dee find the killer or will they end up as the next victims?

I really liked the historic setting and all the rich cultural components. The story is so much more than just the murder mystery, it delves into the discrimination of Chinese in London, Chinese culture, politics, family, religion and substance abuse. The latter was interesting, the discussion of opium and what is does to people. I hadn’t expected it, but enjoyed the representation. Alongside the mystery aspect, this made a dynamic and well-crafted story.

Additionally I thought the narration was cool. How the reader sometimes is addressed and the narrator straight out says «and this is where I once again enter the story» etc. I found that this breaking of the fourth wall brought another layer to the story, which I found delightful.

The only minus was the listening experience. The audiobook kept skipping back and forth so I was confused when I heard some chapters again and again. Because of this I sometimes thought the story repeated itself, while that wasn’t the case.

Thank you to NetGalley and RB Media for the arc of this 1920-Chinese spin on Sherlock Holmes in exchange of an honest review

⭐️ 3,5

This book was so well written and brought up so many uncomfortable truths of the Chinese experience in Britain/the US around the turn of the last century. TW for racism and micro-aggressions against Asians, specifically the Chinese as well as Opium use and addiction.

This was a fun little mystery that put perspective on things about the culture in the late 1800s for Asian immigrants. The descriptions that show the emotional damage done, and how people can believe in the racist system even when they are the race the system is hurting, were so well sculpted and really what sticks out to me most in this book. Lao She is the epitome of a British gentleman, but can't be accepted as such due to his Chinese heritage. Over his adventures with Judge Dee Ren Jie and the ways the bias and injustice present themselves during their hunt for Mr. Ma's murderer, he discovers them as the readers do. It's so well done, and shows him coming to realizations about how he is persecuted through a genuinely first person lens that makes the reader feel all of his emotions as his sight of it all becomes clearer.

The mystery was well done too, I enjoyed the introduction of Black Jack Rackham as a disguise, and loved the ways that he was used to not draw attention to characters and pass in places the characters would not traditionally be respected. The use of a well-known folk hero to help them solve the murder was an excellent choice.

This book was fantastic, highly recommend it.

I really, really enjoyed this book. I liken it to Hercule Poirot and his assistant Hastings. The story is being told from the point of view of "Hastings" and he is working with the "detective Poirot".

There was a good bit of humor in this book combined with a lot of information given about how the Chinese were treated during the 20s in Great Britian. It was eye opening, but also not surprising that they were overlooked and treated poorly.

The mystery was very well done, and the book was very well written.

Do yourself a favor and give this book a listen!

Books based on Judge Dee, an actual figure in seventh-century China, have a long history. Now S. J. Roman follows in the tradition of Robert Van Gulik, who translated an eighteenth-century novel he found in a used book store and went on to write more than fifteen tales of his own, all featuring Judge Dee. I have read and enjoyed several of them over the years. Now, S. J. Rozan brings the considerable skills she's applied to the Lydia Chen and Bill Smith series to take up the challenge of writing a Judge Dee novel. And, for the most part, she succeeds. One has to suspend reality a bit as Dee exhibits near-superhuman powers, both physical and intellectual, to solve the case of a series of murders in London of the 1920s. Narrating the novel is Lao, a Chinese academic who is introduced to Dee by Bertrand Russell (Ezra Pound also plays a minor role) and who plays Watson to Dee's Sherlock. The action rarely stops and the mystery, although quite solvable, is complex enough to keep the listener (or reader) engaged. John Shen Yen Nee does a wonderful job of narrating the story. The Murder of Mr. Ma will appeal to listeners and readers who are fans of Rozan, Judge Dee, Sherlock, and historical mysteries.

Fans of Sherlock Holmes mysteries and gong'an crime fiction will revel in this perfect blend of the two. Instead of Holmes and Watson, we have Dee Ren Jie and Lao She. This delightful first in a new series brings something new to the table while remaining faithful to the original formula. Daniel York Loh's narration is icing on the cake.

This book was from the perspective of a Chinese detective. There aren’t many books that I have read that have this viewpoint. It was based in the 20’s in London and gave you a sense of what the temperature was of the Chinese culture. The story has the flavor of Sherlock Holmes and Agatha Christie. I would highly recommend this book to everyone.

When I was in elementary school my go to author was Agatha Christie. I love a murder mystery. I was intrigued by this book immediately. Plus I loved the cover.

This book takes place in the 1920s in London. It feels like an Sherlock Holmes riddled with challenges faced by Asians living in London at the time. The main character is Asian and one of the most interesting parts of the book, to me, was him dealing with racism. He would have to cleverly think of how to deceive people to get what he wanted or not say anything at all.

Just like Sherlock Holmes most of the book two men are trying to solve a murder. I did not guess the murderer!

#TheMurderofMrMa #NetGalley

I really enjoyed this read. It read like the Golden Age of mystery works but with a lot more action. Judge Dee and Lao She were flawed but like-able characters and they made for a fantastic crime-solving duo.

I also appreciated all the history that got packed into the novel. It really painted the picture of life for Chinese immigrants in the time period and the effects of the WWI on their lives.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #SohoCrime for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For fans of Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes, London, 1920’s, swashbuckling, two Chinese investigators trying to find a killer going after Chinese immigrates with a sword. Sounds freaking perfect.

It starts out great with the narrator being approached with an odd request, a prison break. The blurb and the beginning are good but then things slows down. Not much of a mystery, more action and or main character the academic Lao She is often sidelined and retells part of the story to us after he has been told the story… why not have us in the mids of the action?

Spring Heeled Jack in a nice spice in the story and I couldn’t help thinking of Bruce Lee in “The Green Hornet” but the idea of Bruce Lee fighting crime in 1920’s London is a lot better than whatever this was.

Didn’t care for the characters and then there were more bible quotes than I cared for.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4

Thank you, NetGalley, RB media, John Shen Yen Nee, and SJ Rozan for early access to the audiobook of The Murder of Mr. Ma.

The Murder of Mr. Ma is a mystery book following Lao She and Judge Dee in 1920s England as they investigate the murder of Chinese immigrants throughout the city. If you enjoy Sherlock Holmes you will definitely enjoy this start to this upcoming series.

This series does not shy away from the prejudices faced by the Chinese men in the series, and integrates it very well into the plot, showing the day-to-day ignorance faced by our character by both people intentionally being bigoted, and those who think they are being well-intentioned. I admit that my American education left me personally ignorant of the contributions of the Chinese Labour Corps during WWI, and I appreciate that this book took the time to honor those men.

The cast of side characters is really fun and colorful. Each person has a unique role in the story, and distinct personalities. The narrator of the audiobook does a great job giving each a distinct and fitting voice. I hope that many of these characters will make reappearances in future additions to this series. I think Lao She feels a little bland at times especially next to the colorful cast of side characters, but hopefully, as the story goes along he will become more distinct.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.
The Murder of Mr. Ma follows 3 Chinese gentlemen in London, 1920's. It read like a Robert Downey Jr./Sherlock Holmes movie, but for the stuntpeople. Loads of descriptive, ancient Chinese hand fighting and acrobatics. Plot was just okay.

The description of Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes films was spot on! There was lots of action but still felt like a Sherlock Holmes story during the 1920s in London. I enjoyed the story of the plight of Chinese Immigrants and how the English treated them. This story took so many twists and turns it kept me on my toes.

While this book was good, I felt a little lost about certain characters and how they fit into the storyline. I also felt like some of the action scenes were used as fillers and didn't really move the story along.

I listened to the audiobook and think the performance by Daniel York Loh was well done and helped bring this story to life.

This book was a lot of fun, total escapism. The racism is gross, but the characters are a hoot. In the beginning I worried about Lao being used and sacrificed to protect Judge Dee. That didn't last long and soon the adventures began.

A reinterpretation of Sherlock Holmes set in an Asian context in the 1920’s. I found the narrative and characters engaging. While the mystery was compelling at times, I found the narrator's laughter to be forced and found it distracting. I would prefer to have read this novel over audio because of it. Numerous unexpected twists and turns add to the entertainment value of the production.

Special thanks to NetGalley and RB Media for sending me this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

What a fun mystery story set in London 1920s about two Chinese men who are trying to solve the murders of other Chinese men. I loved the interaction between the two main characters. The book also gives light to the racism experienced by the Chinese people in England during this time. One of the funniest scenes involved a gray cat 🐈‍⬛
Great for fans of Sherlock Holmes.

Action packed adventure- fast paced novel. The narrator was great with good pronunciation in all languages and accents . The writing is well done and could easily become a hit movie, the writing does live up to the style of Sherlock Holmes.
For me personally, though I enjoyed the story — I couldn’t really deeply invest in any of the characters , but the premise of the mystery itself is what kept me motivated I wanted to know who did the murders. I think it was a creative story and I didn’t suspect correctly— so the reveal I didn’t see coming. It’s an intelligent mystery.
I loved that all the main characters were Chinese immigrants to the UK it gives a different feeling and spin to the style of story.

Thanks to NetGalley and RB media for this ARC. This is my honest review.

The synopsis that mentioned that this is similar to Guy Ritchie's Sherlock wasn't lying. I didn't expect there to be so much fighting in a murder mystery novel. And to be honest? I think it kinda detracted from the mystery (which was the main appeal for me).

I'm also not sure how I feel about this adaptation of Judge Dee. Like I even feel like Judge Dredd is a better adaptation? This character didn't feel like Judge Dee at all, despite sharing the name and the backstory. He definitely felt like a Chinese Guy Ritchie's Sherlock.

I also didn't really like the Chinese-people-in-old-timey-London aspect. While it's nice that they get to share in their culture and go to a restaurant, it mostly felt like an excuse to have a lot of racism from the British characters? They were occasionally gently taught not to say things in an insulting way, but it was mostly just a tedious weardown for the characters to be barraged with constantly. No real commentary, revenge, or even joyful cultural moments that balance out the racism. I personally read fiction to escape this sort of thing, so ymmv.

And lastly, the narrative device by which the Watson character delivers information to the reader when he wasn't there or was knocked out or it's from the Sherlock character's POV? I found that annoying. Like commit to first person or don't. If it was only once I wouldn't have minded, but this happened several times and I didn't like it.

Audiobook Notes:
I thought the narrator did an excellent job with all accents and pronunciations. His diction on the Chinese words was clear and easy to understand (reminded me of the accents of my Mandarin teachers who were from Beijing rather than Taiwan or Shanghai, but I'm not a native speaker so take this observation with a grain of salt).

This book was not for me. That being said, it was very well written and the narration was pretty good. The story just wasn’t my cup of tea and that’s okay! It was enjoyable just didn’t hold my attention like I needed it too.

For fans of Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes films, this stunning, swashbuckling series opener by a powerhouse duo of authors is at once comfortingly familiar and tantalizingly new.

Two unlikely allies race through the cobbled streets of 1920s London in search of a killer targeting Chinese immigrants.

London, 1924. When shy academic Lao She meets larger-than-life Judge Dee Ren Jie, his quiet life abruptly turns from books and lectures to daring chases and narrow escapes. Dee has come to London to investigate the murder of a man he’d known during World War I when serving with the Chinese Labour Corps. No sooner has Dee interviewed the grieving widow than another dead body turns up. Then another. All stabbed to death with a butterfly sword. Will Dee and Lao be able to connect the threads of the murders—or are they next in line as victims?

A fun romp through 1920s London that includes historical aspects not often written about, this is a fresh take on a beloved genre.

In 1920s London, Lao She (not the bad guy from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom) teams up with Judge Dee to solve murders of Chinese immigrants. This was a fun, fast paced mystery with very much a Sherlock Holmes vibe. The opium trade is touched upon but the main draw are the characters, who are real, flawed, and well rounded. I enjoyed this book a lot, the prose immersed me in a world that is not often visited and dealt with issues like drug addiction and racism, which are very much part of our present day.