The second in the engaging Dee and Lao series, set in 1920's London, finds our dynamic duo working against time. Someone is killing people who might get in the way of a conspiracy around the Chinese Eastern Railway. As in the first book, young scholar Lao She is paired with the amazingly clever Judge Dee Ren Jie, with the support of martial arts specialist Sergeant Hoong and charming pickpocket Jimmy Fingers. Fascinating historical detail, great action sequences, and a lot of fun repartee between the characters? Yes, please.

I hugely enjoy this series. I always learn something about a time period I am somewhat familiar with, but not from the lens of a Chinese person navigating London. The inclusion of historical figures like Bertrand Russell and his wife helps add to the atmosphere. The ongoing teasing of Lao about his fondness for English women (and his inevitable striking out) is done with a light touch, and helps address some of the racism a character like him might have faced in that time period.

Students who enjoy a Holmes-style puzzle mystery, but might also like some kick-ass martial arts sequences to add a little pizazz would enjoy these immensely.

The Dee and Lao mystery series continues as the pair attempt to derail an international conspiracy.
At the end of The Murder of Mr. Ma, the first book in S.J. Rozan and John Shen Yen Nee's Dee and Lao historical mystery series, Judge Dee Ren Jie has departed for China, leaving behind his friend, Lao She, to resume his career as a professor at the University of London. Book two, The Railway Conspiracy, has Dee returning to the city some months later as a representative of China's Nationalist party. Reunited, the pair set about investigating the theft of an ancient Chinese artifact—but as the plot thickens and the body count increases, it becomes clear there's much more at stake than the missing antique. Dee and Lao are joined in their endeavors by two characters they met during their previous adventure: shopkeeper and kung fu master Sergeant Hoong, and Jimmy Fingers, a (possibly) reformed pickpocket.

Many have compared Dee and Lao to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson: Dee, like Holmes, is a savant, with extraordinary physical and observational skills; Lao, like Dr. Watson, is his well-intentioned and loyal sidekick, often clueless and a bit bumbling, who narrates their adventures. And although Rozan and Nee's books are set in the 1920s—a little later than Doyle's—the London atmosphere feels remarkably similar, both in its daily bustle and its dark, danger-filled nights.

But that's not to say the pair are carbon copies of Holmes and Watson. The two men are fleshed-out, individual characters, with lives outside of their partnership. Dee supports China's Nationalists while Lao is an avowed Communist; Dee is an atheist and Lao is a Christian; Dee is more culturally Chinese, while Lao, who lives in England, prefers some aspects of British culture. And because of vivid and well-drawn supporting characters like Hoong and Jimmy, as well as new characters who are added to the recurring cast by the end of the book, the world feels broader than Doyle's does.

While The Murder of Mr. Ma was concerned with social issues faced by people of Chinese descent in London during the era, like difficulty finding housing and employment, this second novel is more concerned with the politics of China. The characters do certainly face racial prejudice, but unlike in the first novel, it's not central to the plot. Instead, much of the book revolves around China's internal struggles at the time—namely, the rise of both the Chinese Nationalist Party and the Chinese Communist Party and the conflicts between the two groups. The authors describe the debate in compelling terms, and make it easy for those not familiar with China's history to follow the issues.

One of the most impressive aspects of the series is how much historical fact underlies the plot. The Railway Conspiracy was a slow read for me, not because it wasn't a page turner (it definitely is) but because I had to compulsively verify information in the narrative. Yes, I learned, there really was a Palaseum Theatre in London owned by a Mr. Ben Hur (formerly a boxer named Henry Ben Solomon). There was also a London Necropolis Railway that operated for the sole purpose of conveying corpses and mourners from London to a large cemetery to the north. Even Dee and Lao are based on real-life figures (Di Renjie of the Tang and Wu Zhou Dynasties, and 20th century novelist Lao She, respectively). The list goes on; historical fiction fans will absolutely rejoice in all the tiny details the authors include.

And readers who don't necessarily revel in historical detail will likely still enjoy the action sequences. There are at least five multi-page kung fu battles that are relayed with cinematic clarity:

"Isaki rolled into the crouching posture of an iaijutsu stance. In one swift action, he drew his katana from its scabbard and swept a one-stroke killing slash. Hoong sidestepped the flashing sword; no sooner had he than Isaki, almost faster than I could follow, swung the blade a second time. Hoong bent back almost double to avoid this cut…I saw Hoong shift his legs…and catch the katana in mid-third-strike, flat between his massive palms. He twisted his body and his arms and, with a grunt, snapped the blade in two."

These action sequences can be a double-edged sword, though (pun intended). Sometimes they seem a bit gratuitous; other times, too fantastical. The comic book atmosphere is reinforced by Dee's propensity to dress up as the legendary Spring-heeled Jack (see Beyond the Book) to intimidate others or disguise his identity; there's even one vignette that calls to mind a scene from The Incredible Hulk. These passages are amusing, but they distract from the truly fine mystery into which they're inserted.

The Railway Conspiracy can be read as a standalone novel, but I highly recommend starting with the first book in the series, which explains how the various partnerships were formed, provides a fascinating backstory for Dee, and is every bit as entertaining.

It's awfully hard to describe this series - it's a historical mystery. It's a Sherlock Holmes pastiche. It's about martial arts. It's all of the above. The aspect of these books that I find most compelling, though, is the history. I'm learning things I didn't know about China. In this case, Judge Dee and his Watson-like sidekick Lao are trying to intercept a valuable artifact that has fallen into the hands of a White Russian who is delivering it to a Japanese agent with Samurai tendencies. That escaped leads us into the household of the mace's owner, a wealthy and sophisticated Chinese woman living in London who has invited a number of people to her home for a dinner party. One of them is a banker who is subsequently murdered. And it's not the first killing. It all seems to revolve around the fate of China, which is being fought over by nationalists and communists, with a critical railway line that connects Beijing, Russia, and Japan at stake. Which political figure is behind the murders?

This is a fun series, though in this case I found the animating historical issue less engaging than the first in the series, which revolved around Chinese laborers brought in to work for combatants in World War I - news to me. And I'm not all that interested in the choreography of kung fu, though it adds flavor to the weird mashup nature of the narrative. That said, I expect to read on in the series, and am sure I'll learn something new about a time and place that I know too little about.

Dee and Lao are back to thwart a conspiracy between Russia, Japan, and China. Pick it up if you enjoy fight scenes that last several pages.

My thanks to NetGalley and Soho Press for an advance copy of this novel, a mystery set in the time between two world wars in London, where international schemers are planning actions that could change the face of the world, and the brave detectives, a Judge and a scholar, both from China who are bound and determined to stop them.

I began loving classic mysterys at an early age starting with the entry drug of Sherlock Holmes, read in the back seat of the family car visiting my Grandparents in the Bronx. From there I went into the pulps, with their lack of mysterys, but with Big Bosses planning bad things, and a lot of fisticuffs. I liked the energy, the ratiocination, the spills and thrills. Looking back though, I did miss a lot of the racism, that know seems pretty apparant in many of the tales at the time. The words Yellow Peril appeared quite a bit, sinister oriental for anybody out of Asia. These statements make it hard for me to go back and read some of these stories. Which I is why I love this series so much. Judge Dee and his handy scholar partner Lao She are modern throwbacks which were a rare in many of the books I used to read. Men who can think, fight, have feelings, make friends, eat well, and solve mysteries, and most of all be Chinese. The Railway Conspiracy by John Shen Yen Nee and S.J. Rozan is the second, in I hope a long running series, featuring these two men, dealing with strange goings on in London, including theft, murder, and possibly revolution.

The book begins in a park with two mysterious men undertaking a transaction. This bit of business is interrupted by a caped crusader, the so-called Springheel Jack, a man of British legend, but one that has helped the police in the past, along with some others, including the scholar Lao She. The police arrive, and Springheel Jack escapes into the shadows, shadows that Judge Dee Ren Jie emerge from to take what was stolen from his client, an ancient mace from China. What seems to be the end of a successful investigation turns out to be just the start. The woman the mace as stolen from is a powerful business woman, one that a certain Judge might have feelings for. The theft was by a Russian agent, who seemed to be giving the mace to a Japanese agent, but why would these two powers be working together. At the same time people are dying in London, people who have ties to China, ties that could change the fate of the country and maybe even the world.

This is the second book in the series, and I would recommend starting with the first, as it is equally a very good story. However the writers do a very good job of explaining things, the characters and situations enough that one can follow along. This is a mix of pulp, classic detective story, Great Game espionage, and a bit of Jackie Chan action. Or Donnie Yen. He would be very good as Judge Dee. The story is quite good, with a lot of action, history, and a narrative that keeps everything together and has a strong conclusion. The characters are very well written, and one wants to read just to keep up with their lives, as well as to solve the mysteries. The mix of caped crusaders, ninjas, Russian Cossacks adds to the story. A lot of fun, and a series I want to keep reading more of.

The Railway Conspiracy is the second volume in the Dee and Lao mystery series. Make that Judge Dee and Teacher Lao. The series is set just after WWI in London, but the two main characters are from China. Dee travels between London and Geneva working for the Chinese nationalist government. Lao teaches Chinese language and literature to not particularly enthusiastic university students. The two are a pair reminiscent of Holmes and Watson. Dee is always several steps ahead of everyone else, regardless of the situation, like Holmes. He's also a gifted gifted martial artist who is more than willing to get physical when circumstances warrant that. Lao is a Watson character, not as quick thinking as Dee, but stalwart, and committed to writing up his friend's investigative prowess.

The first volume in the series, The Murder of Mr. Ma, was a clever, engaging read offering not just a central mystery, but also a look at conditions for the Chinese Labor Corps, who were hired to assist the British during WWI. When one of the men Dee knew from the Corps is murdered, Dee takes it upon himself to investigate the death—and ore that follow it. Lao comes along as a sidekick, eager to do something besides teaching. This novel kept me going, putting me into that position of feeling torn between the desire to keep reading to see what would happen next and wanting to slow down, because a book is a finite entity, and I wanted this book to last.

I found The Railway Conspiracy interesting, but not as engaging as the previous volume. The characters remained their delightful selves, but this volume relied more on combat than the first did—and knowing little about martial arts, that meant there were lengthy passages in which I knew fighting was taking place, but didn't understand the language used to describe it sufficiently to feel a part of things.

I'm still looking eagerly forward to volume three when/if that is released, and I'm sure I will enjoy it, but I'm not sure how complete that enjoyment will be.

I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley; the opinions are my own.

A Conspiracy in Two Many Countries to Be Realistic

SJ Rozan is an architect who has been writing detective thrillers in New York City; she has been winning awards since the 90s. John Shen Yen Nee is a media executive in Los Angeles: past president of WildStorm Productions, and senior vice president of DC Comics, publisher of Marvel Comics, CEO of Cryptozoic Entertainment, and founder of CCG Labs. This novel is the follow-up to a collaboration between these two on the historical adventure-mystery The Murder of Mr. Ma.
“Judge Dee and Lao She must use all their powers of deduction—and kung fu skills—to take down a sinister conspiracy between Imperial Russia, Japan, and China in a rollicking new mystery set in 1920s London…” There are too many countries here for this to be a coherent “conspiracy”, as instead it must be an irrational “conspiratorial”-thinking kind of a story. The first “kung fu” mention appears in “Chapter Thirty-Three”, and there is mostly a threat of a fight, without details of how the fight is fought before the story digresses. There are other mentions when Voronoff and others claim to “know kung fu”. In the latter case at least there is a “series of punches, left, right, left, Dee slid back, slapping away each blow until the final one when he jammed Voronoff with a high and low double tiger claw trapping bridge hand…” Okay this goes on to be a decently-described fight.
“London, 1924. Following several months abroad, Judge Dee Ren Jie has returned to the city to foil a transaction between a Russian diplomat and a Japanese mercenary.” Just because these characters are from different places hardly means that their countries are involved in the “conspiracy”? “Aided by Lao She—the Watson to his Holmes—along with several other colorful characters, Dee stops the illicit sale of an extremely valuable ‘dragon-taming’ mace.” When this item is described in its luxurious glory, there are questions if it is supposed to perform “magic”, or if it is even “real gold”. Apparently, the magic is that when this item is stolen “something terrible ‘appening to whosoever stole it” (23). They keep chatting about this item, without clearly explaining what its significance is, or its relevance to the larger “conspiracy” they are trying to uncover. “The mace’s owner is a Chinese businesswoman who thanks Dee for its retrieval by throwing a lavish dinner party. In attendance is British banking official A. G. Stephen, who argues with the group about the tenuous state of Chinese nationalism—and is poisoned two days later.” This poisoning could have been a dramatic scene, but instead of showing it, characters discuss that he was “Poisoned!” A bit of info is given about “a mixture of certain medicinal herbs”. Then, they blame the “butler” for disliking Chinese people. They seem to shift the fault onto the poisoning victim, as they agree that people who mistreat Chinese people deserve to be murdered… “Dee knows this cannot be a coincidence, and suspects Stephen won’t be the only victim. Sure enough, a young Chinese communist of Lao’s acquaintance is killed not long after—and a note with a strange symbol is found by his body. What could connect these murders? Could it be related to rumors of a conspiracy regarding the Chinese Eastern Railway? It is once again all on the unlikely crime-solving duo of Dee and Lao to solve the case before anyone else ends up tied to the rails.”
The story opens with a cryptic “Prologue” that is set in “1966”, but only mentions the year “1924” in its body. There is a mention of a “fight”, but no fight takes place here. It seems the authors are trying to repel all potential readers. Then, “Chapter One”, set in London, 1924, begins with a long paragraph where the trick of omitting letters is used to suggest a character has a heavy accent. Nothing clear is said in this paragraph: no explanation for what this guy wants, or what he’s trying to communicate. In the next paragraph Judge Dee at least explains they are there “to intercept” some kind of “men”. Apparently the other speaker did not ask in advance what guys they are after, or what they’d be trying to do as they lie in wait… This is pretty absurd. Generally, this is not a readable novel.
—Pennsylvania Literary Journal, Fall 2024: https://anaphoraliterary.com/journals/plj/plj-excerpts/book-reviews-fall-2024

This second Judge Dee and Lao Shee didn't draw me in quite as much as the first, although it was still very good. I felt like there was more of an emphasis on martial arts battles, less on details of the mystery. I did enjoy the 1924 London setting and watching how the Chinese expat community was interacting with events in their homeland. This book definitely felt like a set up for future series entries; at least I hope so. I want to read more about the young woman, Feng as well as the rest of Dee's friends.

It isn't the poor book's fault, I guess. This just wasn't for me. Think swashbuckling with no pirates.

I’ve long awaited this sequel to authors S.J. Rozan and John Shen Yen Yee’s debut, The Murder of Mr Ma, and I was not disappointed! Judge Dee Ren Jie, the eminent Chinese judge and diplomat, returns to London, reuniting with his friends — Professor Lao She, merchant/martial artist Sergeant Hoong and the former pickpocket Jimmy Fingers. Just in time, too, as the crew is able to foil the attempted theft of a stolen priceless Chinese mace.

But this cleverly handled escapade is but the beginning of a reign of terror in London by competing ruthless gangs aiming for international control. Readers will enjoy the many twists and surprises. Highly, highly recommended.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley and Soho Press in exchange for an honest review.