Well-thought out stories, a librarian soldier turned detective, a solar eclipse and 18th century China made an excellent choice for me to read on a rainy day.

This is a wonderful murder mystery set in China during the early 1700's. Li Du is a librarian in exile who happens upon the town of Dayan (where his cousin is magistrate) a few days before the emperor is scheduled to come to town and command an eclipse of the sun. Not really wanting to stay in town, Li Du is pressed into service by his cousin and when a Jesuit is murdered, is determined to find the truth. I enjoyed the setting of this story, as it is a time/place that I don't know much about. The story kept me guessing until the end and I look forward to reading the next Li Du mystery.

Not every book is for every reader, and I simply could not get into or enjoy this book at all. I'll refrain from a larger review - I believe the book and I just didn't align well.

Thank you for the opportunity read and review this title! I didn't enjoy it as much as I"d hoped, and rather than post a negative review, I chose to not feature it on my blog. I look forward to seeing what new releases you have in store!