I found my credulity stretched to the limit as I read this Chinese crime thriller, as murder followed murder, each one lovingly described with full complement of blood and gore, and serial killer after serial killer arrived on the scene. What an uncomfortable place China must be to live in if this is the level of death and dismemberment the police have to face on an almost daily basis. Fortunately, brilliant Professor Han Yin is on the spot to offer a complete profile of each killer after just the briefest of cursory glances at the murder scene, and to give a short lecture on forensic psychology at regular intervals. I felt I was reading a crime text book on occasion. It was certainly interesting to read a Chinese police procedural but I did feel a little battered by all the gore by the end. Not exactly a literary masterpiece but nevertheless an entertaining enough read, and an insight into another country’s crime culture.

The plot is a shining star in this novel. While the number of serial murderers in one city seems improbable, it did keep the plot so complex I couldn't see where it was going. Unfortunately, there was just too much exposition. The pages and pages of psychoanalysis in the guise of profiling was too much explaining. I'm not sure whether it's because I'm familiar with the 'science' and have strong opinions about its efficacy but it felt a bit basic to have explained to me with so much tell not show prose.

I was disappointed in this and did not finish. It was not clear to me whether there was a translation problem or if the author just wasn't a particularly good writer. Thanks to Amazon for the opportunity to read world literature even if it isn't always a hit.