Apricot’s Revenge

Chinese author Song’s meandering U.S. debut follows Chengdu journalist Nie Feng and the Public Security Bureau’s Y District Criminal Division as they investigate the suspicious deaths of Shenzen realty magnate Hu Guohao and his old friend and rival, Hong Yiming. At the novel’s core lies a poignant revenge tale forged in the fires of China’s Cultural Revolution, but while Song writes eloquently about the plight of Chengdu’s zhiqing—urban teens separated from their families, relocated to the rural Yunnan border, and forced into manual labor—he dedicates too few pages to this aspect of the plot. The police’s ineptitude strains credulity, as do Nie’s investigative insight and influence, and the characters lack depth. Excessive exposition, frequent digressions, and a dearth of action coupled with a relatively artless translation sap drama and throttle the pace. The howdunit portion of the mystery intrigues, but Song’s solution is absurd and leans too heavily on coincidence to satisfy. Agent: Joanne Wang, Joanne Wang Agency. (Feb.)