The pleasantly suspenseful third fantastical mystery (after The Demon and the City
) in Williams's Det. Insp. Chen series throws Chen and his demon partner, Zhu Irzh, into the heart of a deadly political storm. While investigating a chorus girl's disappearance, the duo are called on to escort a diplomatic envoy from Heaven, the Celestial Miss Mi Li Qi, on a fact-finding mission to Hell. Neither detective is happy about this task, particularly Zhu Irzh, as the trip coincides with his mother's birthday and he dreads seeing his family. Meanwhile, the strange birth of a boy to newlywed ghosts sets off a scramble between the forces of Hell and Heaven. Someone tries to assassinate Zhu Irzh's mum, and Miss Qi goes missing as cosmic forces collide with cataclysmic results. Though Chen and Zhu Irzh are mostly along for the ride, the other colorful characters and imaginative settings extrapolated from ancient Chinese mythology make for a unique story that fans and new readers will enjoy. (July)
