Rating: 
Summary: a plucky heroine & a haunting storyline: definitely a winner
Review: "The Jasmine Trade" by Denise Hamilton is a wonderfully engaging and readable first novel that introduces you to the twilight world of the disenfranchised rich teenage Asian immigrants in Los Angeles. It's haunting and gripping, and is a read that should not be missed!While covering the carjacking-gone-wrong murder of 17 year old Marina Lu, Los Angeles reporter Eve Diamond, fortuitously uncovers a subculture she had little knowledge of: the parachute kids. These are the young teenage children of recent well to do Asian immigrants, who are living in this country with little or no parental supervision. While the parents are jetting all over the world for business reasons, the kids are expected to go to school regularly, get good grades, and lead exemplary lives. Of course, left to their own resources, the kids usually drift, and frequently into gangs. Eve smells a really good story here, and an award winning one at that. Through her contacts with the school board, and the Rainbow Coalition Center, Eve manages to talk to one of these 'parachute kids' and unexpectedly stumbles onto the diary of Marina Lu. Reading bits of the diary, Eve discovers that Marina believed that her much older fiance was two-timing her, and had resolved to discover the truth. Now, Eve cannot help but wonder if Marina's death was actually a murder made to look like a carjacking gone wrong. However before she can read Marina's diary properly from beginning to end, her car is broken into, and all her notes and Marina's diary is stolen. Was this a 'real' robbery or was recovering Marina's diary the primary objective? Suddenly Eve's world seems a lot darker. Why would the diary of a 17 year old be of any importance to anyone, unless it contained something really damaging to someone? And how did this person know that Eve had Marina's diary? Conscious of the fact that she may be in danger, Eve nonetheless refuses to give up her investigation into Marina's death, even if it means putting herself directly into harms' way. What Eve's eventually uncovers will haunt her and change her forever. "The Jasmine Trade" is a really great read. And although for the first half of the book, the plot looks as if it is teetering a little between the subplots that dealt with Marina's death and her obsessive need to know what her fiance was up to, and the parachute kids, everything does come together, so that sticking it out really does pay off! Eve Diamond is a truly plucky and engaging heroine; her character makeup, equal parts investigative zeal to discover what really happened and to deliver some much needed justice, and her own inner sense of self loathing for all the manipulation she exercises in order to get a story, makes Eve really accessible to the reader. I also liked the manner in which Denise Hamilton intersperses bits about Eve's past with the present, so that we get to better understand Eve's character, and what motivates her. The storyline was an intriguing and riverting one, and Denise Hamilton's prose style was fresh and breezy, thus making this novel easy reading. I really enjoyed "The Jasmine Trade" and have no problem recommending it as an excellent read.
Rating:
Summary: "The Jasmine Trade: A Study"
Review: "The Jasmine Trade" is a suspense mystery written with a lot of depth by Denise Hamilton. It's about parachute kids in the San Gabriel Valley. Eve is a reporter working on an article about prostitution, but at the same time cracking a case about who killed 17-year-old Marina Lu, who was found dead in her car. Eve falls in love at the same time and is sometimes in the wrong place.
With many stories being connected as you read the book, it all falls into one place: How are all these parachute kids connected? When you read the fictitious "Eve" narrate it, it's as if the author were there.
"The Jasmine Trade" is a lot more complex than "The Outsiders," which is also about gangs, that I just had to read for my 7th grade English class. Children who probably have not read much might like "The Outsiders," because they have nothing better to compare it to, like "The Jasmine Trade." -- Maia L., L.A.
Rating:
Summary: a plucky heroine & a haunting storyline: definitely a winner
Review: "The Jasmine Trade" by Denise Hamilton is a wonderfully engaging and readable first novel that introduces you to the twilight world of the disenfranchised rich teenage Asian immigrants in Los Angeles. It's haunting and gripping, and is a read that should not be missed! While covering the carjacking-gone-wrong murder of 17 year old Marina Lu, Los Angeles reporter Eve Diamond, fortuitously uncovers a subculture she had little knowledge of: the parachute kids. These are the young teenage children of recent well to do Asian immigrants, who are living in this country with little or no parental supervision. While the parents are jetting all over the world for business reasons, the kids are expected to go to school regularly, get good grades, and lead exemplary lives. Of course, left to their own resources, the kids usually drift, and frequently into gangs. Eve smells a really good story here, and an award winning one at that. Through her contacts with the school board, and the Rainbow Coalition Center, Eve manages to talk to one of these 'parachute kids' and unexpectedly stumbles onto the diary of Marina Lu. Reading bits of the diary, Eve discovers that Marina believed that her much older fiance was two-timing her, and had resolved to discover the truth. Now, Eve cannot help but wonder if Marina's death was actually a murder made to look like a carjacking gone wrong. However before she can read Marina's diary properly from beginning to end, her car is broken into, and all her notes and Marina's diary is stolen. Was this a 'real' robbery or was recovering Marina's diary the primary objective? Suddenly Eve's world seems a lot darker. Why would the diary of a 17 year old be of any importance to anyone, unless it contained something really damaging to someone? And how did this person know that Eve had Marina's diary? Conscious of the fact that she may be in danger, Eve nonetheless refuses to give up her investigation into Marina's death, even if it means putting herself directly into harms' way. What Eve's eventually uncovers will haunt her and change her forever. "The Jasmine Trade" is a really great read. And although for the first half of the book, the plot looks as if it is teetering a little between the subplots that dealt with Marina's death and her obsessive need to know what her fiance was up to, and the parachute kids, everything does come together, so that sticking it out really does pay off! Eve Diamond is a truly plucky and engaging heroine; her character makeup, equal parts investigative zeal to discover what really happened and to deliver some much needed justice, and her own inner sense of self loathing for all the manipulation she exercises in order to get a story, makes Eve really accessible to the reader. I also liked the manner in which Denise Hamilton intersperses bits about Eve's past with the present, so that we get to better understand Eve's character, and what motivates her. The storyline was an intriguing and riverting one, and Denise Hamilton's prose style was fresh and breezy, thus making this novel easy reading. I really enjoyed "The Jasmine Trade" and have no problem recommending it as an excellent read.
Rating:
Summary: "The Jasmine Trade: A Study"
Review: "The Jasmine Trade" is a suspense mystery written with a lot of depth by Denise Hamilton. It's about parachute kids in the San Gabriel Valley. Eve is a reporter working on an article about prostitution, but at the same time cracking a case about who killed 17-year-old Marina Lu, who was found dead in her car. Eve falls in love at the same time and is sometimes in the wrong place.
With many stories being connected as you read the book, it all falls into one place: How are all these parachute kids connected? When you read the fictitious "Eve" narrate it, it's as if the author were there.
"The Jasmine Trade" is a lot more complex than "The Outsiders," which is also about gangs, that I just had to read for my 7th grade English class. Children who probably have not read much might like "The Outsiders," because they have nothing better to compare it to, like "The Jasmine Trade." -- Maia L., L.A.
Rating: 
Summary: Reviews and blurbs
Review: . Publisher's Weekly "In addition to a gripping story and keen observations about contemporary Los Angeles, [Hamilton] also offers an undeniably winning narrator: intelligent, impulsive Eve is sharp on the outside and vulnerable on the inside, willing to cogitate with equal intensity on issues private (a lost love, a dead brother) and public (racial and socioeconomic politics, "the media's scorching glare"). Los Angeles Times "She reminds me of a younger, more vulnerable version of Edna Buchanan's Miami-based Britt Montero, just as the novel's street-level approach to journalism and justice are reminiscent of Buchanan's earlier, stronger fictions." New York Times Book Review "her meaty first novel covers all this rich sociological territory and more...Eve Diamond, who has been given the author's former job as a suburban reporter for the Los Angeles Times, becomes aware of this shadowy subculture when she covers a carjacking at a fancy mall that caters to affluent Asians...[Eve's] anger informs her insights into the depravities that lie buried in insular societies." USA Today A "cross-cultural tale of betrayal and murder...This is an intricate story, and Hamilton has the knack for writing about the immigrant experience and race relations on a romantic and political level." Denver Post Like most mystery readers, we're always pleased to learn about something new while reading for pleasure, and we learned a great deal in Denise Hamilton's engrossing first novel...Eve is a wonderful creation, believable not only as a reporter who takes her job seriously (despite her cynicism about its values) but also as a woman with a soft heart, a sharp intellect and a driving curiosity. Her story - brisk, sometimes edgy, and always full of revelations about the world she lives in - is a perceptive social document as well as a gripping work of fiction. Denise Hamilton and Eve Diamond are the real deal, and we'll be very disappointed if we don't see more of them. The Washington Times Reporters get a lot of grief for pushing a microphone in the face of grieving parents and asking how they feel. Ever wonder how we feel doing it? Well, Denise Hamilton will give you a very good look at this side of the notebook and pencil in her debut mystery...Untended children, especially those in their teens, are trouble magnets and Miss Hamilton explores their odd world with understanding and compassion.....Miss Hamilton writes like the pro she is. Her Eve Diamond is fully developed and - take my word for it - a fully believable newspaper woman. Miss Hamilton has a nice feel for location and her dialogue sounds real. The plot is a grabber and the book is a winner. Here is another author worth watching. Los Angeles Magazine Denise Hamilton's The Jasmine Trade has all the plot twists and creepy characters one would expect from an L.A. noir thriller...Despite its flashier elements - blackmail, slipped mickeys, and gangland hits, to name a few- it is Hamilton's depiction of daily journalists that sells the book. In her first novel, reporters lie, flatter, cajole and jerk people around to get their stories before abandoning sources to chase the next hot lead. We'll trust Hamilton on this one; for ten years she worked as a staff reporter for, yes, the L.A. Times Sally Powers, I Love a Mystery Web Site Denise Hamilton has made an auspicious debut with THE JASMINE TRADE. Her writing is superb -- spare, yet she depicts her characters and settings with great clarity. You could label THE JASMINE TRADE urban noir, or hard boiled suspense. What it is is fine writing from a gifted storyteller. Hamilton joins the ranks of Bob Crais and Paula Woods as an example of Los Angeles crime writing at its best. Kirkus Reviews "A furiously boiling stew...spiced by an unflinching look at family dysfunction, Asian-American style." Booklist What does work - and work very well - is the author's thoughtful, eye-opening look at a new version of a destructive, ongoing social evil: kids joining gangs to find family." Michael Connelly The Jasmine Trade is more than a good crime story. It is the crime novel as sociological study. Denise Hamilton delivers a gripping narrative with a busload of intriguing characters. And all the while she unflinchingly points her flashlight into one of the dark corners of our world. Read it and learn." Lisa See Denise Hamilton has used her skills as a journalist to create a heartrending story about the plight of parachute kids that is at once eye-opening and compelling. The Jasmine Trade reminds us that sometimes a terrible price must be paid to achieve the American Dream." Thomas Perry The Jasmine Trade is an unusual find: a novel about a young female reporter investigating a crime, written by a female reporter who has covered such crimes, complete with the sights and sounds of L.A. presented unbeautified and unembellished. Susan Straight "Intricately plotted, breathless in places and achingly bittersweet in others, Denise Hamilton's first novel is a gem. I traveled to places I didn't know at all, in the Asian communities surrounding Los Angeles, and I met people I might never have heard speak if not for her book. It's not just a mystery, it's an entire world laid out in tapestry form." About the Author Denise Hamilton is a Los Angeles based writer-journalist whose worked has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Wired, Cosmopolitan, Der Spiegel and New Times. As a suburban reporter with the Times, she was the first to draw widespread attention to the phenomenon of "parachute kids." During her 10 years with the Times, she also covered the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe, the breakup of the Soviet Union and burgeoning youth movements in Japan. A Fulbright scholar, she taught in former Yugoslavia during the Bosnian War. She lives in a Los Angeles suburb with her husband and two young children. The Jasmine Trade is her first novel.
Rating:
Summary: A Diamond of a Debut
Review: As a Southern California-based crime fiction author of a mystery series set against multicultural backdrops, I was quite impressed with THE JASMINE TRADE. Denise Hamilton has written a winner here. A young Chinese woman's death leads reporter Eve Diamond into the California subculture of "parachute kids." Eve also finds danger, love, and the jasmine trade--the smuggling of women out of China for forced labor as sex-workers. THE JASMINE TRADE is almost a perfect contemporary mystery, and Eve Diamond is destined to have a glorious career as a series character. Fine work.
Rating:
Summary: Chinatown in the Suburbs
Review: Denise Hamilton's debut novel delves into the affluent immigrant life style of wealthy parents commuting from the Asian mainland while their teen age children reside in high-end neighborhoods with plenty of money and minimal supervision. The idea is to give the kids a good education without the cutthroat competitiveness of the Asian school system, and ready them for admission to top U.S. colleges. The pressure is intense on these youngsters as they are expected to not only maintain the highest of grade point averages, but also take on huge responsibilities of self-supervision and avoid the temptations that are not beyond their financial means, but are way beyond their judgment. These children are known as "parachute kids." The story opens with the murder of 17-year old Marina Lu at the wheel of her Lexus, an apparent car jacking gone wrong in a mall parking lot. She has been shopping for her ten bridesmaids gowns. Enter Eve Diamond, an L.A. Times reporter, who catches the story. Eve is a fully realized character, a total professional on the job and very vulnerable in other areas. Her well-developed libido is somewhat alarming, for she is nothing if not impulsive. She follows the trail by fits and starts getting to know and appreciate Marina's friends, a dedicated youth counselor that may or may not be a love interest, and running into some high and hard rollers in the Asian community. Unfortunately, the story peaks prematurely and the last quarter of the book is spent tying up loose ends. Ms. Hamilton gives us a crackerjack portrait of the life of a newspaper reporter. She clearly knows the ins and outs of the trade. She draws an excellent picture of an almost 30-something woman and how she lives and dreams. Eve has an excellent sense of humor and is too imaginative by half. She has the makings of a good series character, and it looks like this is what is intended. This good start could have used some tightening up and better pacing; perhaps more experience will give Eve a smoother ride.
Rating: 
Summary: Not as good as everyone else seems to think.
Review: I did not think that The Jasmine Trade was very good, especially when compared to other new thrillers, like The Stone Monkey, by Jeffery Deaver. I found the main character Eve Diamond's self-conscious narration tedious, and the confidence she inspired in those she interviewed hightly unlikely. If I were a "parachute kid" who she tried to interview, I would kick her out on her [rear]. Diamond was stupid, allowing herself to be conned, drugged, and robbed at various times in the book, and the story's twists were forseeable. The thing the book had going for it was, dispite its lack of style, it had two intriguingly realistic news expose' storylines going at once, about "parachute kids" and Asian brothels. Unfortunatly, the ending was exceedingly disapointing.
Rating:
Summary: Not as good as everyone else seems to think.
Review: I did not think that The Jasmine Trade was very good, especially when compared to other new thrillers, like The Stone Monkey, by Jeffery Deaver. I found the main character Eve Diamond's self-conscious narration tedious, and the confidence she inspired in those she interviewed hightly unlikely. If I were a "parachute kid" who she tried to interview, I would kick her out on her [rear]. Diamond was stupid, allowing herself to be conned, drugged, and robbed at various times in the book, and the story's twists were forseeable. The thing the book had going for it was, dispite its lack of style, it had two intriguingly realistic news expose' storylines going at once, about "parachute kids" and Asian brothels. Unfortunatly, the ending was exceedingly disapointing.
Rating:
Summary: I Enjoyed This Book
Review: I enjoyed this book. I am a huge mystery fan, especially mysteries like this one. Denise Hamilton is a fine story teller, and she captures the multicultural aspects of southern California perfectly. The Jasmine Trade is an excellent book.
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