Reflecting the Sky

Rating:
Summary: Fantastic mystery
Review: Chinese-American Lydia Chin and Bill Smith are now official partnersin a private investigation business. Lydia's honorary grandfather Gao,an herb shop owner in Chinatown asks her to perform some tasks in HongKong for him. She agrees, taking Bill with her, to deliver a packagecontaining a jade statue to the grandson of a deceased friend, Wei YaoShin.

The easy assignment turns difficult almost from the onsetof their arrival in Hong Kong. Someone kidnaps Harry, the intendedrecipient of the delivery, but Lydia and Bill have no idea who or whysince several diverse groups claim responsibility. As the Americansleuths try to find and return Harry safely home; they risk their ownlives in the process.

S.J. Rozan is one of the best writers ofhard-boiled private eye novel as proven with her latest, REFLECTIONSIN THE SKY. The tale includes several red herrings that take thereader down false trails leaving everyone clueless as to who thekidnappers are. Hong Kong is vividly described as a beautifullystrange hybrid mix of Eastern and Western cultures that leads to thereader wanting to visit the island. The award winning Ms. Rozan, inher seventh Chin-Smith mystery, provides her fans with anotherpowerfully taut thriller.

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: Rozan keeps getting better!
Review: From her very first book, China Trade, S. J. Rozan has been one of my favorite writers. Unlike so many other writers who get off to a good start, Rozan just keeps getting better with each book - from the almost liquid prose to the vivid characterizations, Reflecting The Sky is her finest yet. With a complex but never confusing plot (involving a kidnapped child and long held family secrets) and set against the fully realized backdrop of Hong Kong, if you've never read Rozan before than this is a great book to start with. If you already know her work, why are you wasting time reading this review?

Rating:
Summary: Entertaining, but too long
Review: I have read several Lydia Chin books and enjoyed them. I have tried one Bill Smith book and found I could not relate to the main character. Here is a book that includes both P.I.s, although it focuses mostly on Lydia. I enjoyed the Hong Kong setting, but grew bored with the continuous descriptions of the neon lights reflected in the water. The plot was well done. I actually understood all the twists and turns. The editing on this book was poor: several typos plus two minor plot mistakes. I am tired of Lydia's dithering about whether she loves Bill. I am also not convinced a man like Bill would continue to pine for a "girl" like Lydia. I would have been much more entertained if Lydia had fallen for the Hong Kong cop, Mark. That would have been believable, natural and would have been a turning point in this long drawn out relationship with Bill. Speaking of long and drawn out, this book was too long. A mystery hardcover rarely rates more than 250 pages. I feel strongly that authors are asked to add filler so that publishers can charge more for the longer books. Maybe that's where all those descriptions come in. Oh well, I must have liked it. I read the last 100 pages in 2 hours straight.

Rating:
Summary: This is S.J. Rozan's BEST
Review: I only recently discovered the duo of Lydia Chin and Bill Smith ... and I'm hooked! I read one right after the other, and loved every word, but this is by far Rozan's best work. These two characters just get more finely-tuned with every book. She offers fascinating insight into the Chinese culture, while balancing it with Bill's very Western viewpoint. The mysteries are subtle and intricate, and always contain an element you didn't see coming. Treat yourself! Can't wait for more of these two!

Rating:
Summary: A simply amazing book
Review: I was never a fan of crime fiction until I started reading SJ Rozan's books. And Reflecting the Sky is, hands down, my favorite of her novels so far. I tend to prefer the stories narrated by Lydia Chin--I can relate to her in many ways, and I love following her thoughts relating to differences between Chinese-American and Euro-American culture--and this book did a wonderful job of illustrating a whole new setting--and set of problems--for Lydia. Rozan's prose is evocative and crystal-clear; her plot complex and unpredictable; her characters fleshed out and believable. All in all, this is nothing less than a brilliant piece of work--do yourself a favor and pick up a copy.

Rating:
Summary: Still not Bill
Review: I've been bemused since reading the first of Rozan's books by the huge difference in quality and believability between the Lydia Chin books and those featuring Bill Smith. I can certainly understand the author's desire to have two series, but of the two, the Bill Smith books are superior in tone, texture and depth. Lydia Chin comes across as way too young for her age; the unacknowledged love between the two grows tedious in the Chin books--yet has actual weight in the Bill Smith ones. While I give the author the highest marks for her depiction of place in Reflecting The Sky (I've been to Hong Kong a number of times, and she captures perfectly the scope of the place, its insane traffic--both vehicular and pedestrian--and the shocking contrast between the haves and the have-nots) the plot is pretty creaky here. Information given at the outset that is positively glaring in terms of clues, isn't picked up on until very near the end of the book. And, frankly, Lydia is annoying. I don't believe for a single moment that any 28-year-old woman could be as naive (or as irritating) as this female. Her observations are usually cutely girlish, even coy, which isn't believable for someone born and bred in Manhattan--regardless of her ethnic background.

The Bill Smith books have, without exception, been thoughtful and beautifully rendered--showing Smith as intelligent, talented, sensitive and dogged. Yet when he appears in a Chin book, he gets morphed into an almost stereotypical big oaf with a blatant love for Lydia that seems doomed never to be fulfilled.

Reflecting The Sky has its moments, but most of them have to do with the setting; the plot is unsurprising and Bill's pretty much wasted (as he usually is in the Chin series). If you're looking for a good Hong Kong travelogue, here it is. (There's also a lot of yummy food described). If you're looking for substance, read the Bill Smith series. You'll come away more than satisfied. No argument: Rozan is a terrifically talented writer. But the Chin books just don't show her at her best.

Rating:
Summary: terrific read
Review: I've read all of Rozan's books, and while I enjoyed them all, this was the best. The plot was well-paced, the dialog between Lydia Chin and Bill Smith was snappy, and the setting (Hong Kong) was an additional element of interest. I hope Rozan keeps writing these Chin/Smith mysteries. They really are great.

Rating:
Summary: Always a good read.....
Review: My only complaint about this author is that she doesn't write fast enough! When you find a mystery writer whose books actually make you struggle to read slower because you know you're going to be fidgiting in the gap until you have a new one to read, they're just plain GOOD...no need to get more scientific than that. The team of Lydia Chin and Bill Smith are great fun and are truly unique to the genre, and "Reflecting the Sky" compels me to come back and give it two thumbs up. This engaging (and clearly wonderfully researched) tale of two culture-clashing New York PIs cleverly weaving their way through the societal complexities of modern Hong Kong to unravel a family's intercontinental secrets will make mystery fans realize how much potential this genre actually has. Enjoy!

Rating:
Summary: Interesting travelogue, shame about the plot
Review: Not one of Smith and Chin's better adventures. I think the author may have got caught up on the excitement of visiting HK and spent more time detailing the stereotypical attitudes the outside world has of Planet HK, of which I am resident.

Basically, upon the death of a relative, Lydia Chin and Bill Smith visit HK to personally deliver several items as a favour to an elder family member. Upon arrival, they quickly become involved in a triad kidnapping, the hunt and the relatively innocuous resolution. The story is thin, weak and void of any real serious reader excitement.

As mentioned, the author spends far too much space on describing the environment of Hong Kong and leaves no 'urban myth' unturned. Contrary to author belief, tea is not drank to the extent she would have us believe, people do not yell 'wai!' at the top of their voices into their mobile phones everytime they are answered, the sun does not set to the south behind the Peak (as in the rest of the world, it sets in the west), there is no elevated walkway linking the Furama Hotel to other buildings (indeed, and which would be unbeknownst to the author, there is now no Furama Hotel - having been knocked down in 2002 to make way for greater commercial interests) and people will not chastize you for walking too slow in the street.

For a guide to HK, read Fodor's. For top notch Rozan, read 'Winter and Night.'

Rating:
Summary: Interesting travelogue, shame about the plot
Review: Not one of Smith and Chin's better adventures. I think the author may have got caught up on the excitement of visiting HK and spent more time detailing the stereotypical attitudes the outside world has of Planet HK, of which I am resident.

Basically, upon the death of a relative, Lydia Chin and Bill Smith visit HK to personally deliver several items as a favour to an elder family member. Upon arrival, they quickly become involved in a triad kidnapping, the hunt and the relatively innocuous resolution. The story is thin, weak and void of any real serious reader excitement.

As mentioned, the author spends far too much space on describing the environment of Hong Kong and leaves no 'urban myth' unturned. Contrary to author belief, tea is not drank to the extent she would have us believe, people do not yell 'wai!' at the top of their voices into their mobile phones everytime they are answered, the sun does not set to the south behind the Peak (as in the rest of the world, it sets in the west), there is no elevated walkway linking the Furama Hotel to other buildings (indeed, and which would be unbeknownst to the author, there is now no Furama Hotel - having been knocked down in 2002 to make way for greater commercial interests) and people will not chastize you for walking too slow in the street.

For a guide to HK, read Fodor's. For top notch Rozan, read 'Winter and Night.'

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