Chinatown Beat (A Detective Jack Yu Investigation) by Henry Chang

First paragraph of the book:  Johnny Wong pulled the black Lincoln over, onto the sidewalk halfway down the narrow street, territory of the Hip Chings.  It was nine in the evening and before he could kill the engine they appeared, the stocky mustached man they called Uncle Four and the fragile Hong Kong lady, Mona.  They were in the car before he could get out and open the door, the man motioning to him with a jerk of his hand.

Backcover blurb:  Jack Yu is the only Chinese-American detective assigned to New York's Chinatown.  To catch a serial rapist and solve a murder he must resort to both modern technology and a local fortune teller's prediction.

Review by January Magazine, 2007:  "Chang's debut novel is one of this year's most impressive.  Here, the object isn't to figure out whodunit...  The suspense comes from tracking Jack Yu through his investigation, navigating the shifting tides of Chinese turf wars, generational tension, and his own internal struggle with being a 'standup Chinaman' and an effective cop.  This is a character well worth knowing."

My thoughts:  The first book of the Detective Jack Yu Investigation series is not as engrossing as its sequel, The Year of the Dog, but as far as debuts go, it is fair.  While I think that you have to keep your wits about you to be able to keep up with the plots, Chang is an author worth watching out for.  His writing style has a lot of potential in which The New York Times Book Review described as "cool and measured."  Having read two of Chang's books, I can honestly say that his protagonist is a true Chinaman - meaning he may present a good front as a NY detective to protect and to serve but he keeps his cards close to his chest.  I find it hard to warm to him.  I will still look out for Chang's future books though because I sense there is more to come as the series progresses.  Both of Chang's books are bought off of Amazon.co.uk.  Happy continue-reading!

Rating:  3/5