Precious Dragon: The Detective Inspector Chen Novels, Book Thr...

In this, the third Detective Inspector Chen novel, Chen and Zhu are given a major assignment to escort an emissary from heaven on a diplomatic mission to hell. Zhu tries to dodge his demonic family's overtures, but ends up embroiled in hell's political intrigues. At the same time, a young boy born to ghostly parents in Hell is sent to live with his grandmother in Singapore Three. The boy, Precious Dragon, is being chased by Hell's most dangerous creatures and ends up being the key to unlock the mystery that is quickly spiraling out of control. Chen and Zhu find themselves in the middle of a struggle much bigger then they can fully comprehend, and when the dust finally settles, neither heaven nor hell will be the same.Skyhorse Publishing, under our Night Shade and Talos imprints, is proud to publish a broad range of titles for readers interested in science fiction (space opera, time travel, hard SF, alien invasion, near-future dystopia), fantasy (grimdark, sword and sorcery, contemporary urban fantasy, steampunk, alternative history), and horror (zombies, vampires, and the occult and supernatural), and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller, a national bestseller, or a Hugo or Nebula award-winner, we are committed to publishing quality books from a diverse group of authors.

From Publishers Weekly

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) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

The third Inspector Chen caper finds the spell-weaving detective and his demonic sidekick, Zhu Irzh, embroiled in a new intrigue pitting the forces of Hell against those of Heaven. With recent exposure to both realms, Chen and Irzh are the perfect candidates to escort angelic emissary Miss Qi on an unlikely diplomatic mission to Hell's ministry of war. No sooner have the threesome settled into their subterranean hotels than Miss Qi is abducted by a shadowy figure whose footprints lead straight to Irzh's dysfunctional family. A few spells and gumshoe excursions later, Chen and Irzh find themselves hazardously struggling to free Miss Qi from Hell's chaotic ministry of lust. Williams enhances the suspense with separate story lines involving an aging celestial dragon disguised as a small boy and a disembodied Chinese opera understudy whose fates ultimately intertwine with those of Chen and Irzh. A final, climactic battle between Hell's bristling military and Heaven's menagerie of mythical beasts wraps up one of the most colorfully imaginative packages in recent fantasy. Hays, Carl

Reviews

News