Publisher's Weekly Review
Rozan (Concourse, 1995) puts a unique spin on her mysteries that plumb New York City's Chinese-American milieu and feature petite PI Lydia Chin and her tough sometimes-partner, Bill Smith. Lydia's brother Andrew recommends her to rising fashion designer Genna Jing, whose sketches for her exclusive debut collection, "Mandarin Plaid," have been stolen. Genna hires Lydia to deliver the ransom demanded for the drawings; as Lydia makes the drop, someone shoots at her; in the ensuing turmoil the money disappears. Genna suspects her former fashion-show producer, Wayne Lewis, is behind the theft; but when Lydia and Bill go to interview him, they learn he's been murdered. Genna's boyfriend, John Ryan, fires Lydia and Bill. Suspicious of his motives, they begin their own investigation, which leads into the dark underside of fashion modeling, rife with drug addiction and prostitution. Although the plot is made murky by too many red herrings, Rozan, as usual, creates a fully realized Manhattan populated with memorable characters: John Ryan's manipulative mother; Ed Everest, a pimp posing as a model's agent; Genna's elusive sister Dawn; Roland Lum, a boyhood friend of Lydia's brothers who suddenly shows interest in her; Bill's hulking police nemesis with the unforgettable name Det. Harry Krch; and Lydia's endearing mother, forever hoping for a son-in-law. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Kirkus Review
It sounds like a simple job for Lydia Chin: deliver a $50,000 ransom for the stolen sketches of fledgling designer Genna Jing's initial collection. But when Lydia's only steps from the drop-off point, with her partner Bill Smith covering her back, somebody opens fire on her, and in the ensuing melee the envelope vanishes. Did the extortionist sabotage his own pickup, and why? Pressed to identify a likely perp, Genna can only think of runway show producer Wayne Lewis, but he's killed (same gun) before Lydia can get to her showdown with him, and Genna's left with no money, no clue, and no guarantee that the sketch thief won't renew his demands. It's only the latest bad break for Genna. Factory owner Roland Lum has pulled out of his deal to sew her line; the silver buttons she'd designed one of her premier dresses around have become unavailable; and Eleanor Talmadge Ryan, her boyfriend's imperious mother, has demanded she stop seeing John. So it's no wonder she fires Lydia, who's promptly hired by Roland to find a seamstress missing from his factory. Lydia, disguising herself as a novice model, a French advertising executive, and an American's idea of a stereotypical Chinese, eventually works out the links between Genna's problems, the missing Peng Hui Liang, and a local prostitution ring--but if this all sounds confusing, it is. Lydia's still an appealing heroine, but this vehicle is plotted within an inch of its life, without the controlling vision that made her first two novels (Concourse, 1995; China Trade, 1994) so provocative.
Booklist Review
Private investigators Lydia Chin and Bill Smith enter the world of New York's high-fashion business, hired by aspiring designer Genna Jing when the sketches for her first solo show are stolen and held for a $50,000 ransom. Lydia makes the drop while Bill waits to follow whoever picks up the envelope--only neither one anticipated that Lydia would be shot at and that the money would disappear in the ensuing confusion. Thus begins an extremely convoluted and fast-paced plot that takes Lydia and Bill from Chinatown sweatshops to very "in" clubs frequented by models and drug dealers. Along the way, Lydia struggles with her brothers' habit of treating her as the "little sister" to be protected, her mother's repeated attempts at matchmaking, and her own feelings about Bill and where their relationship is headed. The first installment in this series was impressive; subsequent ones just keep getting better and better. Don't miss this one. (Reviewed Sept. 15, 1996)0312146744Stuart Miller
