In the latest Inspector Chen novel, Qui Xiaolong takes us to Communist China where the city of Shanghai is besieged by its first ever sexual serial killer. The murderer dresses the victims in antiquated red mandarin dresses and leaves them in public places, as if to prove that the police have no power over him.

This comes at an unfortunate time for Inspector Chen Cao of the Shanghai Police Department as he's just taken time off to take an advanced literature course at the university. Instead of pursuing his education, he's persuaded to return to the police force to catch this criminal. As he investigates, he learns that the killings may be related to some high-powered individuals and the case becomes more sensitive than he ever thought possible.

RED MANDARIN DRESS is a good mystery novel but is perhaps not the best choice for a reader unfamiliar with the previous Inspector Chen novels. I found it difficult to really get engaged with this book. I think it was a myriad of factors, including that the story takes place in a city I am in no way familiar with, involves a culture I have little knowledge of and Xiaolong's writing style takes some getting used to. However, I think the novel is approachable for most people and once you get into it, the mystery is compelling enough to make you want to figure it out.