A Good Mystery From a New Talent
By G.X. Chen
Tate Publishing, $12.00, 164 pages
The body of Yi-yun Lin, a young college student from China, is found on the floor of her boyfriend’s apartment. The boyfriend, Tom Meyer, is a cold, self absorbed musician, who is violent under the guise of passion. Lin has been shot to death, but the time of death cannot be precisely pinpointed. At the same time, Meyer recently, and maybe conveniently, left on a music tour. The pillow used to muffle the shot is found in a trash bin near the apartment and has only Lin and Meyer’s fingerprints on it. The murder weapon cannot be found. However, the bullet matches the missing pistol Meyer’s father gave him, and a neighbor heard loud voices in the apartment before Meyer left. It appears Detective Paul Winderman has an open and shut case on his hands in The Mystery of Revenge, or does he? Doubts will arise as Chen introduces Lin’s ex-husband, who loved her desperately and who she used so terribly that he threatened to kill her. Lin’s friend also defends her ex-husband almost too zealously. The waters become even murkier as more details about Lin’s current predicament come to light.
Chen has written a small mystery. This book is a mere one hundred and sixty four pages. However, it is a tight, well-crafted mystery that definitely holds the reader’s attention. The characters are well developed and multi-dimensional. Furthermore, the resolution is not obvious until Chen is ready to reveal it.
Chen dedicates this book to her daughter, who told Chen that it was not too late to pick up her writing after twenty years. Her daughter gave sound advice. Mystery lovers, especially travelers looking for a shorter work, will definitely enjoy this new talent. If readers are fortunate, Detective Winderman is on his way to a long and productive career.
Reviewed by Annie Peters
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