Emperors Once More

In this uneven near-future thriller set in Hong Kong, Jepson (All the Flowers in Shanghai) depicts a China in flux, torn between its past humiliations at the hands of the West and its powerful present. Senior Insp. Alex Soong and his partner, Michael De Suza, investigate the sniper murders of two Methodist ministers near Citibank Tower. Later, the killing of a real estate agent in an unoccupied warehouse brings Soong to a bizarre scene where several mutilated bodies and many dead ravens are found in a storage container. At the warehouse, a disembodied voice addresses Soong by name and delivers a diatribe against the West. The voice, presumably the killer%E2%80%99s, also suggests that Soong join him in his quest to combat Western influence. Meanwhile, Soong must contend with his unsupportive wife, Jun, and antagonistic Senior Inspector Ying, who doesn%E2%80%99t share his conviction that the two cases are linked. The personal connections deepen as the killer%E2%80%99s grandiose plans threaten world stability, and only Soong may be able to stop him. Jepson%E2%80%99s informed take on Chinese history lends weight to this otherwise forgettable crime novel. (May)