Article Review: China Trade by S. J. Rozan Book Review (Book Review Sample)

Article Review: China Trade by S. J. Rozan
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Article Review: China Trade by S. J. Rozan
Rozan’s novel is set up in New York with many of the actions centered in Chinatown. Lydia Chin, as an investigator is first separated for some months from a fellow investigator, Bill Smith, before being reunited to assist with a case goes beyond the cultures, continents, and cultures. Lydia later identifies some new information, but before she could act on it, Joel Pilarsky, her mentor, is murdered as she is fired from the case and replaced with Bill Smith. The two, however, realize that they have to work together to solve the case and stop the killings as they seek to uncover the truth.
The China Trade, by Rozan, is full of Chinese stereotypes. The most distinctive characteristics of the series are the interchanging main characters, Bill Smith and Lydia Chin, who had to work together at some point. “The China Trade” is built around Lydia Chin, a 28-year old Chinese woman born in America, who is the narrator and main character. The aspects of bicultural existence and ethnicity are some of the most significant aspects of the narrative. Lydia is portrayed as a woman who had to balance between her desires as an independent American-born Chinese woman, and the prospects of her ethnic community, which revolved around being a good Chinese daughter, as was expected of her by her brothers and mother. Rozan’s article thus portrays a strong woman evident as the author uses Chinatown to represent a locality crowded with honest and hardworking immigrants who respect the elderly and value their beliefs, evident in how Lydia values the family reputation. Moreover, Rozan describes Chinatown to reveal a place full of contradictions as the town is made of honest and hardworking individuals, just as much as the dangerous gangsters living beside them.
It could be argued that Lydia Chin is an effective private investigator evident from her struggles with to cope up with the investigations. Lydia is mentioned to have made discoveries some of which got her mentor killed. Moreover, she is fired from the case after making a discovery which would have made the case easier to solve. Also, she discovers an ancient time laundering business with the help of information gathered from a humble scholar who routinely stole potteries from prominent gatherings. In other instances, Lydia gets herself attacked by a hit man. All these show traits of an effective private investigator-driven by an urge to solve her cases.
However much Lydia may seem to be in the path of success as a...