Book Review – REFLECTING THE SKY by S J Rozan
BOOK REVIEW: Action-packed. Reflecting the Sky is the first novel by S J Rozan that I have read and it definitely won’t be the last.
Rozan’s main characters private investigators Lydia Chin and Bill Smith are your classic odd couple, whose strengths and weakness fit together like a glove. They are a formidable team that readers barrack for. Lydia is feisty and outspoken and Bill is her rock, strong and loyal. The dialogue between Lydia and Bill is snappy and very entertaining, as is the potential for a little romance in amongst the dangerous situations they find themselves in.
For the most part, Reflecting The Sky takes place in the steamy streets of Hong Kong. I think the setting of Hong Kong and the collision of east and west, ancient and modern cultures added class and depth to the story. With a missing young boy, misguided family loyalties and ties with the triads to whom murder ‘is an option’, mystery and intrigue is rife.
In Reflecting the Sky, Rozan has created a PI novel with heart and momentum — knowing when to spend time on reflection and setting the scene and when to provide fast-paced action sequences. I give credit also to the wonderful narration of this audio-book by Kathy Hsieh – I found her voice pleasing on the ear and her timing excellent.
I was a little disappointed to find that this first book by S J Rozan I picked up happened to be the seventh in the Bill Smith, Lydia Chin Series (published in 2001), but I am really looking forward to reading the next novel, Winter and Night (2002). Book 9, Shanghai Moon is being released in paperback in August 2010 and Book 10 of the series, On the Line is set to be released in hardback in September 2010.
Find out more about this book: Reflecting the Sky
Some other titles by S J Rozan include: China Trade
This book counts towards my participation in the Global Reading Challenge (Asia).
