Shedding some northern light
By Donald MacPhail |
April 14, 2013, Sunday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
WHEN suave though scholarly Beijing lawyer Hong Jun receives a visit from a newly rich construction boss, it sets off a whodunit encompassing everything from corrupt officials to ghostly women, against the frozen backdrop of China's northeast Heilongjiang Province.
Set in the early 1990s, "Hanging Devils" was the first novel in the Hong Jun series by He Jiahong, professor of law at the People's University in Beijing, one of China's leading experts on criminal investigations and a familiar face on Chinese television.
He obtained a doctorate in the United States, and his fictional hero Hong also studied and worked in America (in Illinois, like He) before returning to a China increasingly open to business opportunities.
Among those who reached up to help himself from what Hong calls the "money tree" is Zheng Jianzhong - aka Big Axe - who comes to Hong's newly-opened practice asking him to clear the name of his brother.
"Peasant Poet" Zheng Jianguo has been languishing in jail for the rape and murder 10 years ago of his childhood sweetheart, local "Beauty Queen" Li Hongmei, on a state farm north of provincial capital Harbin.
Hong travels north in a bid clear Zheng Jianguo and uncover the real killer.
As an "intellectual youth," He had been sent to work on a farm in Heilongjiang and shows a sure touch depicting the province; whether a busy farm official, smalltown hoodlums or a snow-covered mountain.
Nor is it a sentimental portrayal of rural folk. While Li Hongmei was a "warm-hearted, generous girl," on news of her death, "some people ... took secret delight," we are told.
He is equally deft depicting how characters reflect wider society. Hong's client Zheng Jianzhong, "living a life of wine and women," as Hong puts it, offers a wry take on the price paid in becoming rich. "I'm so poor all I have left is money," he says.
A different worldview is held by mysterious hunter Old Bao, happiest on Black Bear Mountain among the spirits. "I've never done anything shameful, so I needn't worry about the ghosts coming to carry me off," he says.
It is Old Bao who explains the "hanging devils" of the book title - detached branches snagged up a tree that could fall at any time; sometimes with fatal consequences.
Of course, things are not as they seem, and Hong must to uncover the truth among ancient legend and modern-day deception.
Unfortunately, the clever lawyer is, well ... a bit dull. Tall and slim in his foreign black suit, Hong embodies earnest professionalism in his quest to help ordinary people.
His few ticks - such as repeated descriptions of "running his fingers through his thick dark hair" - make little impression, while a love of blues is barely explored.
And as Hong lines up the pieces of the case - like the Rubik's Cube he solved as a child - it all seems annoyingly easy for him.
But despite this, "Hanging Devils" offers a compelling journey through modern values and ancient traditions, with plenty of plot twists thrown in for good measure.
Set in the early 1990s, "Hanging Devils" was the first novel in the Hong Jun series by He Jiahong, professor of law at the People's University in Beijing, one of China's leading experts on criminal investigations and a familiar face on Chinese television.
He obtained a doctorate in the United States, and his fictional hero Hong also studied and worked in America (in Illinois, like He) before returning to a China increasingly open to business opportunities.
Among those who reached up to help himself from what Hong calls the "money tree" is Zheng Jianzhong - aka Big Axe - who comes to Hong's newly-opened practice asking him to clear the name of his brother.
"Peasant Poet" Zheng Jianguo has been languishing in jail for the rape and murder 10 years ago of his childhood sweetheart, local "Beauty Queen" Li Hongmei, on a state farm north of provincial capital Harbin.
Hong travels north in a bid clear Zheng Jianguo and uncover the real killer.
As an "intellectual youth," He had been sent to work on a farm in Heilongjiang and shows a sure touch depicting the province; whether a busy farm official, smalltown hoodlums or a snow-covered mountain.
Nor is it a sentimental portrayal of rural folk. While Li Hongmei was a "warm-hearted, generous girl," on news of her death, "some people ... took secret delight," we are told.
He is equally deft depicting how characters reflect wider society. Hong's client Zheng Jianzhong, "living a life of wine and women," as Hong puts it, offers a wry take on the price paid in becoming rich. "I'm so poor all I have left is money," he says.
A different worldview is held by mysterious hunter Old Bao, happiest on Black Bear Mountain among the spirits. "I've never done anything shameful, so I needn't worry about the ghosts coming to carry me off," he says.
It is Old Bao who explains the "hanging devils" of the book title - detached branches snagged up a tree that could fall at any time; sometimes with fatal consequences.
Of course, things are not as they seem, and Hong must to uncover the truth among ancient legend and modern-day deception.
Unfortunately, the clever lawyer is, well ... a bit dull. Tall and slim in his foreign black suit, Hong embodies earnest professionalism in his quest to help ordinary people.
His few ticks - such as repeated descriptions of "running his fingers through his thick dark hair" - make little impression, while a love of blues is barely explored.
And as Hong lines up the pieces of the case - like the Rubik's Cube he solved as a child - it all seems annoyingly easy for him.
But despite this, "Hanging Devils" offers a compelling journey through modern values and ancient traditions, with plenty of plot twists thrown in for good measure.
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