In this bland sequel to Red Jade the body of a young Asian man is discovered in frigid waters of the Harlem River between northern Manhattan and the Bronx. Chinese Detective Jack Yu, whose precinct is in southern Manhattan’s Chinatown, is called on the case, the simplistic implication being he is the only Asian policeman in the NYPD. Initially no wounds are seen, suggesting a bridge jumping suicide; however the autopsy reveals a thin, expertly placed knife wound and murder. Yu immediately thinks Chinatown connections and consults his friend Billy Bow, a Chinatown restaurant owner, and Ah Por, an ancient psychic whose prophesies have multiple meanings. Yu’s investigation brings him to the illicit gambling dens in Chinatown and the Bronx frequented by Chinese immigrants and highlights Chinese tong rivalry.
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In the three days of the story there is little action of interest; a lot of traveling within Manhattan and the Bronx. Yu’s love interest, portrayed primarily through his muses about her body, adds nothing. Chang’s repetition of events as Yu mulls over clues is unnecessary. The use of italics to represent thoughts and Chinese words is distracting. The ending, although plausible, comes out of nowhere. Pass on this. ( )