The Shanghai Union of Industrial Mystics by Nury Vittachi

The Shanghai Union of Industrial Mystics

Nury Vittachi

This is an hilarious and exciting adventure. Despite some 'staged' nasty incidents, the overall effect is cheerful.

The miserly Feng Shui Master CF Wong and his soft hearted assistant, Joyce McQuillan, are an endearing team as they save the political relationship between America and China from disaster.

Great descriptions of Shanghai which make you want to visit the city and lots of fun with the English/Chinese language difficulties and culture.

Extract
Joyce screamed as she saw the elephant fall out of the sky. ... She and Marker sat in the boat, bobbing close to the coast of the Yangtze estuary, and watched Nelson tumbling from heaven. ... He descended slowly. ... Towards the water? No. Wait. What was that below him? A boat. A boat between Nelson and the water. ... Down he went, deep into the water, and down, down, pieces of boat all over him, down towards the seabed.
Parallels
  • The Feng Shui Detective by Nury Vittachi
  • A Case of Two Cities by Qiu Xiaolong
  • Shanghai by Harriet Sergeant