Qiu Xiaolong Books In Order
Reading the Qiu Xiaolong books in order means catching up to the Chinese poet and a crime mystery author’s Inspector Chen mystery series.
Born in Shanghai, China in 1952, Qiu Xiaolong (website) is currently living in St. Louis, Missouri, with his family, including his wife and his daughter.
In 1977, he attended the East China Normal University in Shanghai, following which he went to the Chinese Academy of Social Science in Beijing, where he remained after graduation as an associate research professor.
In 1988 he went to the US to the Washington University in St. Louis to write a book to the poet T.S. Eliot, however following the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests he was forced to remain in the States to avoid prosecution by his birth country.
His Inspector Chen series currently includes 9 books, and are focused on Chen, a poetry-quoting policeman who has true integrity. The books deal with China during the 1990s around the time when the country is facing major changes.
Here are the Qiu Xiaolong books in order for the Chen mystery series and the author’s other writing in order of publication.
Inspector Chen Series In Order
1. Death of a Red Heroine (Inspector Chen #1), 2000
2. A Loyal Character Dancer (Inspector Chen #2), 2002
3. When Red Is Black (Inspector Chen #3), 2004
4. A Case of Two Cities (Inspector Chen #4), 2006
5. Red Mandarin Dress (Inspector Chen #5), 2007
6. The Mao Case (Inspector Chen #6), 2009
7. Don’t Cry, Tai Lake (Inspector Chen #7), 2012
8. Enigma of China (Inspector Chen #8), 2013
9. Shanghai Redemption (Inspector Chen #9), 2015
Other Books By Qiu Xiaolong
Lines Around China, 2003 (poetry collection)
Treasury of Chinese Love Poems, 2003 (poetry translation)
Evoking T’ang, 2007 (poetry translation)
Years of Red Dust, 2010
May 23, 2021
Dear Professor Qiu:
As an admirer of Chief Inspector Chen Cao I recently finished “Becoming Inspector Chen” I was impressed with the mention of “Paula and Smitthy”, a favorite couple of mine. I have also just finished “Hold Your Breath, China”. As Chief Inspector Chen Cao might remark re the comment “It’s de ja vu all over again, it brought to mind a famous quotation of the Lombard Sage, of the second Roosevelt Dynasty “When you come to the fork in the road, take it”.
At 92 I look forward to more adventures of Chief Inspectort Chen, Detective Yu and his wife Peiqin and, Yu’s father, Old Hunter.
And now I want to re-read “Don’t Cry Tai Lake” and “Red Mandarin Dress”.
Bill Cole