Murder
in the Forbidden City
Qing Dynasty Mysteries
Book 1
by
Amanda Roberts
Genre: Historical
Mystery
216 pages
Peking,
1867
When
one of the Empress’s ladies-in-waiting is killed in the Forbidden
City, she orders Inspector Gong to find the killer. Unfortunately, as
a man, he is forbidden from entering the Inner Court. How is he
supposed to solve a murder when he cannot visit the scene of the
crime or talk to the women in the victim’s life? He won’t be able
to solve this crime alone.
The
widowed Lady Li is devastated when she finds out about the murder of
her sister-in-law, who was serving as the Empress’s
lady-in-waiting. She is determined to discover who killed her, even
if it means assisting the rude and obnoxious Inspector Gong and going
undercover in the Forbidden City.
Together,
will Lady Li and Inspector Gong be able to find the murderer before
he – or she – strikes again?
Murder
in the British Quarter
Qing
Dynasty Mysteries Book 2
When
a young Chinese woman is murdered within the British Quarter of the
foreign legation, Inspector Gong is ordered by the Imperial Court to
solve the crime before the incident escalates into war between China
and the foreign powers. The only problem? Inspector Gong doesn’t
speak English. And he is hardly the type of man to be accepted by the
British elite living in Peking.
Once
again, he must turn to the one woman who can help him. The woman he
can’t stop thinking about.
Lady
Li is trying to forget about Inspector Gong. He’s a danger to
herself, her position, and her children’s future. But when he comes
once again knocking on her door and asking for her assistance in
solving a case, she can’t resist, despite her better
judgment.
Lady
Li’s language and diplomatic abilities allow her to freely enter
the world of the Western visitors, but tensions between the
foreigners and local people are increasing by the hour.
Will
Lady Li and Inspector Gong be able to solve the crime without the
answer leading China to war?
“What are your orders, Your Highness?” the inspector asked.
“Find the killer,” he said.
The inspector sighed. “In a walled city where I don’t speak the language?” he asked, only half-joking.
“Well, you do know one person who speaks English, aside from me,” the prince said.
“Who is that?”
“Lady Li.”
Inspector Gong felt his breath hitch in his throat. Lady Li. She had helped him solve a case a couple of months previously. Her sister-in-law had been murdered in the Inner Court, the court of the ladies, in the Forbidden City. As a man, he could not be permitted into the Inner Court. However, Lady Li agreed to help him and went in his stead.
They had solved the crime and also discovered a passion for one another, spending one incredible night together in her quarters in the Forbidden City. But he had not seen her since her sister-in-law was formally laid to rest after they solved the crime. He wanted to see her, and had fought the urge to call on her many times, but nothing could ever come of it. She was Manchu; he was Han. Legally, they could not marry. Plus, she was a widow, and society dictated she remain as such for the rest of her life in reverence to her husband, even though she was only in her twenties. There were other considerations as well, but they all added up to the same thing—Lady Li was a woman he should stay away from, for both their sakes.
“Are you suggesting I ask Lady Li for her help?” Inspector Gong finally asked. “Again?”
“You worked well together last time,” the prince said, without a hint of irony. The prince knew that Inspector Gong and Lady Li spent the night together, and he knew that they could not have a future together. So why was he so quick to encourage Inspector Gong to call on her?
“Is there something else going on here?” the inspector asked.
The prince shook his head. “It was only a suggestion. I suppose I could find another translator for you…”
“I didn’t say you needed to do that,” the inspector interrupted.
Prince Kung smiled. “I just think she can help you in more ways than as just a translator.”
“What do you mean?” the inspector asked.
“Just call on her,” the prince said. “You won’t be disappointed.”
Amanda
Roberts is a writer and editor who has been living in China since
2010. Amanda has an MA in English from the University of Central
Missouri. She has been published in magazines, newspapers, and
anthologies around the world and she regularly contributes to
numerous blogs. Amanda can be found all over the Internet, but her
home is TwoAmericansinChina.com.
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