When the body of an American archaeologist is found floating in the Yangzi River, Ministry of Public Security agent Liu Hulan and her husband, American attorney David Stark, are dispatched to Site 518 to investigate. As Hulan scrutinizes this death-or is it a murder?-David, on behalf of the National Relics Bureau, tries to discover who has stolen from the site an artifact that may prove to the world China's claim that it is the oldest uninterrupted civilization on earth. This artifact is not only an object of great monetary value but one that is emblematic of the very soul of China. Everyone-from the Chinese government, to a religious cult, to an unscrupulous American art collector-wants this relic, and some, it seems, may be willing to kill to get it. At stake in this investigation is control of China's history and national pride, and even stability between China and the United States. The troubled Hulan must overcome her own fears of failure, while David tries desperately to break through the shell that has built up around his wife. As Hulan and David are enmeshed in international schemes for power and the turbulence of their own relationship, these hunters after the truth become the hunted-in a fast-driving narrative set against the backdrop of the building of the Three Gorges Dam, the largest and most expensive project China has undertaken since the Great Wall and the subject of great international debate. It is here, in the heart of the Three Gorges, that David and Hulan will battle their enemies and their own natures to see who will win China's dragon bones. Dragon Bones combines ancient myth with contemporary anxieties concerning religious fanaticism and terrorism to tell a story of love, betrayal, history, ecology, greed-and gory murder. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

The controversial construction of a massive dam on the Yangzi River is the backdrop for the latest adventures of Liu Hulan, inspector in the Ministry of Public Security in Beijing, and her husband, American lawyer David Stark, familiar to readers of Flower Net and The Interior. Many years in construction, the Three Gorges Dam will benefit millions of people, but it will also bury untold archeological wealth. At the start of this complex, atmospheric thriller, Hulan is emotionally estranged from David after their young daughter's death from meningitis, for which she blames herself. Officially, she is scrutinizing a reactionary cult, the All-Patriotic Society, when she is sent to investigate the murder by drowning of a young American archeologist, a man who may have stolen ancient artifacts from the dam site. David accompanies her and they begin to repair their relationship, but the body count mounts and the sinister All-Patriotic Society leader, Xiao Da, rallies his followers against the dam. The tension reaches the breaking point at an auction in Hong Kong at which the most precious artifacts are offered for sale; soon after, Hulan and David are fighting for their lives in dark, slimy-walled caves alongside the Yangzi. The melodramatic conclusion has none of the elegance of the prologue, which casually but exquisitely notes the progress of the archeologist's decaying body along the river, through narrows and bays beyond the magnificent gorges. But See succeeds in widening the reader's knowledge about the politics and culture of contemporary China while racing along with an absorbing story.Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

In her third mystery thriller featuring Chinese inspector Liu Hulan (after Flower Net and The Interior), See does for Chinese antiquities what Elizabeth Peters did for the Dead Sea Scrolls in The Dead Sea Cipher. Since the death of her daughter, Hulan has buried herself in her work at the Ministry of Public Security, obsessed with bringing in members of the All-Patriotic Society. Her husband, American attorney David Stark, has found solace in his own caseload. When the body of an American archaeologist is found in Yangzi River near the Three Rivers Dam, Hulan is sent to investigate. Since numerous antiquities seem to have also disappeared from the archaeological work site, David accompanies her. Soon there are more fatalities, all marked by ritualistic similarities. Hulan and David must overcome their estrangement and work together to solve the crimes. In a land where bribery and corruption are the norm, there are many suspects. The novel flows beautifully, engaging readers in the mystery while gently introducing them to China's rich cultural history. For all public libraries.-Nanci Milone Hill, Lucius Beebe Memorial Lib., Wakefield, MACopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

Adult/High School-In their third outing, which can be read independently of Flower Net (1998) and The Interior (1999, both HarperCollins), Inspector Liu Hulan of the Chinese Ministry of Public Security and her American husband, attorney David Stark, are sent from Beijing to the Three Gorges Dam construction site. The plot involves searching for a written record of 5000 years of continuous civilization in China, an ancient myth, the smuggling and sale of valuable artifacts in Hong Kong, the murder of several members of an international crew of archaeologists, and the increasing popularity of a Falun-Gong-like cult, all set against the backdrop of the largest engineering project ever. Some actions in the last 50 pages call for suspension of disbelief, but up to that point this is another good read, especially for Sinophiles. There is one caveat: all of the Chinese speak with double meanings and are smart and crafty, while almost all of the Americans are portrayed as naive, obvious, stupid, or all three until the very end of the book.-Judy McAloon, Potomac Library, Prince William County, VACopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

See's third international thriller featuring Chinese inspector Liu Hulan and her American husband, attorney David Stark, finds the couple's marriage on rocky ground after the death of their daughter. When Hulan is assigned to investigate suspicious deaths at an archaeological site near the construction of the controversial dam at Three Rivers Gorge, and David is assigned by the Ministry of Culture to investigate the possible theft of artifacts from the same site, it seems like a chance for the couple to spend some much-needed time together away from Beijing. But what is really going on at the site proves to be much more complicated than it appears--smuggling, religious cults, strange scientific discoveries--and David and Hulan find their lives as well as their marriage on the line. Like See's previous novels, this one is wordy, the dialogue a bit stilted. The sheer amount of information she conveys about historical and modern-day China, though, makes it worthwhile, and the plot is convoluted but fascinating. CarrieBissey. From: Syndetics Solutions, Inc. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.