Death of a Blue Lantern is receiving good reviews across the USA – a market where paperback originals often disappear without trace.

James A Cox of The Midwest Book Review declared Blue Lantern to be his number one read for 1998.

Writing in the Florida Sun Sentinel, Oline Cogdill said:

Ed Kelly of the Buffalo, NY, News described the book as a ‘gripping, ingenious whodunit…’

Note that there is no real equivalent of European national papers in the USA. The US is too big. What has become a nationwide US reviewing medium is the Internet.

Reviewing for Amazon.com’s website, Dick Adler wrote: ‘Christopher West’s first book about Inspector Wang is unique in its straightforward attention to the details of everyday life and of police work.’ On the Dorothy L website, Dean Barrett commented on the similarity between Wang and Judge Dee, adding that ‘West does a fine job’. Other comments posted to this premier mystery site include ‘I love this book!’ ‘Fast-paced’ ‘Intelligent’…

Specialist mystery magazines also provide nationally-read reviews. Deadly Pleasures has been a fan of the series since Wang first appeared in the UK, and in the latest Mystery Review, Ira Ashcroft writes:

The second Wang novel, Death on Black Dragon River, is scheduled for US paperback publication in March, and the third will follow later this year.

Across the Pacific, Blue Lantern is published in Japan on Feb 15^th. The publishers are Kodansha.

Back home in Europe, February will also see the inspector’s paperback debut with the publication of Death on Black Dragon River by Allison and Busby. Blue Lantern is to follow later this year.

And Tony Grey, bestselling author of ‘Peking’ and ‘Saigon’, has been enjoying Death of a Blue Lantern, describing it as ‘a brilliant achievement.’