As fascinating as the murder mystery “The Murder of Mr. Ma” is, the afterward and acknowledgments at the end are almost, but certainly not completely, as intriguing as the actual mystery itself. Cowritten by John Shen Yen Nee and SJ Rozan, this series opener introduces two Chinese men, Lao She and Judge Dee Ren Jie, who are actual historic figures from China’s past. These two men collaborate to investigate the murder of a Chinese man, which death is quickly multiplied when more Chinese men, all of whom knew each other, are found murdered by the same weapon, an unusual butterfly sword.

The setting is 1920s London, and through the ample description of the streets, we can feel the damp, the crowds, the hustle and bustle of the busy streets as Lao She and Judge Dee navigate several neighborhoods in search of the killer. It’s told in first person narrative from She’s point of view, and the beautifully written but rather stilted period language reminds us that it’s not modern-day UK. We clearly understand the prejudice that the Chinese endured as pejorative terms are used regarding them, and they are all viewed as long-nailed, opium-addicted, rat-eating monsters.

The two main characters, though, are far from the stereotypical Chinese of that time. They dress in tweed suits as do the most uptight, well-to-do Londoners, they speak proper King’s English, and Lao She is a professor of Chinese language at the university. Judge Dee Ren Jie is a judge in China, although he was living in France at the opening of the story. Through the narrative, we learn a lot about the role of the Chinese in World War I. While they ostensibly did not engage in actual fighting, they were hired by the British to dig trenches and build necessary shelters at the front of the battle. And while their work contracts specifically stipulated that they were not to be directly exposed to the fighting, that was ignored.

In fact, as we see from the attitude of many British at that time, Chinese lives were expendable. The only lives that really mattered were British lives, so if the Chinese were harmed in their work at the front, it was, the British felt, no great loss. Through the eyes of those men in the story, we see the thousands of years of culture and art that the Chinese created and that is their history. Their brilliance is clearly depicted in the character of Judge Dee Ren Jie, whose dedication to solving the murders and trying to protect those men he knows is admirable.

Judge Dee knew the murdered men when they were working as Chinese laborers at the front in France. The judge was hired to deal with conflicts, ensure the terms of the contracts were adhered to, and protect the working men from abuse. Too often, we learn, the judge was the one who suffered abuse in his heroic efforts to see justice served and to protect the men. So when these same men are being killed, Judge Dee feels a burning need to find their killer and bring him to justice.

The plot is extremely clever, and for much of it ,we are led astray by cunningly placed red herrings. But the clues are there, and the final unveiling of the villain is perfectly planned. With a very unexpected addition. And perhaps the best part is that we know, since this is just the first in a planned series, that there will be more mysteries to solve with these two intriguing characters. I look forward to seeing how their relationship grows and how their teamwork develops.

This review was first posted on Bookreporter.com.