Tears of the Dragon Book

"Tears of the Dragon" launches an intelligent new cozy series set in Chicago, where the Browne family holds things together in the midst of the Depression. When Elodie Browne takes a job serving at a party given by an importer of antiques and jade, the evening is disturbed—and the mystery begins—as a dying man stumbles in raving about "Ming Dao."

Publishers Weekly

Baxter takes the cozy a long way from Miss Marple's small village of St. Mary Mead to crime-ridden early 1930s Chicago in this refreshing and exciting series debut. Elodie Browne, a bright and promising young writer, hears strange noises one night when the elevator door opens on the wrong floor of her office building. Later, while working for extra money as a server at a party hosted by a wealthy Chinese importer, she witnesses a shocking scene: a guard shoots dead a bloodied man waving a knife and shouting what sounds like "Mingdow." These two seemingly unrelated incidents propel the spunky Elodie into the corrupt heart of mob-ruled Chicago as well as into the tangled world of Chinese politics. Realistic characters, natural dialogue, well-integrated historical detail and a surprise twist ending mark this as superior mystery fare. Agent, Gelfman Schneider. (June 1) FYI: Baxter is the pseudonym of Paula Gosling (Fair Game), who has won the CWA's Creasey Dagger and Golden Dagger awards. Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.