The Inspector Chen Mysteries
A BBC Radio 4 Full-Cast Crime Series
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The Inspector Chen Mysteries
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Narrated by:
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Chris Lew Kum Hoi
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Dan Li
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Daniel York
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full cast
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Jamie Zubairi
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Sarah Lam
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By:
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Qiu Xiaolong
About this listen
Nine BBC Radio full-cast dramatisations of the crime novels of Qiu Xiaolong, set in Shanghai. Starring Jamie Zubairi as Chief Inspector Chen Cao, an astute young policeman with twin passions for food and poetry.
Through thrilling crime drama, these nine mysteries paint a portrait of modern life in communist China, depicting traditional Shanghai life amidst the old alleyways and how it is rapidly changing with modernisation.
"Witty and thrilling" The Daily Telegraph
"A welcome alternative to Scandi-noir" The Observer.
Death of a Red Heroine: Shanghai, May 1990. The body of a national model worker is found in Baili Canal. Academic turned detective Chen Cao now heads up the Special Case Squad, an assignment that brings political scrutiny with every move.
A Loyal Character Dancer: When a former dancer and party loyalist at the heart of a people smuggling operation to the USA goes missing, Inspector Chen is under political pressure to find her, tactfully host a young female US Marshall, and find the connection with a grisly Triad murder.
When Red is Black: When Chen agrees to do a translation job for a property developer he is given a laptop, a 'little secretary' to provide for his every need, and medical care for his mother. There are, it seems, no strings attached . . . and then the murder of a dissident writer is reported.
A Case of Two Cities: When the head of the Shanghai anti-corruption squad is found dead in compromising circumstances, Inspector Chen is drafted in as "Special Envoy to the Emperor with an Imperial Sword".
Red Mandarin Dress: A serial killer is loose on the streets of Shanghai, but Chen is otherwise engaged on a high-level corruption case. With bodies appearing at the rate of one a week, the homicide team is in desperate need of help.
The Mao Case: It's a dangerous and politically sensitive case for Inspector Chen when he is asked to investigate the sudden change of fortune of the granddaughter of Chairman Mao's mistress.
Don’t Cry, Tai Lake: Chen's lakeside holiday is interrupted by the violent death of the boss of the Wuxi Number One Chemical Company. Will his blossoming relationship with a young environmental engineer compromise his covert investigation?
Enigma of China: Inspector Chen is called in to oversee the investigation into the death of the Director of The Shanghai Development Committee while under house arrest. He has to negotiate the power of the Party, an internet campaign and a new potential romance.
Shanghai Redemption: Inspector Chen finds himself "promoted" sideways from the Shanghai Police Bureau, before narrowly escaping a night-club trap and exposing a web of financial and sexual corruption.
Dramatised by Joy Wilkinson and John Harvey.
Directed by David Hunter and Toby Swift
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What listeners say about The Inspector Chen Mysteries
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Mike Bingham
- 18-04-20
Excellent
This has become one of my favourite audio books. Well written stories acted brilliantly kept my intetest throughout.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- B.W.
- 21-07-21
Gets a bit repetitive in later episodes
Sometimes less is more but all 9 episodes are enjoyable none the less. The story loses its way in later episodes with Chen's promotions/job changes, which mean that his involvement in investigations becomes increasingly contrived. Performance is marked 4 as unfortunately one of the actors appears as different characters in different episodes but fails to change their delivery, which jars a bit.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- n c ashman
- 13-11-19
Better than I thought it would be
Liked the cover picture and love bbc dramas but this was better than I thought it would be. Food description mouthwatering
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4 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Purchaser
- 08-01-19
Truly top notch
Fine cast. We'll dramatised. Great production. Brilliant subject matter. Memorable. A high point in BBC radio plays.
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8 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Denise Anders
- 14-02-22
Unexpected delight
I came across this BBC dramatisation by accident, oh how pleased was I. I was unfamiliar with the books. I found Inspector Chen was a deep thoughtful detective, on a par with Poirot. I fully enjoyed this series and was saddened when I reached the end. It is a series that I will listen to again. So wish there is more.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Lisa
- 14-01-19
I didn't like the bits involving animals
Being vegetarian I found the bits mentioning awful animal cruelty revolting, sadly enough to put me off listening. It was otherwise excellent.
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5 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Jon Cassidy
- 29-08-18
solid dramatisation
good listen, unique insight into a country on the move. sometimes the poetic nature of the stories seems a bit strained.
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6 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Neil M.
- 20-03-20
surprisingly good!
I read some reviews about the poetry not quite fitting in and I didn't like the sample advertising the book....but I thought I'd give it ago....I really enjoyed all the short stories 30-40 minutes is perfect for me traveling to work. all in all very good even the poetry!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Mrs
- 20-03-21
A little bit different.
It combines a little bit of China with some great detective stories. Well worth spending a credit on.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- sara Catlow Hawkins
- 03-05-19
fantastic insight
Loved the stories and the commentary on Chinese life. Each story complete yet a series.
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2 people found this helpful