City of Ink by Elsa Hart

CITY OF INK by Elsa Hart is the third title (after Jade Dragon Mountain and The White Mirror) in her historical mystery series which is set in the early 1700s in China and features imperial court librarian Li Du. In the latest novel, Li Du has returned from exile and is striving to keep a low profile by working as a secretarial assistant in the North Borough Office of Beijing.  In that role, he and his boss are asked to investigate the murders of Pan Yongfa, a bureaucrat, and Madame Hong, wife of the owner of the Black Tile Factory. This leads Li Du and his storytelling friend, Hamza, on a series of adventures as they discover there are many secrets and much corruption which both lowly workers and influential ministers wish to keep hidden.  I have been wanting to read Elsa Hart’s often praised mysteries for quite a while. This was the first I read and since Du is simultaneously attempting to understand an old case involving his mentor, other readers may wish to start with the earlier titles. Hart builds on her time spent in Southwest China near Lijiang and displays a very creative imagination in her writing. The unusual setting is extremely well-developed with soldier, scholar and artisan characters from the time period, combined with an intertwined set of stories, filled with complexity and surprises. I have been avidly recommending CITY OF INK and Booklist, Kirkus and Publishers Weekly all gave Hart’s latest starred reviews.