The Good Asian #1by Patti MartinsonReviews may contain information that could be considered 'spoilers'. Readers should proceed at their own risk. Publisher
Credits Grade: 6 Edison (Eddy) Hark is a Chinese-American detective searching for a missing Chinese maid, Ivy Chen. Ivy used to work for Edison's adoptive white father, Mason. While tracing her whereabouts in San Francisco's Chinatown, Eddy is up against drugs, racist cops, and his own self-loathing.My initial reaction to this is that it's pretty classic crime noir: tough dames, cynical gumshoes, and crooked cops. It's also something of a history lesson, as back in the 1930s, there was a ban on Chinese immigrants and a less-than-welcoming place called Angel Island, where Chinese immigrants were held until they "proved" who they were. Outside of the classic noir, we get the climate back then of how hated the Chinese were by just about everyone. Part noir, part historical treatise, and part social commentary, I'm not sure all these elements make a successful whole, but it is a combo I've never seen before and it is worth checking out. Written: April 10, 2021
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