Midnight in Peking: How the Murder of a Young Englishwoman Haunted the Last Days of Old China

Can't say definitively-haven't seen the print edition, but based on the intricacies of the true story, I think the audible version may be better because the reader has made the details lively, where in print they might just appear as a paghe full of names dates and numbers.

the author, because he was determined to unearth all the f acts and follow up all the forgotten or neglected old leads in hopes of solving the case so many years later. He vividly conveys the atmosphere of old China, is complexity and its many layers of superstition, rumor and European snobbishness.

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My interest in this book derives from once knowing Michael HorJelski, and hearing of the murder of his girl friend from him in l938 or '39, when he looked me up in New York City.He was, understandably, quite disturbed by this unsolved murder and I never forgot his story. His father was a close school friend of my father when they were both boys in Poland. I had met Michael's father when I was a little girl, when he came to visit us during a business trip from China.

This book is the bizarre child of a history textbook and a police thriller. It starts as a detailed historical description of Peking just before WWII and then begins focusing on the more specific event of the ferocious murder of a young white woman, of the likes history has never seen before. In an unusual way of narration, the book meticulously progresses from the facts of the investigation, through the various players that participate to it and the facts that they uncover. The facts themselves seemed to have been drawn from the imagination of a fiction novelist but they are all true, but, at the same time, the book reads like a history book without any of the experiential narration that comes with novels.

To be honest, I would have preferred that the dramatization be more novel-like and the style can get dry and boring at times. The problem with the historical narration is that the author is extremely distant to what is happening and most of the psychological angle is entirely lost. But the research, and the facts themselves are, on their own, enough to capture the imagination.

The historian author painstakingly reveals the details of a murder mystery in Peking just prior to the Japanese invasion. The book reveals the seamy side of the colonial/expat community. It describes a time in Chinese history I knew little about and appreciated becoming more familiar with.The description of the political climate of the time and the conquest of China by Japan adds urgency and interest to the tale as does the description of the unflagging devotion of the father, despite changing governments and armed conflicts to identify the murderer of his daughter.

I tried to enjoy this book, but I just couldn't. I am interested in history in the broad sense, China in general, and Beijing in particular, and the book does tell a creepy, detailed story of the murder of a young English woman in 1930's Beijing, among the expatriate community. However, the author so doggedly sticks to the crime in question, and repeats the facts in an almost mercilessly literal way that there is little in the manner of context, or bigger picture. I wanted to stop the author and ask, "why are you telling this story?" That perspective was missing for me.

On the plus side - the book incidentally sheds some light on the Japanese invasion of China, which prompted me to look for books on that subject.

This is very interesting- Mr French researched so much - he actually solves this crime for Pamela and her father- never knew Peking is Beijing- maybe it willl come up on Jeopardy someday- very enjoyable

I haven't read the print version. The audio edition is excellent and kept my attention.

The development of the characters and their world captured my attention, as well as the details of the story itself. The story is written using some of the approaches used in fiction that reflect real life, like fore-shadowing and changes in characterization of individuals. Taking the tale to the very end of the characters lives was very important. Paul French provides a very convincing case with ample documentation that gives you a sense of what life was like for the characters.

Tragic story of a brutal murder; hard not to be sad.

I really liked this book. I was concerned because I had heard it was hard to heel for the murdered girl. I didnt feel that, I feel like the book was more about the men who tried to bring her justice, and I felt for these men. I dont feel like I really needed to identify with the victim. I identified with the flawed haunted father. Truth is really stranger than fiction. Well done.

French's book is a splendid mystery set in the twilight days of the pre-WWII China. In addition to a great story, the listener is given a wonderful insight into life in Peking in the late 1930s. The narration is good, though at times clinical, but the story keeps you wanting to listen.

I bought this book as while I was working in China. For me the murder mystery is interesting but really a vehicle for a look into the unique world of 1930s China.

A country where the money and power was split between a host of foreign nations all looking to get out before the heavy work of defending it from an aggressive neighbor came due. People divided by culture, wealth, beliefs, habits, politics, gender.

China is an amazing study of contrasts and it is constantly shown that China's past was more confusing than the present.

I would recommend reading this book just for the glimpse it gives into how China and the West have interacted in the past (and often continue to do so in the present).

The story was tedious and repetitive and. although it was apparently nonfiction, the plot strained credibility at certain points.

"The Good Earth" by Pearl Buck

Pamela's father was the most sympathetic character.

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