The Last Mandarin by Louise Penny I have always wanted to read a Louise Penny book, but I didn’t want to jump into the middle of a series. The Last Mandarin is a stand alone book, so I immediately signed up for it! I was not disappointed. The book was a wonderful mystery with spies, world events, and even a little history thrown in!
Alice Li, a food blogger, is a first generation Chinese American. Her mother, Vivian was a dissident and seems to be in the know of what might be happening in China – years later! One of Alice’s friends sent her an email from China and then died. This opened up more questions and slow realizations by Alice. Together, they end up in China working together to solve so many mysteries that all seemed to be tied around Vivian and her time in China.
I enjoyed the mysteries and the rushing around trying to follow clues. I did find some parts of the story difficult as the family associations were confusing, but that did not take away the pounding thriller nature of the story. The Last Mandarin by Louise Penny was a thrilling read.
