The Death of Hong Ying

Author: Qiu Xiaolong
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-06-01
Features: An unidentified female body is discovered in the suburbs of H City. The newly appointed detective chief and police chief launch an investigation. They soon discover that the victim is a public figure—Guan Hongying, a female labor model. As the investigation progresses, they find that Guan Hongying's life is unexpectedly dualistic. On one hand, she presents herself as a model public figure in public; on the other hand, she lives a hidden, lonely, and decadent life. The prime suspect is Wu Xiaoming, a cadre's son and a photo editor at a magazine company. Wu Xiaoming took advantage of photographing celebrities to develop intimate relationships with many women, including Guan Hongying. Influenced by Western bourgeois lifestyles, they became decadent and fell into a fake marriage to travel abroad, even taking many pornographic photos together. Guan Hongying became Wu Xiaoming's mistress, hoping one day to become his legal wife. However, Wu Xiaoming treated her with indifference and kept seeking new lovers. When Guan Hongying hid the pornographic photos taken by Wu Xiaoming and tried to blackmail him, Wu Xiaoming went all out and killed her. The Death of Hongying is the debut long of author Qiu Xiaolong. Published in the United States in 2000, it received widespread acclaim. It was first nominated for the Edgar Allan Poe Award for Mystery Fiction and the Bao Wei Award for Mystery Fiction, and later won the Anthony Award for Excellence in Novel, the 32nd World Mystery Novel Award. The New York Newsday ranked it among the Top Ten Works of 2000. It has been translated and published in countries such as France, Italy, Japan, Sweden, Denmark, and Norway.