Soul of the Fire: A Mystery

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Description

In Eliot Pattison's Soul of the Fire, Shan Tao Yun and his old friend Lokesh are abruptly dragged away by Public Security; he is convinced that their secret, often illegal, support of struggling Tibetans has brought their final ruin. But his fear turns to confusion as he discovers he has been chosen to fill a vacancy on a special international commission investigating Tibetan suicides. Soon he finds that his predecessor was murdered, and when a monk sets himself on fire in front of the commissioners he realizes that the Commission is being used as a tool to whitewash Tibet's self-immolation protests as acts of crime and terrorism. Shan has no choice but to become part of the hated Chinese machine that is devouring Tibet, but when he discovers that the most recent immolation was actually another murder, he realizes the Commission itself is riddled with crime and intrigue. Everywhere he turns, Shan finds new secrets that seem to lead to the last agonizing chapter of his life. He must make a final desperate effort to uncover the Commission's terrible secrets whose painful truth could change Shan's life - and possibly that of many Tibetans - forever.

Reviews

"Superlative...Pattison impressively combines a thrilling plot with a passionate denunciation of the Chinese oppression of the Tibetan people."--"Publishers Weekly" (starred review)

"An unparalleled series...a complex and suspenseful tale of murder...erudite, eloquent and entertaining." --"Booklist" (starred) on "Beautiful Ghosts"

"A rich and multilayered story that mirrors the complexity of the surrounding land." --"San Francisco Chronicle" on "Water Touching Stone"

Praise for "Mandarin Gate"
"Pattison portrays the oppression of the Tibetan people with dramatic delicacy and rich insight..." --CNN.com

..".In his excellent seventh novel featuring...Shan Tao Yun. Pattison movingly delineates the difficulties of seeking justice under a police state in this brilliantly constructed and passionate whodunit." --"Publishers Weekly" (starred review)

Author Bio

ELIOT PATTISON is the Edgar Award-winning author of seven previous Shan novels. A frequent visitor to China, his books and articles on international policy issues have been published around the world. He lives in Oley, Pennsylvania.