About the Author

Lisa See is the New York Times bestselling author of Dreams of Joy, Shanghai Girls, Peony in Love, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, Flower Net (an Edgar Award nominee), The Interior, and Dragon Bones, as well as the critically acclaimed memoir On Gold Mountain. The Organization of Chinese American Women named her the 2001 National Woman of the Year. She lives in Los Angeles.

Reviews

"Moving smoothly from "On Gold Mountain, the priased memoir of her Chinese-American family, See appleis her knowledge of Chinese customs and traditions to a complex and exciting novel...The fascinating picture of China's political heritage and complex social culture makes this debut thriller a standout."-- "Publishers Weekly (starred review)""Flower Net proclaims See's considerable talents as novelist, skillfully blending suspenseful storytelling, romantic intrigue, and stirring plot twists...[She] vividly render[s] the turmoil of China's recent history and the paradoxes of contemporary life there. This formidable portrayal of China's culture and the country's harsh system of justice constitutes a striking backdrop for See's compelling tale."-- "Booklist""Flower Net is a lively, exciting page-turner, full of creative twists and unexpected turns. It leads the reader into a mysterious Chinese alchemy that is strange and fresh and highly entertaining."-- Sheryl WuDunn, author of "China Wakes

Following up her well-reviewed family history (On Gold Mountain, LJ 8/95), former Publishers Weekly West Coast correspondent See pens a fast-moving thriller set primarily in Beijing. After the son of the U.S. ambassador is found murdered in Beijing, and the son of a member of China's political elite is also discovered murdered on a boat filled with illegal aliens located off the California coast, Chinese policewoman Liu Hulan and American lawyer David Stark are assigned to work together to solve the crimes. (The two are no strangers, having been lovers when Liu interned at the California law firm where Stark was an associate.) As the investigation heats up, the perpetrator commits more gruesome murders. In unraveling the crimes, Liu and Stark find a deceitful pattern reaching into the highest levels of the Chinese and American governments. See offers readers many interesting insights into Chinese culture and recent history, but the writing is marked by cardboard characters, wooden dialog, and an unfortunate tendency to tell what's happening rather than showing it. Buy where On Gold Mountain was popular. [Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 5/15/97.]‘Nancy Pearl, Washington Ctr. for the Book, Seattle

YA‘The tranquil setting of a Chinese ice-skating pond is shattered when Wing Yun and his granddaughter discover the body of a young white man frozen in the ice. An ocean away, off the coast of Southern California, the body of a young Chinese man is found decomposing in the drinking water for a shipload of illegal immigrants. When it is found that both of the deceased have connections to a Chinese gang, the Rising Phoenix, Chinese Inspector Liu Hulan and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Stark are teamed to locate the killer. Liu and David, who had been linked romantically years before, realize their case is being run like the flower net used by Chinese fishermen who throw the mesh wide to trap everything within its reach. American and Chinese cultures are naturally juxtaposed as Liu and David move from one side of the Pacific to the other, offering a richness in background beyond the usual espionage tale. The writing is crisp and the story moves at a fast clip with flashbacks adding background fibers to the webbing. This top-quality novel will be enjoyed by teens who like romance, adventure, or just a great story.‘Pam Spencer, Fairfax County Public Schools, VA