A specialist in Chinese literary history, Kinkley (history, St. John’s U.) examines ancient, modern, and contemporary Chinese crime fiction. All fiction was banned during the first three
decades of communism, he tells us, and when the ban was lifted, crime fiction became very popular again, serving as a medium of trenchant and open critique of the newly restored socialist legal
system. He applies the law and literature inquiry used by legal scholars to the eastern, western, and hybrid versions. Paper edition (unseen), ＄24.95. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland,
OR (booknews.com)
