Thief of Souls: An Inspector Lu Fei Mystery    by Brian Klingborg Order:  USA  Can Minotaur, 2021 (2021) Hardcover, e-Book      Reviewed by Barbara Lingens A very brutal murder has been committed in a small town, and the person who has been apprehended cannot possibly have been responsible. Brian Klingborg does an admirable job of helping us understand the environment that Inspector Lu works in. We are in a small town in China, close to the larger city of Harbin. The time is the present, and we learn how the Communist Party has precedence in every aspect of people's lives. Inspector Lu's methods of investigation are not agreeable to his superiors, but he gets results, and that means his boss will have no trouble from the Party. The problem is there is so very little to go on, and all the promising leads turn into dead ends. As the story unfolds we meet many people, important government people as well as simple villagers. Each has a story. But which one is lying? Customs from the past, religious practices kept up even though no one really seems to believe, quotes from Mao and Confucius, all these are part of an investigation undertaken by a very likable but determined investigator, which provides us with a very satisfying reading experience. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Mystery books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews