Flower Net: A Red Princess Mystery (Red Princess Mysteries Book 1)

During Beijing's winter in the final days of Deng Xiaoping's reign, the U.S. ambassador's son is discovered dead in a frozen lake. Simultaneously, a corpse identified as a Red Prince—a member of China's political elite—is found aboard a ship off the Southern California coast. Suspecting the deaths are connected, the Chinese and American governments undertake an unprecedented joint investigation. In Beijing, U.S. Assistant Attorney David Stark partners with Liu Hulan, an unorthodox police detective. Their investigation spans across China and uncovers connections between human trafficking, the drug trade, and governmental corruption—a network extending from the Forbidden City to Los Angeles. As they work together, an intense attraction develops between them. The novel was a finalist for the Edgar Award for Best First Mystery and a New York Times Notable Book.