Red Mandarin Dress (Inspector Chen Cao Book 5)

Name: Red Mandarin Dress (Inspector Chen Cao Book 5)
Price: 3.99 USD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.3 (595 reviews)
Author: Qiu Xiaolong

by Qiu Xiaolong

Mystery Thriller Historical Fiction

4.3 (595)

4.3 stars from 595 reviews. Top 94% of Mystery Thriller books we track.

320 pages~5.3 hr readPublished by St. Martin's MinotaurPublished 2007-01-01

$3.9974% off peak

Last checked: Jun 16, 2026

Price history: $2.99 – $15.08

Good deal — this is near the lowest price we've tracked.

Price range: $2.99 – $15.08

Buy on Amazon - $3.99

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Perfect for you if...

You enjoy crime fiction grounded in real institutional politics and bureaucratic tension rather than just procedural mechanics.
You're drawn to mysteries set in contemporary Asia where cultural context shapes how cases unfold.
You appreciate protagonists who are clever operators playing multiple games at once: solving murders whilst managing powerful enemies.

Maybe not for you if...

You want fast-paced action and high body counts; this moves thoughtfully through investigation and political maneuvering.
You need a detective who plays by the rules; Chen Cao bends them deliberately and gains enemies in the process.
You prefer standalones; this is book five of a series and assumes familiarity with Chen's world and antagonists.

About this book

Chief Inspector Chen Cao of the Shanghai Police Department handles politically sensitive cases. After recent conflicts with officials, he takes leave from work to avoid a sensitive corruption investigation. While on vacation, a murdered young woman is discovered in a busy area, dressed in a red mandarin dress. When a second body appears in People's Park, also dressed identically, newspapers report that Shanghai may be targeted by its first sexual serial killer. With pressure from the Party to resolve the murders quickly, Chen becomes involved in what becomes his most dangerous and sensitive case yet.

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Price History

Kindle price over time. Green zones = periods when the book was free.

$2.99 – $15.08

Currently on sale at $3.99 — 74% off peak. Price has dropped 4 times over the last 6 years. Goes on sale roughly every 383 days. Typically stays discounted for 14 days.

Sales Rank

Amazon sales rank: lower number = better selling book. #1 is the bestseller.

Currently around #150K in the Kindle store — a niche title. Climbing the charts — 50% improvement recently.

Rating & Reviews

Purple line = star rating over time. Blue area = total review count growth.

Currently 4.3★ from 595 reviews

Gaining approximately 3 new reviews per month. Rating has remained stable at 4.3 over the tracking period.

Sale Prediction

Actual Predicted

This book is currently discounted at $3.99. It typically returns to around $15.08.

Prices shown in USD from Amazon US. We continuously pull new data to improve tracking. If dates look old, it usually means there has been no significant change since the last data point.

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