Tag: books

#BookReview Second Sister by Chan Ho-Kei, trans. by Jeremy Tiang

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About the Book

Wun Wah Tower, Kwun Tong district, Hong Kong. When Siu-Man jumped from her window on the twenty-second floor, everyone assumed it was suicide. But Sui-Man’s sister, Nga-Yee, a quiet and unassuming librarian, is determined to prove it was murder. The police aren’t interested in re-opening a solved case so she contacts a man known only as N – a hacker, and an expert in cybersecurity and manipulating human behaviour.

What follows is a cat-and-mouse game through the vibrant city of Hong Kong. The pair’s investigation takes them from creepy commuter-train gropers to Siu-Man’s gossipy friends to the dark corners of the city’s digital underground – where online bullies, sexual predators and shady tech businesses stalk their prey…

Format: ebook (528 pages) Publisher: Head of Zeus
Publication date: 18th February 2020 Genre: Crime, Thriller, Literature in Translation

Find Second Sister on Goodreads

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My Review

Second Sister is an incredibly clever high-tech thriller set in Hong Kong. If you are at all concerned about the invasiveness of technology, its potential for misuse or worry we are becoming a surveillence society then you may be alarmed at the extent to which the enigmatic N – part detective, part hacker – is able to insinuate himself into the lives of others. And bear in mind, the book was written in 2020 so technology has progressed (if that is the right word) since then. It may well make you want to move off-grid, grow your own food, communicate only by letter and adopt a disguise whenever you go out in public. Some of the tech stuff I’ll admit went over my head but I wasn’t alone there as Nga-Yee struggles with it too, much to N’s impatience. By the way, kudos to Jeremy Tiang for being able to translate all the tech stuff from Cantonese into something understandable by English-speaking readers.

The book definitely immerses the reader in the fast-paced environment of Hong Kong with its high-rise apartments, shopping malls, karaoke bars and noodle shops. For the more affluent Hongkongers it’s all about having the latest phone, looking the part and achieving your career aspirations. I think it would definitely be an advantage to have an idea of the geography of Hong Kong as the plot takes the reader to many different districts of the region, many of which have their own distinct economic and social characteristics.

The book exposes some of the darker features of modern day society including sexual harassment, online bullying and teenage suicide. It also explores the desire for revenge and whether this can ever be justified or even bring happiness if finally exacted.

My main criticism of the book is it’s about 150 pages too long and, at times, it does get bogged down in the technology stuff. Having said that, the increasingly frequent twists and reveals make it difficult to stop reading. It is incredibly well-plotted with the two main storylines coming together very cleverly in the final chapters.

I received a digital review copy courtesy of Head of Zeus via NetGalley.

In three words: Complex, ingenious, immersive

Try something similar: No Place To Hide by J. S. Monroe

About the Author

Chan Ho-Kei was born and raised in Hong Kong. He has won the Mystery Writers of Taiwan Award for his short stories, and In 2011 he won the Soji Shimada, the biggest mystery award in the Chinese world. He lives in Taiwan. (Photo: Goodreads author page)

Connect with Chan Ho-Kei
Twitter

#WWWWednesday – 22nd November 2023

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WWWWednesdays

Hosted by Taking on a World of Words, this meme is all about the three Ws:

  • What are you currently reading?
  • What did you recently finish reading?
  • What do you think you’ll read next?

Why not join in too?  Leave a comment with your link at Taking on a World of Words and then go blog hopping!

Currently reading

A book from my TBR pile and a NetGalley title for the #NetGalleyNovember reading challenge.

The Forgotten Letters of Esther DurrantThe Forgotten Letters of Esther Durrant by Kayte Nunn (Orion)

An abandoned woman…

1951. Esther Durrant, a young mother, is committed to an isolated mental asylum by her husband. Run by a pioneering psychiatrist, the hospital is at first Esther’s prison but soon becomes her refuge.

A forbidden love…

2017. When free-spirited marine scientist Rachel Parker is forced to take shelter on a far-flung island off the Cornish Coast during a research posting, she discovers a collection of hidden love letters. Captivated by their passion and tenderness, Rachel is determined to find the intended recipient.

A dangerous secret…

Meanwhile, in London, Eve is helping her grandmother, a renowned mountaineer, write her memoirs. When she is contacted by Rachel, it sets in motion a chain of events that threatens to reveal secrets kept buried for more than sixty years. 

Three women bound together by a heartbreaking secret. A love story that needs to be told.

Second SisterSecond Sister by Chan Ho-Kei, trans. by Jeremy Tiang (ebook, Head of Zeus via NetGalley)

When Siu-Man jumped from her window on the twenty-second floor, everyone assumed it was suicide. But Sui-Man’s sister, Nga-Yee, a quiet and unassuming librarian, is determined to prove it was murder. The police aren’t interested in re-opening a solved case so she contacts a man known only as N – a hacker, and an expert in cybersecurity and manipulating human behaviour.

What follows is a cat-and-mouse game through the vibrant city of Hong Kong. The pair’s investigation takes them from creepy commuter-train gropers to Siu-Man’s gossipy friends to the dark corners of the city’s digital underground – where online bullies, sexual predators and shady tech businesses stalk their prey…

Recently finished

Mrs Whistler by Matthew Pamplin (The Borough Press)

The Book of Fire by Christy Lefteri (Manilla Press)

What Cathy (will) Read Next

The Diver and the LoverThe Diver and the Lover by Jeremy Vine (Hodder & Stoughton)

It is 1951 and sisters Ginny and Meredith have travelled from England to Spain in search of distraction and respite. The two wars have wreaked loss and deprivation upon the family and the spectre of Meredith’s troubled childhood continues to haunt them. Their journey to the rugged peninsula of Catalonia promises hope and renewal.

While there they discover the artist Salvador Dali is staying in nearby Port Lligat. Meredith is fascinated by modern art and longs to meet the famous surrealist. Dali is embarking on an ambitious new work, but his headstrong male model has refused to pose. A replacement is found, a young American waiter with whom Ginny has struck up a tentative acquaintance.

The lives of the characters become entangled as family secrets, ego and the dangerous politics of Franco’s Spain threaten to undo the fragile bonds that have been forged.