THE LAST MANDARIN

THE LAST MANDARIN by Louise Penny and Mellissa Fung

YELLOW LIGHT with CAUTION

AGE: ADULT

The Last Mandarin has a completely different feel to it than Louise Penny's Inspector Gamache series. Gone is the small town atmosphere and community of Three Pines. Instead, all paths lead to the White House and China. At first, I thought I wasn't going to enjoy it as much, but in the end, it won me over..

In today's world of constant struggle between the US and China, The Last Mandarin feels as though it could have stepped right off the evening news into book form.

The most unlikely mother/daughter team find themselves caught up in the midst of an international crisis. Alice is a food blogger, while her mother, Vivien Li, is a well-known Chinese activist who gained popularity for her involvement in the Tiananmen Square protest. When all security and fire alarms go off around the world simultaneously causing intense panic, the US is able to trace the signal back to China. Knowing this is only a test for something bigger coming, the panic escalates when next, all elevators shut down worldwide trapping thousands of people inside. The US knows this cannot be tolerated and must be stopped at all costs, but what if who they think is behind all of the chaos is as much a victim of the attacks as they are. With the ability to travel to China without raising too many red flags, it's up to this often-at-odds pair, Alice and Vivien, and their unique contacts to try and unravel what's really going on behind the scenes.

The Last Mandarin is a nailbiter right up to the very last page. There are several really cool places included in the story including an amazing part in Xi'an in the middle of the Terracotta Army.

HEADS UP - There are two main considerations with this book.

-There is quite a bit of language including the often used f-bomb.

-Vivien Li's son, Alice's brother, is gay and married to a man. There is very little detail given to their relationship.