Soul of the Fire

Booklist Review : Taken abruptly from inspecting ditches, Shan Tao Yun a former Beijing investigator who had served five years in Tibet's harshest labor camp expects to be imprisoned again. Instead he's assigned as the reformed criminal on an international commission convened to investigate the problem of Tibetans' self-­immolations. It's soon apparent that the commission intends to designate the fiery suicides, committed as Tibetans' protest against Chinese rule, as the acts of either psychotics or criminal conspirators. It's also clear to Shan that the sudden death of his predecessor on the commission was not natural and that the person on fire in front of the commission is a murdered Chinese official and not a Tibetan monk. Although Chinese officials try to control Shan by imprisoning and beating his close friend, he joins forces with the two American commissioners and enlightens his Chinese watcher, Tuan, who reports directly to the Chinese Emperor of Tibet. Pattison's eighth Inspector Shan mystery features a complex plot that highlights the self-immolations done to protest the damage China is doing to Tibet and vividly illustrates the faith-based steadfastness of the Tibetan people