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Drama: Inspector Chen Novels

Jamie Zubairi

Dan Li

Sarah Lam

David Yip

Chipo Chung

Daniel York

David Hounslow

Chris Pavlo

Debra Baker

Amelia Lowdell

Sam Dale

Jessica Turner

Evie Killip

Richard Pepple

George Watkins

Rebecca Hamilton

Qiu Xiaolong

Joy Wilkinson

Toby Swift

Drama on 4: Inspector Chen Novels: Death of a Red Heroine

Inspector Chen Novels

05/12/2015

Death of a Red Heroine

BBC Radio 4 - Drama on 4, Inspector Chen Novels, Death of a Red Heroine

Crime drama set in 1990s Shanghai. The first case for Qiu Xiaolong's poet detective.

The murder of a model worker in Shanghai gives Inspector Chen his first challenge with the Special Case Squad. Award-winning crime drama by Qiu Xiaolong.

Shanghai, May 1990. The body of a national model worker is found in Baili Canal. So begins the first of Qiu Xiaolong's Inspector Chen novels. Poet and translator turned detective Chen Cao now heads the Special Case Squad, an assignment that brings political scrutiny with every move. Dramatised by Joy Wilkinson.

Directed by Toby Swift

Dramatisations of the second and third books in the Inspector Chen series, A Loyal Character Dance and When Red is Black, will follow.

Qiu Xiaolong was born in Shanghai, China. As well as writing the award-winning Inspector Chen series of mystery novels, he is also the author of two books of poetry translations, Treasury of Chinese Love Poems (2003) and Evoking T'ang (2007), and his own poetry collection, Lines Around China (2003). Qiu's books have sold over a million copies and have been published in twenty languages. He lives in St. Louis, USA with his wife and daughter.

"Death Of A Red Heroine grabbed my imagination, took me on a slowly, intricately built journey that nevertheless felt sexy and slick, and kept me turning the pages deep into the night . . . A refreshingly brave exploration into political China, woven around a tense thriller..."
Huffington Post.

Drama on 4: Inspector Chen Novels

Intelligent speech, the most insightful journalism, the wittiest comedy, the most fascinating features and the most compelling drama and readings anywhere in UK radio.

Dramatisations of the mystery novels of Qiu Xiaolong, set in Shanghai

Dramatisations of the mystery novels of Qiu Xiaolong, set in Shanghai and featuring poet and translator-turned-detective Chen Cao.

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