THE RAILWAY CONSPIRACY Dee and Lao, Book 2

John Shen Yen Nee and SJ Rozan's newest Dee and Lao historical mystery is full of cross-cultural witticisms and kung fu martial arts that narrator Daniel York Loh plays to full effect. It's 1924. Judge Dee Ren Jie is in London. Accompanied by Lao She, his admiring "Watson," he foils a nefarious plot between a Russian diplomat, a Japanese mercenary, and Chinese quasi-nationalists. Loh's confident characterizations of everyone from smooth Lao and erudite Dee to a cheerful Cockney sidekick and a sneering Russian add to the production's cinematic feel. His precise narration is crisp, if sometimes a bit measured. He picks up the pace convincingly though during the story's many fights, keeping listeners clear, happy, and safe amid the flying-sidekicks and amusing ripostes. A.C.S. © AudioFile 2025, Portland, Maine [Published: APRIL 2025]