Midnight in Peking

Midnight in Peking is a gripping true murder mystery by Paul French

THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER - AS HEARD ON BBC RADIO 4

''A first-rate murder story, a thrilling narrative. Hurtles along from one cliffhanger to the next'' Spectator

Peking, 1937:

The teenage daughter of a British consul is brutally slaughtered. The police investigation is botched; as war looms British and Chinese authorities close ranks. A grieving father vows to uncover the truth - alone.

Seventy-five years later, historian Paul French uncovers a stash of forgotten documents revealing the killer''s identity . . .

For those who loved The Suspicions of Mr Whicher and Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil this is a riveting and evocative true crime classic.

''Gripping, spellbinding . . . drawing the reader from the very first pages into an unwholesome, macabre world'' Guardian

''Part historical docudrama, part tragic opera . . . it is French''s enormous achievement that he pieces together the puzzle. He tells this tale with the skill of an Agatha Christie'' Financial Times

''Fascinating and irresistible. I couldn''t put it down''

John Berendt, author of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

''Vivid, pulsating, riveting. It is the storytelling flair that marks Midnight in Peking so highly: with its false leads and twists . . . it sucks the reader in like the best fiction'' Scotsman

Born in London, Paul French has lived in China for more than 10 years. He is a widely published analyst and commentator on China; his books include a history of North Korea, a biography of Shanghai adman and adventurer Carl Crow, and a history of foreign correspondents in China.