Five Pieces of Jade (Virgil Tibbs Series #4)

by John Ball Dr

Overview

The body of an elderly Chinese importer of rare jade lies on the carpet of a quietly expensive house in Pasadena, California. In a rough semicircle around his head rest four pieces of jade; protruding from the heart is a fifth-the Ya-Chang ritual knife.

Who murdered the importer? Was it Yumeko, the beautiful half-black, half-Japanese girl who lived with him? Johnny Wu, a rich Chinese-American? Another customer? Or a political enemy from overseas?

Black homicide detective Virgil Tibbs finds himself in the middle of a deadly situation involving hard drugs, Communist Chinese agents, and the exotic settings of the jade trade as he coolly tracks down the murderer.

Praise for John Ball

"A nice tight murder puzzle."-Times Literary Supplement

"A taut, dramatic yarn."-Charlotte Observer

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781612329765
Publisher:	Speaking Volumes LLC
Publication date:	09/04/2013
Series:	Virgil Tibbs Series , #4
Pages:	286
Sales rank:	960,970
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 8.00(h) x 0.64(d)

About the Author

The son of a scientist, John Ball was born in Schenectady, New York, and grew up in Milwaukee. He attended Carroll College in Wisconsin. He subsequently worked as a science staff writer on Fortune, a music critic and feature writer for the Brooklyn Eagle, a daily columnist on the New York World-Telegram & Sun, a broadcaster for a Washington radio station, and a Director of Public Relations for the Institute of Aerospace Sciences. His In the Heat of the Night was awarded a Mystery Writers of America "Edgar" for the Best First Mystery Novel of the Year, and since had been followed by The Cool Cottontail, also featuring his African-American detective, Virgil Tibbs. Mr. Ball has also authored a number of notable young adult books.

Editorial Reviews

This fourth in the Virgil Tibbs mysteries, first published nearly 50 years ago and now recorded as a complete series, gains unexpected new life in Dion Graham's narration. The plot's working parts include the black homicide detective's discussions with a young woman of mixed Japanese and African-American descent who speaks minimal English; a variety of Chinese, Chinese-American, and Japanese-American characters; and a couple of white men as well. Graham injects the faintest touch of irony into the antiquated dialogue and creates voices that demonstrate varying levels of comfort speaking English while at the same time maintaining respect for both characters and author. In sum, he ensures that this audiobook resonates both as valuable cultural history and fascinating contemporary listening. F.M.R.G. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine

JUNE 2017 - AudioFile