Tuesday, March 23, 2021

Short Story Wednesday: A Tale about a Tiger and Other Mysterious Events by S.J. Rozan

In 2009, Crippen & Landru published nine of S. J. Rozan's early short stories in A Tale about a Tiger and Other Mysterious Events. The stories in that collection were first published between 1994 and 2001. I recently purchased a hardback edition of that book and have since read four of the stories. 

S.J. Rozan is the author of the Lydia Chin / Bill Smith mystery series. That is one my favorite contemporary mystery series. Bill Smith is a white private investigator in his forties who lives in Manhattan; Lydia Chin is an American-born Chinese private investigator in her late twenties who lives in New York’s Chinatown with her mother.  They are not partners but they often work together on cases. The element that I have always liked about this series is that the narrator of the books alternates. The first book was narrated by Lydia; the second book was narrated by Bill; and so on.


In A Tale about a Tiger and Other Mysterious Events, six of the stories feature either Lydia Chin or Bill Smith or both. These are the four stories I have read:

  • "Film at Eleven" features both Lydia and Bill; they are hired to expose a murderer who was acquitted when he was tried for the crime. 
  • "A Tale about a Tiger" is the longest story at 41 pages. Shun Shang Xian sells Chinese herbal remedies. He wants Lydia to find a man who is illegally hunting and killing tigers to use in bogus remedies. Lydia brings in Bill to help.
  • In "Hoops", Bill is hired to prove that a high school basketball player did not kill his girlfriend and then commit suicide.
  • The fourth story I read, "Seeing the Moon," did not feature Lydia or Bill. It was set in the art world.

I enjoyed reading more about Lydia Chin and Bill Smith in the short story format. 


Here is a list of the stories:

  • "Film at Eleven", pp 9-41 (Chin and Smith)
  • "Hoops", pp 42-74 (Smith)
  • "Seeing the Moon", pp 75-93 (Jack Lee)
  • "Passline", pp 94‑108
  • "Night Court", pp 109‑114 
  • "Subway", pp 115‑143 (Chin)
  • "A Tale about a Tiger", pp 144‑186  (Chin and Smith)
  • "Childhood", pp 187-213  (Smith)
  • "Double-Crossing Delancey", pp 214‑240 (Chin)


18 comments:

George said...

I'm a big fan o fCrippen & Landru. I just purchased one of their new Erle Stanley Gardner books. But this one looks good, too!

Todd Mason said...

I've been meaning to read these...thanks for the reminder...

Margot Kinberg said...

Thanks for this post, Tracy. I like the Chin/Smith series quite a lot, but I have never gotten around to reading this collection. I ought to do that, because it sounds very good.

TracyK said...

George, I just checked my book catalog and I have ten Crippen and Landru short story collections. I wish I had more, but I have only read one of them, except for a story here and there. So I am going to have to pull them out and sample more stories from those books.

The Erle Stanley Gardner book sounds like it would be good. I like his Perry Mason books and the Donald Lam and Bertha Cool series (as A.A. Fair).

Rick Robinson said...

I have several Rozen novels but they are “keep meaning to read” category. I saw this collection, but didn’t get it. Sounds good.

TracyK said...

Rick, her earlier novels in the Lydia Chin / Bill Smith series are my favorites, but I have her latest book in that series unread and hope to get to it soon.

TracyK said...

It is a good collection, Todd. I am sure you would like it.

TracyK said...

Margot, I was surprised that 6 of the 9 stories included Chin or Smith or both... and very happy about that.

Rick Robinson said...

If only one of the protagonists is in any one book, I wonder why it’s the Chin/Smith series and not two series, one for each of them? I’m moving the first book in the series to the TBR stack.

TracyK said...

Rick, in the novels, both detectives are in all books. But in the ones that Bill narrates, the story is more about him, some case that he takes on and Lydia assists in. And in the others, the point of view is Lydia's, and the cases are hers, and she calls him in to help.

Rick Robinson said...

Ah. Thanks, Tracy.

FictionFan said...

I've only read one of the Chin/Smith books, several years ago, and meant to read more but they fell off my radar. Thanks for the reminder! If only there was enough time for all the books we'd like to read...

pattinase (abbott) said...

Likewise they fell off my radar. I guess I am reluctant to start a long series like this nowadays. More apt to read standalones.

TracyK said...

FictionFan, I know what you mean. I have so many series I don't keep up with, and authors I want to read. For example, how can I have only read 12 of the 20 plus novels in Reginald Hill's Dalziel and Pascoe series? Especially when I have all of them in my TBR piles.

I do love Rozan's series, though. And will reread some of the earlier ones someday.

TracyK said...

Patti, I don't do well at keeping up with series anymore. I have gotten hooked on Louise Penny's series, but most series I end up reading only one every 2 or 3 years, if that frequently.

When Rick asked his question about the books where either Lydia or Bill is primary, I was trying to decide how much like a series it is and whether it could be read out of order anyway. Probably, yes. The books narrarted by Bill Smith are different in tone, somewhat grittier.

IzaBzh said...

I'd never heard about this series that sounds really interesting, thanks for sharing, I'll be looking them up right now :)

TracyK said...

There are many things I like about this series, Iza. But I especially like the Chinatown setting. Not all of the books are primarily set there. One goes back to Shanghai in 1938; a more recent book is set in Mississippi. But even so, most are related to Lydia Chin's Chinese background in some way.

col2910 said...

My wife has read this author, but I haven't got around to trying any of the books yet. One day.