Paul French (3)

Historian and China expert Paul French will discuss and sign his new book Midnight in Peking: How the Murder of a Young Englishwoman Haunted the Last Days of Old China ($26.00 Penguin). Peking in 1937 is a heady mix of privilege and scandal, opulence and opium dens, rumors and superstition. The Japanese ... (more)are encircling the city, and the discovery of Pamela Werner's body sends a shiver through already nervous Peking. With the suspect list growing and clues sparse, two detectives—one British and one Chinese—race against the clock to solve the crime before the Japanese invade and Peking as they know it is gone forever. French's book at last uncovers the truth behind this notorious murder, and offers a rare glimpse of the last days of colonial Peking.