1st in a series of books featuring US Attorney David Stark and Ministry of Public Security inspector Liu Hulan; this would have been a pretty decent book if she could have not made it a semi-romance. Like, I'm not sure exactly how the two characters getting romantically involved again and reminiscing over their past helps to solve the crime, but whatever. I skimmed/skipped the romance angle because I just didn't care. Other than that, Flower Net is pretty good; I did see the end coming from a ways out because it was too obvious.

Basically in a nutshell the story is this:
Set in both the PRC and in the US at the end of the reign of Deng Xiaoping, a little girl is ice skating and discovers a body in the ice. It turns out to be Billy Watson, the son of the American ambassador to China. The case is assigned to Liu Hulian. Back in the US about the same time, a ship adrift off the coast of California is pushed into American waters by a storm, and when officials go to investigate (including US Attorney David Stark), they discover that the ship is filled with hundreds of illegal Chinese immigrants. As David goes down into the hold, he realizes that there are people trying to hide something; he goes back later to investigate and discovers a body floating in a tank of drinking water. It turns out to be the son of one of the most wealthy men in China, (the son being known as a "red prince" -- meaning that he's standing in line for major wealth & power in the government). David, who is investigating the activities of a triad operating out of Los Angeles, becomes involved with the case, and after the body is positively identified, he finds himself sent to China because the two murders seemed to be linked. There he is paired with Liu Hulan, and as they investigate the murders, it becomes quickly obvious that someone doesn't want them to solve the crimes.

As I said, it was pretty good but could have been better; I enjoyed it for a couple of hours. ( )

I had no idea that Lisa See wrote mysteries before she wrote Snow Flower and Secret Fan! This was an engaging story, mainly because the characters of the troubled relationship between the Chinese detective and the American ADA. Their complicated past kept me turning the pages. Also, the detective's assistant provided some nice comic relief. A great look into Chinese society in the 1990s and the difficulties for smart, capable women in a patriarchal, heavily controlled society. To be honest, I can't remember the crime but I would go back and read this book again. ( )

This is my second book by Lisa See, the first being Peony In Love which I very much enjoyed.

In this story the main characters, a Chinese female investigator with a mysterious past and an American male attorney, are brought together by their countries to solve two murders that have political ramifications in both nations. The most interesting thing about the mystery is the setting. See is very adept at relaying the customs of the legal system in China as well as deciphering the folklore and language. The pacing of the story picks up about two-thirds of the way through as the main characters connect the dots more rapidly. The romantic relationship between the investigator and the attorney is secondary to the plot but functions to give insight into the mind of the attorney who otherwise might seem less interesting and is ultimately the device that forces the investigator to reveal her past.

I liked the characters, especially the Chinese investigator, and enjoyed the mystery. I will try the next novel in the series to see where the author takes the characters. I rated this book 3.5 stars because I did not find it to be a thriller. The suspense is just not really there. The crime scenes are gruesome but not presented in a very exciting manner. See's descriptions are very factual. The only real excitement comes at the end when the characters are on the run. Even then, you are told there is danger everywhere but they don't seem to experience any of it until the very last scene. Still a good read. ( )