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Beautiful Ghosts (2004)

by Eliot Pattison

Series: Shan Tao Yun (4)

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2404113,331 (4.01)7
In an earlier time, Shan Tao Yun was an Inspector stationed in Beijing. But he lost his position, his family and his freedom when he ran afoul of a powerful figure high in the Chinese government. Released unofficially from the work camp to which he'd been sentenced, Shan has been living in remote mountains of Tibet with a group of outlawed Buddhist monks. Without status, official identity, or the freedom to return to his former home in Beijing, Shan finds himself in the midst of a bafflingseries of events. During a ceremony meant to rededicate an ancient and long destroyed monastery, Shan stumbles across evidence of a recent murder in the ruins. Now Shan is being torn between some officials who want his help to search the ruins while others want him to disappear back into the mountains - with one group holding out the tantalizing prospect of once again seeing the son from whom Shan has been separated for many years. In a baffling situation where nothing is what it appears to be, where the FBI, high ranking Beijing officials, the long hidden monks, and the almost forgotten history of the region all pull him in different directions, Shan finds his devotion to the truth sorely tested. Traveling from Tibet to Beijing to the U.S., he must find the links between murder on two continents, a high profile art theft, and an enigmatic, long-missing figure from history ...in Eliot Pattison'sBeautiful Ghosts.… (more)
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English (3)  French (1)  All languages (4)
Showing 3 of 3
After reading three books in this series, my expectations were high and this book didn't disappoint me. Just like the other three, this was brilliant, sad, haunting... I can recommend this to anyone who likes a thrilling and absorbing story and to anyone interested in Tibetan culture. ( )
  Ilirwen | Sep 19, 2014 |
It's a bit long and the story isn't as much about the murder as about the treasures being looted and about the ways China has abused Tibet. I found it a hard read partially because it felt to me like the message was overwhelming the story and by the time the end came around I had almost forgotten where it started.

It's interesting though where it made me think about how heritage, as I was finishing the book news was breaking in Ireland about the theft of Stone Crosses from one of our heritage sites. We have commercialised it all in favour of money, but what have we left for future generations? It is food for thought.

I'm sure this isn't unbiased about the Tibetan/Chinese relationship but it does give me food for thought and I do like Shan. ( )
  wyvernfriend | Oct 12, 2011 |
If you want to gain some insights into Tibetan-Chinese relations, read this series, starting with The Skull Mantra! It reveals a most-disturbing situation, which will probably change the way you view China. (That from someone with a long-standing love of Asia, which led her to live in Asia for two years!)
  ErstwhileEditor | Jun 3, 2007 |
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This book is dedicated to the memory of Patrick J. Head, lama lawyer.
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There are sounds in Tibet heard nowhere else in the world.
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(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)
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In an earlier time, Shan Tao Yun was an Inspector stationed in Beijing. But he lost his position, his family and his freedom when he ran afoul of a powerful figure high in the Chinese government. Released unofficially from the work camp to which he'd been sentenced, Shan has been living in remote mountains of Tibet with a group of outlawed Buddhist monks. Without status, official identity, or the freedom to return to his former home in Beijing, Shan finds himself in the midst of a bafflingseries of events. During a ceremony meant to rededicate an ancient and long destroyed monastery, Shan stumbles across evidence of a recent murder in the ruins. Now Shan is being torn between some officials who want his help to search the ruins while others want him to disappear back into the mountains - with one group holding out the tantalizing prospect of once again seeing the son from whom Shan has been separated for many years. In a baffling situation where nothing is what it appears to be, where the FBI, high ranking Beijing officials, the long hidden monks, and the almost forgotten history of the region all pull him in different directions, Shan finds his devotion to the truth sorely tested. Traveling from Tibet to Beijing to the U.S., he must find the links between murder on two continents, a high profile art theft, and an enigmatic, long-missing figure from history ...in Eliot Pattison'sBeautiful Ghosts.

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