The Last Mandarin

The last Mandarin, Louise Penny and Mellissa Fung, authors
I have read Louise Penny’s “Three Pines” novels and fallen in love with Inspector Gamache and all the other characters with their flaws and quirks. Absent her sometimes too left-wing political bias, I look forward to every one of them as they are published. I was not sure how I would feel about this book, but to coin a phrase, this book was “a great leap forward”.
This collaborative novel kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. However, the reader must suspend disbelief to relax and enjoy the ride. It might be necessary, also, to have some knowledge about China’s history and the protests in and around Tiananmen Square in Beijing, in 1989. There are many show more scenes that, while really exciting, actually seem to defy common sense and/or reality, but they still play well. The reader will surely wonder, now how did that just happen? Without a real explanation, the story simply seems to move on smoothly as the reader accepts the narrative, even when it is a bit illogical. It just seems to consistently move forward.
Alice Li was meeting her mother Vivien for brunch in Washington DC. Their relationship had never been warm and fuzzy. Alice always felt like a disappointment to her mother. When Wi-Fi, internet, and all forms of communication were interrupted, occurring concurrently as alarms suddenly went off in the restaurant and all over the world, Alice and Vivien were rescued, much to the surprise of Alice. Further, they were soon whisked to the White House. The President wanted to know about Alice’s last email from her friend, Liam Palmer, an account rep at a food distribution company. Alice was a food blogger. Alice was confused. How did they know about her email? What did it have to do with the “cyberverse” terror attack that just occurred setting alarms off everywhere, at the exact same moment? It caused mayhem, accidents and injuries. How could she or Liam be involved? Alice did not receive many answers to her questions, except for the fact that Liam knew her mother, was working for the CIA, and they think he was murdered because he had discovered some vital information in his recent travels.
Using the clues in her email and the clues she spotted in the painting on a Chinese souvenir, a “li bien ball”, an artistic achievement in which a very thin brush is inserted into a glass sphere and a painting is made from the inside, Alice and her mother proceed to try and help the government find out who was responsible for setting off the alarms. Then, all over the world, the elevators stopped, successively. Soon they all began to fall resulting in mass casualties and deaths. Were there spies within the American government behind this? When the investigation discovered the technology causing these events came from China, it became obvious that there were spies/traitors in China as well. However, no one knew who or why these people were creating havoc with terror attacks.
The latest research in technology was into Artificial Predictive Artificial Intelligence. Might some rogue country or group have achieved that goal? It was thought to be the ultimate weapon as it could research all historical data and determine all future behavior. It was soon suspected that a group called Pangu had risen again to cause the havoc, but how would they obtain the enormous funds necessary for such research?
There is a back story to this conundrum. Alice’s parents, Liu Tongzheng, Vivien Li and her brother Kai-wan were activists during the riots of 1989, in and around Tiananmen Square. Kai-Wen, the still unidentified “Tank Man”, had stood in front of the approaching tanks and temporarily stopped them; he had been captured and was believed to be dead. When their protests failed, the activists/rioters started a group called Pangu to peacefully bring about change to China, but as time passed, Pangu was supposedly destroyed by Vivien when she realized it was moving in a more violent direction. There were however, unintended consequences. Some members remained loyal and it now seemed that it might once again be active, but this time, “peacefully” was not the group’s intent.
So, who was the leader of Pangu now? They must find out! Could Alice’s father be behind it? She always hoped he was alive, but she was told he was dead. What if he wasn’t? Could he be a traitor? Alice’s mind gropes for answers. None were satisfying. Can two unprepared, untrained women, a mother and a daughter, who have a fraught relationship, help stop a terrorist organization from achieving its goal? Can they actually outwit espionage and artificial intelligence specialists? Well, dear reader, you will have to read it to find out. The story is really creative as it utilizes so many real historic facts and even delves into the world of future technology and science fiction. I believe that it will captivate the reader as it travels from Washington DC to Hong Kong, to China, to Xi’an, to Taiwan, and Fish Bowl Island. It will not be a merry chase, but it will be an exciting one. The reader will be introduced to some interesting history and folk lore. The reader will enter a magnificent archeological site, filled with terracotta soldiers and find out why they are there.
The thrills and even the appropriate use of wit, in the midst of all the violence, will entertain the reader. It is a very creative thriller. Sentences were crafted to make the reader rush hither and yon, in one direction or another, always guessing. Innuendos were planted to create confusion and conflict. It examines human nature, the effects of protests, and the threat of our burgeoning, uncontrolled developing technology on society, as well. In the end, were fortune cookies messages superior to all the technological advances society has made? Further, have we reached the point where no one and nothing can be trusted? show less

Alice Li is a food blogger in a difficult relationship with her mother, a Chinese dissident who escaped to the U.S. after Tiananmen Square and is now a well-known activist. When security alarms start going off around the world Ms Li and her mother are called to Washington to try to unravel what is happening. Leaders from opposing countries are holding back-channel chats trying to figure out what is going on as strange, frightening things happen. Who is doing this? What's next? What's the end game?

This is a hair-raising story of how the world could end and how unprepared the world's leaders might be in such extreme circumstances. It has an odd, and rather unbelievable, twist to have such relatively "common" people playing such a huge show more role in trying to safe the situation...but that may have been intentional.

The story did grab my attention and will stick with me I think....but, actually, I missed Three Pines. show less

Looking for a highspeed, exquisitely crafted geopolitical thriller? Then I commend this book for your reading pleasure! Conceived and delivered by world renowned mystery writer Louise Penny and esteemed journalist Mellissa Fung, this tale takes you on a fast ride from D.C. to China and Taiwan.

The story opens with everyone's cell alarm going off, all over the globe. No one lays claim to the action but the signal appears to have come out of China. Is this a ploy by the CCP? Or is it by an otherwise unknown nefarious entity? Following the second incident, Chinese dissident Vivien Li is off to Beijing with her daughter Alice in hot pursuit. Is Vivien a player in all of this? Alice is not so certain. Clues and bodies start piling up. Nations show more are on high alert and the National People's Congress is fast approaching. It's a cat and mouse mission. Relationships and loyalties are all fluid and vague. Who can one trust?

I was totally captivated by this story from the start. There are certainly a fair number of characters with lots of moving parts, all at the speed of sound. This deft author duo crafted a spectacular, albeit over the top, narrative fraught with tension. The characters are fleshed well out over the course of the book. You're never quite sure of a character's aim or its loyalty until the books conclusion. The writing is excellent and the scenes are set richly, thus appealing to all the senses. All in all, this was a most rewarding read.

I am grateful to Louise Penny, Mellissa Fung, and Minotaur Books for having provided a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Their generosity, however, has not influenced this review - the words of which are mine alone.

Publisher: Minotaur Books
Publication date: May 12, 2026
Number of pages: 400
ISBN: 978-1250412522 show less

Alice Li has a complicated relationship with her mother, famed dissident and democracy advocate Vivien Li, who rose to prominence in the West after fleeing China following Tianamen Square. On the one hand, Alice is aware of her mother’s importance; on the other, she knows that her mother thinks of her with disappointment, if she thinks of her at all. But their relationship starts to change when a series of terrorist attacks leave the whole world reeling, and only Alice, Vivien and a few relatives can stop the carnage…. I don’t want to say much about the plot of this book, except to note that it’s a political thriller and as such, the tension keeps ratcheting up higher and higher. At the heart of the book, though, is the show more relationship between mother and daughter, a relationship that every mother and daughter knows can be very fraught and very, very complicated. The authors depict that situation very well, and throw in a ton of action and strange events to keep the reader in suspense pretty much to the very last page. I’m not sure how plausible this kind of book needs to be, but the reader is in for a thrilling ride regardless. Recommended. show less

Louise Penny and Mellissa Fung have written a barn-burner of a thriller. This is one of those wonderfully written books where you can see the characters evolve with each turn of a page. Even the secondary characters are well-developed. After the characters are introduced, the story takes off like a shot, twisting and turning until the story ends with a surprise I didn’t see coming.

The storyline is complex and well written with the world in danger of ending and the bad guys could be anywhere, even the White House. The main characters don’t know who they can trust as they begin to hunt the terrorists so they have to rely on each other and they’re not sure that’s a good idea. The terrorists are willing to do anything, including show more destroy the world, in order to get what they want.. If you start reading this book, be prepared to read into the wee hours of the morning and/or cancel your weekend plans in order to read.

Readers will be clamoring for a second book from the early chapters to the end of the book. Let’s hope the authors and their publisher listen to us.

My thanks to Minotaur and Edelweiss for an eARC. show less

Co-authored by Penny and Fung, this fast-paced thriller is a compulsive ride through high adrenaline action from the White House to Tienanmen Square and back again. The story revolves around Alice, a food blogger, and her mother Vivian, a world-renown Chinese dissident and champion of democracy. When every alarm in the world is activated, Alice and Vivian are summoned to the White House for an emergency meeting with the President and his trusted advisors. As they fear, that is just the opening act initiated by the unknown terrorist group, and there are more deadly acts to come. In spite of the strained relationship between mother and daughter, they embark on an international journey to uncover the plot, and uncover family secrets along show more the way. I wished there were fewer of the sentence fragments that are characteristic of Penny's writing, and the sudden changes of point of view were a bit jarring. However, Penny's masterful plotting, along with the fascinating Chinese history and culture presumably thanks to Fung, made this a rapid-fire and thoroughly enjoyable read--in less than a day, I might add.. show less

A political Intrigue

A joint adventure between a widely acclaimed author and a veteran journalist, best-seller author and award-winning filmmaker made this fiction an electrifying study of power and greed and is a thrill to read.

“The Last Mandarin”, explores the themes of estrangement, sacrifice and personal conviction.

The story follows Alice Li, a first-generation Chinese-American and former food blogger, and her mother Vivien Li, a Tiananmen Square dissident turned global human rights activist. When simultaneous security and fire alarms trigger worldwide panic, the duo is called to the White House to interpret the potential threat from China, forcing them to navigate both global stakes and personal estrangement.

This plot spins a show more fast-paced and suspenseful political thriller while the narrative moves from Washington, D.C. to Ohio and Hong Kong keeping us engaged in the political tension. The interaction between Alice and her mother adds emotional depth and intimate moments. I appreciated how in the story elements such as an ancient legend and a secret language invented by women are smoothly incorporated to enrich the narrative and provide a unique cultural dimension.

This story is well crafted, as compelling characters and most of all maintains suspense from start to finish. Appreciated most of all the journalistic realism of the political aspect of the story.

I warn you it’s an exhausting read following Alice and Vivien around the globe to track down the culprit….

What will be the fates of Alice’s family, the U.S. and China, and the history of the world as we know it……You will have to give this thriller a go….

My thanks to St. Martin’s Press/ Minotaur Books for this ARC which I received via Netgalley for my thoughts: this is the way I see it. show less