Winner of the 2011 National Book Award for fiction, Charlson Ong's new thriller dives deep into the streets of Binondo and its inner world of murder, politics, and intrigue. Twenty-five year old lounge singer Laurice Saldiaga is found dead in her room at the Blue Angel Cafe and Bar in Binondo, Manila’s Chinatown. Inspector Cyrus Ledesma, a Chinese mestizo cop with a dark past is assigned to investigate the matter. The bar owner, Antonio Cobianco, is a known associate of Mayor Lagdameo Go-Lopez. Ledesma walks into a cauldron of intrigues, labyrinths, crumbling edifices, dogfights and suspects that include a jaded whiskey drinking female bar manager, a psychic journalist, a dyslexic piano player, a quick trigger pit bull owner, an aging saxophone player and Cyrus’ own uncle, Police Chief Ruben Jacinto.
I read this book after readingabout it in F. sionil Jose's column. I've always loved good mysteries and this one was particularly good because it's set in Manila ... closer to home so it seems more real....