Praise for Qiu Xiaolong -- : 'Qiu gives a fresh perspective on the forces shaping a new China and the influences of the Cultural Revolution and then Tiananmen in 1989.' -- Sunday Morning Post, Hong Kong 'A luminescent synthesis of thriller and literary novel' -- Independent on A LOYAL CHARACTER DANCER 'Stupendous' -- Fresh Air, National Public Radio, USA on DEATH OF A RED HEROINE 'With strong and subtle characterisation, Qui Xiaolong draws us into a fascinating world where the greatest mystery revealed is the mystery of present-day China itself.' -- John Harvey 'Compelling ... this fast-moving crime novel admirably depicts the intriguing struggles of characters grasping a foothold in a new and rising China.' -- TLS on A CASE OF TWO CITIES 'A great read.' -- Guardian on WHEN RED IS BLACK 'Chen is an irresistible protagonist ... Qiu's portrait of China in transition, a potential eye-opener for many of his Western readers, is an equally compelling attraction.' -- Kirkus Reviews on DEATH OF A RED HEROINE 'A vivid portrait of modern Chinese society ... full of the sights, sounds and smells of Shanghai ... A work of real distinction.' -- Wall Street Journal 'A great read' -- Weekend Australian on DEATH OF A RED HEROINE 'In a word: brilliant' -- Herald Sun on DEATH OF A RED HEROINE 'Chen is a great creation, an honourable man in a world full of deception and treachery' -- Guardian 'Intriguing ... pertinent ... intelligent' -- New York Times on RED MANDARIN DRESS 'The usual enjoyable mix of murder, poetry and contractions of contemporary Chinese culture. Chen is a splendid creation, with his facility for quoting Tang Dynasty poetry and T S Eliot, his quiet devotion to his duty, his unhappy love life and his appreciation of good food.' -- Independent on Sunday

Qiu Xiaolong was born in Shanghai. The Cultural Revolution began in his last year of elementary school, and out of school, out of job, he studied English by himself in a local park. In 1977, he began his studies at East China Normal University in Shanghai, and then the Chinese Academy of Social Science in Beijing. In 1988, he came to Washington University in St. Louis, U.S. as a Ford foundation fellow to do a project on Eliot, but after the Tiananmen tragedy of 1989, he decided to stay on. He lives there still with his wife and daughter.