A nice follow up to The Lotus Palace, the first book in the series. A mystery is once again featured, but for a majority of the book, there is precious little progress, just a lot of dead ends. So in that sense, not that interesting, because there is no gradual buildup of evidence. It does eventually get solved, and it's an interesting twist, except that it's told in the most anticlimatic way ever -- I don't think it's really a spoiler to say that there's no confrontation with the culprit at all. 
 That said, while I would have preferred a more dramatic and exciting mystery and thriller aspect, or at least more complex political shenanigans, the romance between the constable and the famous courtesan was quite appealing. The constable is an unusual (and quite good) choice for a hero; his odd-ball looks are emphasized, as are his abrupt, cold, and humorless mannerisms. I always figured he would be the next hero based on his presence in the first book. Nice to see it realized!