Dragon Day by Lisa Brackmann
Reviewed by: Dawn Dickey, Reference Assistant
Genre: Fiction, Mystery
Suggested Age: Adults
What is the book about?: A veteran of the war in Iraq, Ellie McEnroe is now living in Beijing with her mother, where she deals in art – and, in particular, the work of controversial artist Zhang Jianli. Through Zhang, Ellie met Chinese billionaire Stanley Cao. Now Cao wants Ellie to do some work for him: investigate Marsh Brody, a shady American that has attached himself to Cao’s youngest son, Guwei. Trouble soon follows when Ellie attends a party hosted by Cao’s oldest son, Tiantian. A young girl from the party is found dead, and Ellie finds, to her dismay, that she is the prime suspect in the murder. Her only choice is to embroil herself further into the affairs of the dysfunctional Cao family and solve the murder.
My Review: I didn’t know when I first started reading that this is actually the third book in Brackmann’s riveting series starring Ellie McEnroe. Brackmann did such a good job with the back story, however, that I had no trouble picking up the characters’ history. Brackmann also expertly describes the Beijing setting and the people that McEnroe meets. You get a real flavor for what it is like to live in China and sometimes be on the wrong side of the law. McEnroe is gritty and tough on the outside – a wounded veteran still dealing with aftereffects of the Iraq war – but she has a vulnerability that makes her a compelling, likeable character. As a reader, you want to see McEnroe succeed, find the killer, conquer the haunting trauma from her war service, and find peace and happiness.
Rating: 5/5
About FDL Reads
Welcome to FDL Reads, weekly book reviews from Fondulac District Library. Librarians (and possibly some other guest reviewers) review all types of books, from children’s picture books, young adult favorites, to the latest adult thriller, and share their thoughts each week at fondulaclibrary.org. If the book is owned by Fondulac District Library (or another local library), you’ll see a direct link to the catalog entry and whether or not it is available. If it is checked out or at another local library, you will be able to place a hold as long as you have your library card and PIN numbers. As with any book review, these are our opinions…we disagree amongst ourselves about books frequently. We all have different likes and dislikes, which is what makes the world an interesting place. Please enjoy, and keep on reading!