A review by mayathebookworm
Black Jade - A Daiyu Wu Mystery by Gloria Oliver
4.0
Check out this review and more on my blog, Maya’s Reviews.
Thank you to Gloria Oliver for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
//TW: death, murder, poison, violence, racism, xenophobia//
// Quick Statistics //
Overall: 4/5 Stars
Plot: 5/5 Stars
Setting: 4/5 Stars
Characters: 4/5 Stars
Writing: 4/5 Stars
Memorability: 5/5 Stars
// Quick Review //
Black Jade is a fascinating and intricately written novel that is a great start to the Daiyu Wu Mystery series. Filled with a copious amount of twists and turns, the novel is unique and sticks out amongst the throng of historical mysteries.
// Other Information //
Publisher: Dimension Palace Publishing
Page Count: 246 pages
Release Date: May 11, 2021
Series: Daiyu Wu Mystery #1
// Book Description (via Goodreads) //
Could an old-fashioned ballgown be used to commit murder?
Daiyu Wu is aware that fear of the Yellow Terror has made her nationality a rare breed in the Lone Star State. Being Chinese and blind makes her doubly unique in 1930 Dallas. Despite these impediments, anyone who dismisses her for either fact does so at their peril.
One day, at her family-owned laundry business, Dai detects the scent of burned garlic. With the help of her companion, Jacques, the source is soon discovered. It is a green ballgown. The gown has money pinned inside it to pay for the cleaning, but oddly, it came with no address label to identify its owner. Her extensive knowledge leads Dai to believe someone has committed murder using arsenic. The perpetrator is trying to use White Laundry to hide the evidence. But no mention of foul play turns up in the newspapers, and there's not enough proof to convince the police there's been a crime.
Her curiosity and intellect stimulated like never before; Dai ignores the possible consequences and sets out to solve the mystery with the help of her canine companion, Prince Razor, and her confidant, Jacques Haskins. It's either that or let the killer get away with it — assuming a spoiled popinjay, his jealous self-appointed girlfriend, and Dai's overprotective parents don't get in her way.
// Characters //
Black Jade was full of both lovable and despicable characters that I either gushed over or wanted to knock some sense into. The story is written from the perspective of Jacques, the assistant (kind of) and the eyes of Daiyu Wu, or Dai.
Dai and Jacques’ relationship reminded me heavily of Peggy and Jarvis’ in Agent Carter. Dai is a brilliant young woman who is hardly limited by her disability in terms of her capability of discovering and solving a murder. Jacques is the oblivious assistant who is just along for the ride. Of course, I should mention Dai’s adorable pupper, Prince Razor, who also assists the investigation of Laura Cooper’s potential murder.
Dai (who does not typically interact with others as a result of racial and ableist prejudice) and Jacques become entangled with an assortment of characters involved in the investigation or the murder itself. Dr. Aiden Campbell assists Dai in acquiring physical evidence while Dai tries to become close with those close to Laura. Shannon, Pierce, Lord Paul Domberry, Lady Lizzie Domberry, Mrs. Grey, and William Asquith are among the most important.
Shannon was Laura’s jealous roommate, envious of the relationship that Laura had with William. Lizzie (William’s sister) and Paul Domberry are both keen to place importance upon the status of the family. Mrs. Grey, the family caretaker? Even more so. Pierce, however, is just infatuated with Dai (understandably), which Jacques finds quite annoying.
This deadly mixture of characters leads to an interesting sequence of events that was not only mysterious and murderous, but pure drama-filled.
// Writing and Setting //
Personally, I would have enjoyed reading the story from Dai’s perspective. While visually the story would have been limited, I think that the uniqueness of Dai’s self would add even more to the story. Especially since she was the main character, I think it would have made a little more sense.
Black Jade occurs in Dallas during the 1930’s. Oliver did an excellent job of bringing the story to life through the descriptions that Jacques gives of his surroundings.
// Plot //
I cannot express enough how unpredictable this novel was. As an avid reader of mystery, I expected to figure out who the murderer was earlier on in the story. However, by the end I had not the slightest idea who it might be until Dai figured it out. There were so many details that seemed to implicate every character Dai came in contact with in the murder of Cooper. The incalculable nature of the novel allowed for me to become truly invested in the discovery of who had killed Laura Cooper.
// Overall Review //
A striking mystery, Gloria Oliver has done a spectacular job of creating an unforeseeable story filled to the brim with nonpareil characters. With an excellent first novel, the Daiyu Wu Mystery series is promising and I am so excited to read the following novel.
Author's Website // Amazon
Thank you to Gloria Oliver for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
//TW: death, murder, poison, violence, racism, xenophobia//
// Quick Statistics //
Overall: 4/5 Stars
Plot: 5/5 Stars
Setting: 4/5 Stars
Characters: 4/5 Stars
Writing: 4/5 Stars
Memorability: 5/5 Stars
// Quick Review //
Black Jade is a fascinating and intricately written novel that is a great start to the Daiyu Wu Mystery series. Filled with a copious amount of twists and turns, the novel is unique and sticks out amongst the throng of historical mysteries.
"Sometimes it's nice to pretend to be something other than what you are."
// Other Information //
Publisher: Dimension Palace Publishing
Page Count: 246 pages
Release Date: May 11, 2021
Series: Daiyu Wu Mystery #1
“To live is to take chances. My path must be my own.”
// Book Description (via Goodreads) //
Could an old-fashioned ballgown be used to commit murder?
Daiyu Wu is aware that fear of the Yellow Terror has made her nationality a rare breed in the Lone Star State. Being Chinese and blind makes her doubly unique in 1930 Dallas. Despite these impediments, anyone who dismisses her for either fact does so at their peril.
One day, at her family-owned laundry business, Dai detects the scent of burned garlic. With the help of her companion, Jacques, the source is soon discovered. It is a green ballgown. The gown has money pinned inside it to pay for the cleaning, but oddly, it came with no address label to identify its owner. Her extensive knowledge leads Dai to believe someone has committed murder using arsenic. The perpetrator is trying to use White Laundry to hide the evidence. But no mention of foul play turns up in the newspapers, and there's not enough proof to convince the police there's been a crime.
Her curiosity and intellect stimulated like never before; Dai ignores the possible consequences and sets out to solve the mystery with the help of her canine companion, Prince Razor, and her confidant, Jacques Haskins. It's either that or let the killer get away with it — assuming a spoiled popinjay, his jealous self-appointed girlfriend, and Dai's overprotective parents don't get in her way.
// Characters //
Black Jade was full of both lovable and despicable characters that I either gushed over or wanted to knock some sense into. The story is written from the perspective of Jacques, the assistant (kind of) and the eyes of Daiyu Wu, or Dai.
Dai and Jacques’ relationship reminded me heavily of Peggy and Jarvis’ in Agent Carter. Dai is a brilliant young woman who is hardly limited by her disability in terms of her capability of discovering and solving a murder. Jacques is the oblivious assistant who is just along for the ride. Of course, I should mention Dai’s adorable pupper, Prince Razor, who also assists the investigation of Laura Cooper’s potential murder.
Dai (who does not typically interact with others as a result of racial and ableist prejudice) and Jacques become entangled with an assortment of characters involved in the investigation or the murder itself. Dr. Aiden Campbell assists Dai in acquiring physical evidence while Dai tries to become close with those close to Laura. Shannon, Pierce, Lord Paul Domberry, Lady Lizzie Domberry, Mrs. Grey, and William Asquith are among the most important.
Shannon was Laura’s jealous roommate, envious of the relationship that Laura had with William. Lizzie (William’s sister) and Paul Domberry are both keen to place importance upon the status of the family. Mrs. Grey, the family caretaker? Even more so. Pierce, however, is just infatuated with Dai (understandably), which Jacques finds quite annoying.
This deadly mixture of characters leads to an interesting sequence of events that was not only mysterious and murderous, but pure drama-filled.
“It was hard to imagine how a human being could begin such a thing and watch it unfold, yet do nothing to stop it because it served [spoiler] selfish ends and feelings of superiority.”
// Writing and Setting //
Personally, I would have enjoyed reading the story from Dai’s perspective. While visually the story would have been limited, I think that the uniqueness of Dai’s self would add even more to the story. Especially since she was the main character, I think it would have made a little more sense.
Black Jade occurs in Dallas during the 1930’s. Oliver did an excellent job of bringing the story to life through the descriptions that Jacques gives of his surroundings.
// Plot //
I cannot express enough how unpredictable this novel was. As an avid reader of mystery, I expected to figure out who the murderer was earlier on in the story. However, by the end I had not the slightest idea who it might be until Dai figured it out. There were so many details that seemed to implicate every character Dai came in contact with in the murder of Cooper. The incalculable nature of the novel allowed for me to become truly invested in the discovery of who had killed Laura Cooper.
“‘We are all selfish creatures in our own way. If we forget that others are as important as ourselves and turn our backs on empathy and mercy, we are lost.’”
// Overall Review //
A striking mystery, Gloria Oliver has done a spectacular job of creating an unforeseeable story filled to the brim with nonpareil characters. With an excellent first novel, the Daiyu Wu Mystery series is promising and I am so excited to read the following novel.
Author's Website // Amazon