China is adjusting to a new free market economy in the novel. Discuss where Western influences can be found creeping into Chinese society and how these affect the characters in different ways.

How does Chen's love of poetry assist him in the investigation? How does it hurt him?

Is justice served in the end? How can Wu's fate be viewed as just and it what ways might it be perceived as unjust? Can justice truly be served when it plays a secondary role to political interest?

Discuss Wang Feng's actions. Does she truly care for Chen? Does she act in Chen's best interests? Does she act in her own best interests? Is she only using Chen for her own ends?

How do Chen and Yu complement each other? Could Chen have solved the crime without the help of Yu? What traits does Yu have...