Qiu Xiaolong's Death of a Red Heroine is the rarest of books. Sure, it is a finely-crafted mystery with well-rounded characters brimming with life, ambition, self-doubt, and love. Yet to me, its brilliance lays in its portrayal and reflection of what it means to live and thrive in modern China. Qiu masterfully captures contemporary China as we get to know Chinese character more fully and what it means to be Chinese through this skillfully written literary masterpiece. His Chief Inspector Chen and Detective Yu, along with an equally poignant supporting cast help us know China through their eyes and lives. Qiu's triumph is creating an amazing story that captures the vibrancy of a dynamic Shanghai, China, while subtly exploring the issues important to contemporary China. Even though the Red Heroine never was "alive" in the book, the way Qiu delicately exposed her life as he delicately peeled back her story, made her as interesting as the the book's living characters. I am a long-time resident of this city, and I appreciate seeing it reflected in this terrific book, but it also helps me understand Shanghai and country better.