the first of a series of books about special detective chau, a beautiful fifteen-year-old vietnamese girl. chau is the daughter of a vietnamese woman and her dutch husband. the family moved from vietnam to england and live in the small country village of highfields. chau is a highly intelligent girl with special hobbies. it brings her to help the local police when a murder takes place in the village. the complex murder case brings several suspects throughout the story. chau's help and clever observations, as well as her special talents, become essential in finding the real killer. the lead detective in the case, detective sam archer, will become chau's greatest admirer, and resolving this case will result in a long-term partnership to solve crimes. special characters in the book, such as chau's dog and detective sam archer, bring joy and admiration. special moments in the book, and chau's special character, make this a book that, when read, will increase the reader's impatience for the next adventure of special detective chau, until that next adventure is published.