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Rick Van Lam Mystery #1
Caught Dead
One of the beautiful Le sisters is dead.
Hartford, Connecticut’s small Vietnamese community is stunned. Mary Le Vu, wife of a poor grocery-store owner, is gunned down in a drive-by. Her twin sister insists dutiful Mary “wouldn’t be caught dead” in that drug-infested zone. The police rule it an unlucky accident. Skeptics hire private eye Rick Van Lam to get to the truth.
Amerasian Rick―his father an unknown US soldier―is one of the Bui Doi, children of the dust, so often rejected by Vietnamese culture. But his young sidekick, Hank Nguyen, a pureblood Vietnamese, can help Rick navigate the closed world of Little Saigon. Surrounded by close friends―a former-Rockette landlady, his crusty mentor, and his ex-wife Liz―Rick immerses himself in a world that rejects him, but now needs his help. Especially when a second murder strikes in Little Saigon.
Rick and Hank delve into the families of the Le sisters, one poor, one very rich, and uncover a world of explosive ethnic tension and sinister criminal activity ranging from Hartford’s exclusive white suburbs to the impoverished inner city. To solve the murders―and bring closure to Mary’s grieving circle―Rick looks to long-buried memories of his Buddhist childhood for the wisdom that will lead him to a murderer.
Hartford, Connecticut’s small Vietnamese community is stunned. Mary Le Vu, wife of a poor grocery-store owner, is gunned down in a drive-by. Her twin sister insists dutiful Mary “wouldn’t be caught dead” in that drug-infested zone. The police rule it an unlucky accident. Skeptics hire private eye Rick Van Lam to get to the truth.
Amerasian Rick―his father an unknown US soldier―is one of the Bui Doi, children of the dust, so often rejected by Vietnamese culture. But his young sidekick, Hank Nguyen, a pureblood Vietnamese, can help Rick navigate the closed world of Little Saigon. Surrounded by close friends―a former-Rockette landlady, his crusty mentor, and his ex-wife Liz―Rick immerses himself in a world that rejects him, but now needs his help. Especially when a second murder strikes in Little Saigon.
Rick and Hank delve into the families of the Le sisters, one poor, one very rich, and uncover a world of explosive ethnic tension and sinister criminal activity ranging from Hartford’s exclusive white suburbs to the impoverished inner city. To solve the murders―and bring closure to Mary’s grieving circle―Rick looks to long-buried memories of his Buddhist childhood for the wisdom that will lead him to a murderer.
283 pages, Hardcover
First published November 4, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
June 30, 2016
I enjoyed reading this library book and rate it a solid 4 out of 5 stars. I am counting it for Connecticut in my US state challenge. Mary Le Vu, wife of a small grocery store owner, is shot dead in a drug infested part of Hartford. Vietnamese friends persuade Rick Van Lam to investigate without pay. He is a Bui Doi, child of the dust, product of a relationship between an American soldier and a Vietnamese woman. Bui Doi are scorned by most Vietnamese, but he has a few friends in the Little Saigon part of Hartford, and they badger him into investigating the murder.
He is a private detective who mostly does insurance fraud(Hartford is the insurance capitol of the US). One of his memories from Vietnam is of being placed in a dirt circle as a baby and watched by family and friends as he crawls towards objects placed at the edge of the circle. He picks up a demon, and his mother thinks that he is destined for darkness and evil. But he holds the demon over his head and breaks it in half. They all applaud and an old woman tells his mother that the baby will be a policeman.
I liked the way the plot developed, with Rick slowly piecing together what happened. I thought the characters were believable and likeable. I plan to read more of this series. The author bio says that Anrew Lanh is a pen name for Ed Ifkovic retired community college teacher.
He is a private detective who mostly does insurance fraud(Hartford is the insurance capitol of the US). One of his memories from Vietnam is of being placed in a dirt circle as a baby and watched by family and friends as he crawls towards objects placed at the edge of the circle. He picks up a demon, and his mother thinks that he is destined for darkness and evil. But he holds the demon over his head and breaks it in half. They all applaud and an old woman tells his mother that the baby will be a policeman.
I liked the way the plot developed, with Rick slowly piecing together what happened. I thought the characters were believable and likeable. I plan to read more of this series. The author bio says that Anrew Lanh is a pen name for Ed Ifkovic retired community college teacher.
February 15, 2016
Author Ed Ifkovic has taken on the pen name of Andrew Lanh to craft a new mystery series based on the private investigative team of Rick Van Lam and his young sidekick, Hank Nguyen (who is training to become the first Vietnamese-American state trooper in Connecticut). Rick normally deals in mild-mannered insurance claim investigations, but when Hank's grandmother calls on Rick to take on the case of the mysterious death of one of the two beautiful Le sisters, he can't turn her down.
Mary Le Vu lived an uneventful life, married to a local shopkeeper. So when she ends up dead, killed in a drug-infested neighborhood far from her usual haunts, the community is shocked. The police have dismissed the murder as a drive-by, in which Mary was at the wrong place at the wrong time. However, those who know her, including her beautiful sister Molly, cannot even begin to understand why Mary was there in the first place.
Molly is married to a rich Hartford car magnate, with two children the same age as Mary's. She appears to have no more clue than the police as to why this happened to her sister. An unraveling of closely held family secrets is the only key to solving this case for Rick Van Lam, but no one is forthcoming, and it will take all the wily skills and friends he can call on to help solve the case, which is destined to become larger before the story is over.
This well written look inside the Vietnamese-American community makes for a fascinating setting for this new mystery series. The characters are likable, and Ifkovic/Lanh's command of mystery plotting is well executed. He keeps his readers guessing till the end.
Review first appeared on ReviewingtheEvidence.com.
Mary Le Vu lived an uneventful life, married to a local shopkeeper. So when she ends up dead, killed in a drug-infested neighborhood far from her usual haunts, the community is shocked. The police have dismissed the murder as a drive-by, in which Mary was at the wrong place at the wrong time. However, those who know her, including her beautiful sister Molly, cannot even begin to understand why Mary was there in the first place.
Molly is married to a rich Hartford car magnate, with two children the same age as Mary's. She appears to have no more clue than the police as to why this happened to her sister. An unraveling of closely held family secrets is the only key to solving this case for Rick Van Lam, but no one is forthcoming, and it will take all the wily skills and friends he can call on to help solve the case, which is destined to become larger before the story is over.
This well written look inside the Vietnamese-American community makes for a fascinating setting for this new mystery series. The characters are likable, and Ifkovic/Lanh's command of mystery plotting is well executed. He keeps his readers guessing till the end.
Review first appeared on ReviewingtheEvidence.com.
January 13, 2015
It's rare thing that a book catches me from the first page, but this one did. Rick Van Lam is a biracial private investigator who usually sticks with insurance fraud. He's half Vietnamese and half white soldier. He was brought to the US as an orphan when he was thirteen and he never really felt part of either world.
However, when Mary Le Vu is killed by what appears to be a drive by shooting at a place where she wouldn't be caught dead, he's brought in by a friend's grandmother to investigate. He doesn't want to take the case, feeling like he's really not part of that community. However, he does agree to ask around.
He doesn't get far with his questions, but after Mary's twin sister Molly is killed in the same way, it's obvious it wasn't an accident. The investigation gets more intense pretty quickly.
While the mystery was interesting, Rick's back story and his internal struggles with identity were far more intriguing.
I really enjoyed this first novel in the series of Rick Van Lam.
However, when Mary Le Vu is killed by what appears to be a drive by shooting at a place where she wouldn't be caught dead, he's brought in by a friend's grandmother to investigate. He doesn't want to take the case, feeling like he's really not part of that community. However, he does agree to ask around.
He doesn't get far with his questions, but after Mary's twin sister Molly is killed in the same way, it's obvious it wasn't an accident. The investigation gets more intense pretty quickly.
While the mystery was interesting, Rick's back story and his internal struggles with identity were far more intriguing.
I really enjoyed this first novel in the series of Rick Van Lam.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 17, 2015
I don't write reviews much, but I was so completely angered by this book that I felt I needed to say something. When I read the sentence "...benevolent Uncle Ho, the leader who saved us from America" I slammed the book shut. Being Vietnamese and having two parents who endured the struggles of the Vietnam War, I have nothing but hatred for Uncle Ho as many other South Vietnamese refugees would understand. I thought to myself what kind of Vietnamese person living in America would write such a statement and when I flipped to the back flap I realized why. This author isn't Vietnamese at all. He is writing under another name, an inaccurate one at that! (Lanh isn't a Vietnamese surname) I do not know how accurately the rest of the book depicts Vietnamese culture but I can say that I will never open this book again.
October 5, 2014
CAUGHT DEAD was an intriguing story. Rick Van Lam - the Vietnamese son of an unknown American soldier - is a private investigator in Hartford, Connecticut. He specializes in insurance fraud. But when his friend Hank Nguyen comes to him and asks him to investigate the death of Mary Le Vu, one of the beautiful Le sisters, he agrees. Actually, he says that he will talk to some people.
Rick talks to Mary's husband and two children. He talks to Mary's sister Molly, her husband and her two children. He talks to the housekeeper and her successful son. He quickly gets immersed in the various stories of all of these characters. Benny Vu is a poor storekeeper. His son Tommy and daughter Cindy are American and both disappointments. Both with dead end jobs and no ambition for more. Mary's sister Molly married rich American Larry Torcelli and had two children Jon and Kristen. Jon is a perpetual student at Yale and Kristen is a member of the country club set. Another intriguing character is Danny, who is the housekeeper's son, and Larry's protege. Larry sent him to prep school and Harvard and now Danny is a banker. He's the only one of the kids' generation that is a success.
When Molly is killed in the same place as her sister Mary, the investigation intensifies. Rick is such an intriguing character because of his outsider status. He aches to be part of the Vietnamese culture but is looked down on by many because of his mixed heritage. He has become a part of Hank's family and loves his grandmother but Hank's father and grandfather have nothing to do with him. Rick also has an ex-wife that he still has a close relationship with. Other support for Rick is his crusty business partner and his former Rockette landlady.
This story was as much about the Vietnamese immigrants who are trying to keep their culture while living in the US and their Americanized children as it was a mystery. Rick's mixed heritage and his Buddhist upbringing make him an interesting and unusual entry into the ranks of modern detectives. I liked the story and look forward to more by the author.
Rick talks to Mary's husband and two children. He talks to Mary's sister Molly, her husband and her two children. He talks to the housekeeper and her successful son. He quickly gets immersed in the various stories of all of these characters. Benny Vu is a poor storekeeper. His son Tommy and daughter Cindy are American and both disappointments. Both with dead end jobs and no ambition for more. Mary's sister Molly married rich American Larry Torcelli and had two children Jon and Kristen. Jon is a perpetual student at Yale and Kristen is a member of the country club set. Another intriguing character is Danny, who is the housekeeper's son, and Larry's protege. Larry sent him to prep school and Harvard and now Danny is a banker. He's the only one of the kids' generation that is a success.
When Molly is killed in the same place as her sister Mary, the investigation intensifies. Rick is such an intriguing character because of his outsider status. He aches to be part of the Vietnamese culture but is looked down on by many because of his mixed heritage. He has become a part of Hank's family and loves his grandmother but Hank's father and grandfather have nothing to do with him. Rick also has an ex-wife that he still has a close relationship with. Other support for Rick is his crusty business partner and his former Rockette landlady.
This story was as much about the Vietnamese immigrants who are trying to keep their culture while living in the US and their Americanized children as it was a mystery. Rick's mixed heritage and his Buddhist upbringing make him an interesting and unusual entry into the ranks of modern detectives. I liked the story and look forward to more by the author.
November 4, 2014
I like this mystery a lot. Mysteries are often not only about the whodunit, but about the issues and cultures surrounding the case, and this one is as much about the Vietnamese community as it is about who killed Mary and why. The older Vietnamese, mostly immigrants, are trying to hold on to their culture, while their grown children are losing the connection to the traditional ways.
The characters are the strong point of the book for me. Mary and her family are not rich, but her sister and her sister’s American husband certainly are. The children, in their late teens and early 20s, are a mixed lot, mostly self-centered, unwilling to cooperate. In the end, though, greed and love are what it comes down to – and fear.
This is not a quick-paced mystery. There’s a lot of talking and going over the same ground again and again, looking for new angles. There are bits of Buddhist philosophy thrown in and some fabulous food. It is about the people more than the clues and I enjoyed the look at a culture I don’t often read about. Rick is unique, stands out a bit from the usual detectives.
The characters are the strong point of the book for me. Mary and her family are not rich, but her sister and her sister’s American husband certainly are. The children, in their late teens and early 20s, are a mixed lot, mostly self-centered, unwilling to cooperate. In the end, though, greed and love are what it comes down to – and fear.
This is not a quick-paced mystery. There’s a lot of talking and going over the same ground again and again, looking for new angles. There are bits of Buddhist philosophy thrown in and some fabulous food. It is about the people more than the clues and I enjoyed the look at a culture I don’t often read about. Rick is unique, stands out a bit from the usual detectives.
February 7, 2020
For a lot of reasons, I had high hopes for this book. Set in Hartford, on streets I've traveled regularly. The PI is Ameriasian, and the book explores (but not too deeply), the Vietnamese culture in Hartford. Disappointingly, the book ambles through two murders with a Socratic method of exploration that is neither compelling, nor mysterious. You'll guess who the murderer is the minute the murderer is introduced, and revelatory clues are delivered deus-ex-machina, by characters who appear in a chapter or two, and then disappear. So disappointing.
April 28, 2022
Very interesting read. Good to *see* the inner workings of culture for a Vietnamese American and the original immigrants. Though I was not surprised by the ending this was better than some offerings in the PI genre.
June 9, 2017
Great start to a new series.
November 27, 2018
Got all the way to page 20 after four separate attempts. Asleep after just a couple pages.
Only recommend if suffering from insomnia.
Only recommend if suffering from insomnia.
May 13, 2019
Pretty good.
September 9, 2022
I had a hard time putting this one down. It kept calling to me.
May 22, 2016
Smart mystery about family, its ties and secrets. Intelligently told story that is based not on the material evidence, but on more subtle "inside job" of digging into the human motivation and the emotions hidden on the polite surface of the family solidarity.
Mary, one of the notoriously famous beautiful Le sisters is found dead in the bad neighborhood, seemingly killed in the run-by war between gangs. But what was the quiet, middle-aged mother of two doing there at the first place? Police is not interested, but the family is suspicious. So they ask Rick Vam Lam, the local PI, to look at it. Rick starts the investigation just out of politeness towards the family, as his young friend Hank is a part of them, and especially out of respect towards Hank´s grandmother, a kind and wise woman. The close family members are not very attractive to know them better, especially the young generation - 4 cousins, Jon and Kristen and Tommy and Cindy, and Danny, the family friend, every one of them peculiar their own way. But are they hiding something besides the small family matters? But then there is a second murder. The answer lies somewhere deep within the family secrets, but which one is the important one?
During the investigation Rick also confronts his own insecurities, being one of the boi doi children, children of the dust = half-Vietnamese and half-American, the subject of aversion of the pureblood Vietnamese.
I liked this subtle, psychological and yet a bit noir mystery very much. Being a longtime fan of Agatha Christie, I appreciate the psychological insight and the tangle of emotions, family history, small and big passions and serious conflicts which the author puts before us. The people of the story are very human, even if some of them are not very pleasant - but even some of the most ugly characters are understandable. Author doesn´t hate of his characters, he is painting them with dose of a personal connection and closeness, so you can´t hep yourself not to feel somehow connected with the story and with them.
I like Rick, your handsome and smart investigator with a lot of uncertainties inside, being of a mixed race in the community where this is a sensitive issue. I also like the sleuthing team - Rick´s "Robin" Hank, future policeman with a lot of heart towards his family; Liz, Rick´s ex-wife, but the "ex" part doesn´t mean that there still isn´t some love left on the both sides; and Jimmy "Gaddy" Gadowski, his boss and savvy investigator in the big guy´s body.
I also loved the young Vu-Torcelli kids and their own specifics. They are very, very human in their rawness.
The language usage is exceptional, the author´s dictionary is huge and he knows his way around the language. The prose is rich and colourful.
My only minus point is that everybody obviously is intelligent and sarcastic enough to be able to make smart snaps and comments, which I find non realistic.
I also liked to know more about the Vietnamese community in the U.S., their culture and customs. Although the author himself probably isn´t Vietnamese (his real name being Ed Ifkovic), I feel that he was able to describe the community believably, based on my limited knowledge of the Asian communities. I feel like visiting the Vietnamese restaurant in my city to have pho soup and the sweet coffee:)
I will definitely read the next book in this smart series!
Mary, one of the notoriously famous beautiful Le sisters is found dead in the bad neighborhood, seemingly killed in the run-by war between gangs. But what was the quiet, middle-aged mother of two doing there at the first place? Police is not interested, but the family is suspicious. So they ask Rick Vam Lam, the local PI, to look at it. Rick starts the investigation just out of politeness towards the family, as his young friend Hank is a part of them, and especially out of respect towards Hank´s grandmother, a kind and wise woman. The close family members are not very attractive to know them better, especially the young generation - 4 cousins, Jon and Kristen and Tommy and Cindy, and Danny, the family friend, every one of them peculiar their own way. But are they hiding something besides the small family matters? But then there is a second murder. The answer lies somewhere deep within the family secrets, but which one is the important one?
During the investigation Rick also confronts his own insecurities, being one of the boi doi children, children of the dust = half-Vietnamese and half-American, the subject of aversion of the pureblood Vietnamese.
I liked this subtle, psychological and yet a bit noir mystery very much. Being a longtime fan of Agatha Christie, I appreciate the psychological insight and the tangle of emotions, family history, small and big passions and serious conflicts which the author puts before us. The people of the story are very human, even if some of them are not very pleasant - but even some of the most ugly characters are understandable. Author doesn´t hate of his characters, he is painting them with dose of a personal connection and closeness, so you can´t hep yourself not to feel somehow connected with the story and with them.
I like Rick, your handsome and smart investigator with a lot of uncertainties inside, being of a mixed race in the community where this is a sensitive issue. I also like the sleuthing team - Rick´s "Robin" Hank, future policeman with a lot of heart towards his family; Liz, Rick´s ex-wife, but the "ex" part doesn´t mean that there still isn´t some love left on the both sides; and Jimmy "Gaddy" Gadowski, his boss and savvy investigator in the big guy´s body.
I also loved the young Vu-Torcelli kids and their own specifics. They are very, very human in their rawness.
The language usage is exceptional, the author´s dictionary is huge and he knows his way around the language. The prose is rich and colourful.
My only minus point is that everybody obviously is intelligent and sarcastic enough to be able to make smart snaps and comments, which I find non realistic.
I also liked to know more about the Vietnamese community in the U.S., their culture and customs. Although the author himself probably isn´t Vietnamese (his real name being Ed Ifkovic), I feel that he was able to describe the community believably, based on my limited knowledge of the Asian communities. I feel like visiting the Vietnamese restaurant in my city to have pho soup and the sweet coffee:)
I will definitely read the next book in this smart series!
December 13, 2014
The Vietnamese War left a sad legacy in the number of children born to Vietnamese mothers and GI soldiers. These children are commonly despised by those of full Vietnamese blood. They are commonly called Bui-Doi, or ‘dust of life’. According to Wikipedia
“Amerasians are predominantly seen as off-spring of GI fathers and prostitute mothers. Life was frequently difficult for such Amerasians; they existed as pariahs in Vietnamese society. Often, they would be persecuted by the communist government and sometimes even sold into prostitution as children. Under the Amerasian Homecoming Act of 1988, a Vietnamese Amerasian could obtain a U.S. visa on the basis of appearance alone. Amerasians gained the attention of con artists who claimed to be their relatives in the hope of obtaining visas. About 23,000 Amerasians immigrated to the U.S. under this act.
In the United States, bui doi, or the term "dust of life", again referred to the criminal class, where the youths included newly transplanted Vietnamese and Amerasians. The misuse of the word bui doi also migrated to the United States and was appropriated by the mainstream.”
So we see that being a Bui Doi in the Vietnamese society is not good, neither it would seem is being Vietnamese in the police. I managed to find some statistics for the UK police referring to the ethnic make-up of the police force. We still see quite a lot of prejudice against the ethnic races going into the police coming from both sides. Frm the figures I found for 2012 there were 6,679 people belonging to BME races in the whole of the UK. This figure represents 5% of the total police force. Only 3.7% of the Chief Inspectors were of BME race, and only 5.4% of the Constables were. Overall the ethnic make-up of the BME ethnicities were:
39.1% Asian/Asian British
21.3% Black/Black British;
28.1% Mixed race
11.5% Chinese or other.
Insert chart
Thus even within the BME races, Chinese and Vietnamese are very poorly represented. This is not helpful as the Vietnamese and the Chinese are traditionally a very self-sufficient community that turn their faces inwards against ‘others’, even to the point of trying to
This difficulty is central to the story of the book ‘Caught Dead’. The issues which an ethnic officer faces from both societies when a crime is committed within the Vietnamese community.
I did find this a difficult book to read as I have difficulty in understanding the culture although I can well understand why the society circles the wagons against outsiders. They feel that they have been betrayed too often and are poorly understood within the police forces. But my lack of cultural understanding meant that I missed some of the nuances and made it difficult for me to judge how well the issues were represented here. With the right audience I would give this book 3 stars but I wouldn’t read further myself.
“Amerasians are predominantly seen as off-spring of GI fathers and prostitute mothers. Life was frequently difficult for such Amerasians; they existed as pariahs in Vietnamese society. Often, they would be persecuted by the communist government and sometimes even sold into prostitution as children. Under the Amerasian Homecoming Act of 1988, a Vietnamese Amerasian could obtain a U.S. visa on the basis of appearance alone. Amerasians gained the attention of con artists who claimed to be their relatives in the hope of obtaining visas. About 23,000 Amerasians immigrated to the U.S. under this act.
In the United States, bui doi, or the term "dust of life", again referred to the criminal class, where the youths included newly transplanted Vietnamese and Amerasians. The misuse of the word bui doi also migrated to the United States and was appropriated by the mainstream.”
So we see that being a Bui Doi in the Vietnamese society is not good, neither it would seem is being Vietnamese in the police. I managed to find some statistics for the UK police referring to the ethnic make-up of the police force. We still see quite a lot of prejudice against the ethnic races going into the police coming from both sides. Frm the figures I found for 2012 there were 6,679 people belonging to BME races in the whole of the UK. This figure represents 5% of the total police force. Only 3.7% of the Chief Inspectors were of BME race, and only 5.4% of the Constables were. Overall the ethnic make-up of the BME ethnicities were:
39.1% Asian/Asian British
21.3% Black/Black British;
28.1% Mixed race
11.5% Chinese or other.
Insert chart
Thus even within the BME races, Chinese and Vietnamese are very poorly represented. This is not helpful as the Vietnamese and the Chinese are traditionally a very self-sufficient community that turn their faces inwards against ‘others’, even to the point of trying to
This difficulty is central to the story of the book ‘Caught Dead’. The issues which an ethnic officer faces from both societies when a crime is committed within the Vietnamese community.
I did find this a difficult book to read as I have difficulty in understanding the culture although I can well understand why the society circles the wagons against outsiders. They feel that they have been betrayed too often and are poorly understood within the police forces. But my lack of cultural understanding meant that I missed some of the nuances and made it difficult for me to judge how well the issues were represented here. With the right audience I would give this book 3 stars but I wouldn’t read further myself.
February 18, 2015
Andrew Lanh in his new book, “Caught Dead” Book One in the Rick Van Lam Mystery series published by Poisoned Pen Press introduces us to Rick Van Lam.
From the back cover: One of the beautiful Le sisters is dead.
Hartford, Connecticut’s small Vietnamese community is stunned. Mary Le Vu, wife of a poor grocery-store owner, is gunned down in a drive-by. Her twin sister insists dutiful Mary “wouldn’t be caught dead” in that drug-infested zone. The police rule it an unlucky accident. Skeptics hire private eye Rick Van Lam to get to the truth.
Amerasian Rick—his father an unknown US soldier—is one of the Bui Doi, children of the dust, so often rejected by Vietnamese culture. But his young sidekick, Hank Nguyen, a pureblood Vietnamese, can help Rick navigate the closed world of Little Saigon. Surrounded by close friends—a former-Rockette landlady, his crusty mentor, and his ex-wife Liz—Rick immerses himself in a world that rejects him, but now needs his help. Especially when a second murder strikes in Little Saigon.
Rick and Hank delve into the families of the Le sisters, one poor, one very rich, and uncover a world of explosive ethnic tension and sinister criminal activity ranging from Hartford’s exclusive white suburbs to the impoverished inner city. To solve the murders—and bring closure to Mary’s grieving circle—Rick looks to long-buried memories of his Buddhist childhood for the wisdom that will lead him to a murderer.
Caught Dead starts a smart, unusual series.
Who knew all this was happening in Hartford, CT? I had no idea there was a Vietnamese community in Hartford. As far as I knew Hartford was the rich section of CT. I am sorry to admit this but All I really know about Vietnam was that we fought a war there in the sixties and that I really like the food in a local restaurant. Reading “Caught Dead” opened my eyes to a lot of new ideas and events. Rick is half American, half Vietnamese, that makes him almost an outcast. However once the murder occurs the people turn to him to find the answers that they need. The story hums along at a fast pace as Rick is working to figure out just what is going on. There are fascinating characters that seem very real and a killer that seems impossible to discover. “Caught Dead” is loaded with twists and turns and red herrings that will leave you guessing all the while you are flipping pages to find out what happens next. Mr. Lanh has provided us with a marvelous new hero in Rick Van Lam and I look forward to reading about more of his adventures.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Partners In Crime. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
From the back cover: One of the beautiful Le sisters is dead.
Hartford, Connecticut’s small Vietnamese community is stunned. Mary Le Vu, wife of a poor grocery-store owner, is gunned down in a drive-by. Her twin sister insists dutiful Mary “wouldn’t be caught dead” in that drug-infested zone. The police rule it an unlucky accident. Skeptics hire private eye Rick Van Lam to get to the truth.
Amerasian Rick—his father an unknown US soldier—is one of the Bui Doi, children of the dust, so often rejected by Vietnamese culture. But his young sidekick, Hank Nguyen, a pureblood Vietnamese, can help Rick navigate the closed world of Little Saigon. Surrounded by close friends—a former-Rockette landlady, his crusty mentor, and his ex-wife Liz—Rick immerses himself in a world that rejects him, but now needs his help. Especially when a second murder strikes in Little Saigon.
Rick and Hank delve into the families of the Le sisters, one poor, one very rich, and uncover a world of explosive ethnic tension and sinister criminal activity ranging from Hartford’s exclusive white suburbs to the impoverished inner city. To solve the murders—and bring closure to Mary’s grieving circle—Rick looks to long-buried memories of his Buddhist childhood for the wisdom that will lead him to a murderer.
Caught Dead starts a smart, unusual series.
Who knew all this was happening in Hartford, CT? I had no idea there was a Vietnamese community in Hartford. As far as I knew Hartford was the rich section of CT. I am sorry to admit this but All I really know about Vietnam was that we fought a war there in the sixties and that I really like the food in a local restaurant. Reading “Caught Dead” opened my eyes to a lot of new ideas and events. Rick is half American, half Vietnamese, that makes him almost an outcast. However once the murder occurs the people turn to him to find the answers that they need. The story hums along at a fast pace as Rick is working to figure out just what is going on. There are fascinating characters that seem very real and a killer that seems impossible to discover. “Caught Dead” is loaded with twists and turns and red herrings that will leave you guessing all the while you are flipping pages to find out what happens next. Mr. Lanh has provided us with a marvelous new hero in Rick Van Lam and I look forward to reading about more of his adventures.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Partners In Crime. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
January 12, 2016
Private eye Rich Van Lam is a man with no country and two countries. Being the son of a Vietnamese woman and a U.S. soldier living in Hartford, Connecticut isn’t easy. He isn’t always accepted by the Americans, not even the father he has never met. As a matter of fact, he doesn’t even know his father’s name.
The large Vietnamese community shuns him, distrustful of the mixed race man who they feel has forgotten his heritage and is considered “one of the dust” to them. The forgotten offspring the military left in Vietnam when they came home from the war.
But now they are calling him to help solve the murder of one of the most loved members of the Vietnamese community. Mary Le Vu is found dead in an area that no person, unless they are looking for a drug deal or hooker would be caught dead. Yet that is exactly where Mary is murdered.
Van Lam and his partner Hank Nguyen begin the difficult job of talking to families and friends that don’t fully trust either man. The only way they are getting any information is through the doors Nguyen can open due to the fact he is full-blooded Vietnamese.
Just when the case starts to move forward, Mary’s sister is murdered. Is this a family vendetta? The same person must be responsible for these deaths, but there aren’t many connections between the women. Sure, they spend time together, tell each other secrets and obviously are related. But one sister is poor, the other is rich. One leads a life of service, the other “hosts” fundraisers. Both have children that are troubled at best, worst case they might be criminal. More questions arise the deeper the PIs dig.
The twists and turns kept me reading late into the night to see what else was going to happen. The struggle Van Lam has trying to establish his identity within the Vietnamese community is both heartwarming and sad. Lanh brings this conflict into the story with beautifully haunting prose, “…the man would never like me, I knew, blaming me for the death of his serene life in the old homeland…”.
I wanted to read this book quickly because the mystery intrigued me, but the beauty of the words made me slow down to enjoy it more. I really enjoyed Lanh’s easy style of writing that tells the reader volumes with his perfectly chosen narrative. Both Van Lam and Nguyen are likeable, fallible characters that I can’t wait to read about again.
Caught Dead is the first book in this series. The second of the series, Return to Dust has been added to my reading list.
Copyright © 2016 Laura Hartman
DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: I have a material connection because I received a review copy that I can keep for consideration in preparing to write this content. I was not expected to return this item after my review.
The large Vietnamese community shuns him, distrustful of the mixed race man who they feel has forgotten his heritage and is considered “one of the dust” to them. The forgotten offspring the military left in Vietnam when they came home from the war.
But now they are calling him to help solve the murder of one of the most loved members of the Vietnamese community. Mary Le Vu is found dead in an area that no person, unless they are looking for a drug deal or hooker would be caught dead. Yet that is exactly where Mary is murdered.
Van Lam and his partner Hank Nguyen begin the difficult job of talking to families and friends that don’t fully trust either man. The only way they are getting any information is through the doors Nguyen can open due to the fact he is full-blooded Vietnamese.
Just when the case starts to move forward, Mary’s sister is murdered. Is this a family vendetta? The same person must be responsible for these deaths, but there aren’t many connections between the women. Sure, they spend time together, tell each other secrets and obviously are related. But one sister is poor, the other is rich. One leads a life of service, the other “hosts” fundraisers. Both have children that are troubled at best, worst case they might be criminal. More questions arise the deeper the PIs dig.
The twists and turns kept me reading late into the night to see what else was going to happen. The struggle Van Lam has trying to establish his identity within the Vietnamese community is both heartwarming and sad. Lanh brings this conflict into the story with beautifully haunting prose, “…the man would never like me, I knew, blaming me for the death of his serene life in the old homeland…”.
I wanted to read this book quickly because the mystery intrigued me, but the beauty of the words made me slow down to enjoy it more. I really enjoyed Lanh’s easy style of writing that tells the reader volumes with his perfectly chosen narrative. Both Van Lam and Nguyen are likeable, fallible characters that I can’t wait to read about again.
Caught Dead is the first book in this series. The second of the series, Return to Dust has been added to my reading list.
Copyright © 2016 Laura Hartman
DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: I have a material connection because I received a review copy that I can keep for consideration in preparing to write this content. I was not expected to return this item after my review.
November 4, 2014
I received a copy of this novel from Poisoned Pen Press in exchange for a review. My copy is an ARC so there is a chance that the subject matter I talk about in this review will not have any relevance to your own copy. That aside I liked this book, the character is from a heritage I'm unfamiliar with, their was a simple yet complex mystery going on, and it's overall pretty well written.
Caught dead is centered around Rick Van Lam, mostly an insurance fraud investigator, until someone in the Vietnamese community is the victim of murder. One of the beautiful Le sisters is dead. The police are ready to just write it off as gang violence but then the other Le sister dies in the exact spot a while later. Now the question is why would these woman go to a place where shooting happen all the time and so far away from their homes? That's when Rick Van Lam officially assigns himself to the case. During the case he uncovers simmering family feuds, jealous children, and racism.
The book immerses you in the Vietnamese culture, from the foods to racism that is an ongoing thing. Our main character refers to himself as a dust boy, because his mother was Vietnamese and his father was a faceless American Soldier. He receives a lot of hatred because of this, but it does give us a better perspective into the culture and to our main character.
Like most mystery books this one will keep you guessing until the end. The one think I didn't like about this is that it gave us a lot of half facts about what was going on. Although we knew when Rick knew so this could attest to being more to be being based on the main character. But still I like having the opportunity to figure it all out for myself.
I liked that our main character was still good friends with his ex-wife. They would go out to dinner together and lightly flirt. It immediately made me like Rick a lot more. All in all Rick was a very likable character, you an be very sympathetic for him but he doesn't need it. He doesn't hold grudges against people who are cruel to him because he's half Vietnamese, and he went into this mystery on his family's request, well his friends family's request, but he's very close to them.
Caught dead is centered around Rick Van Lam, mostly an insurance fraud investigator, until someone in the Vietnamese community is the victim of murder. One of the beautiful Le sisters is dead. The police are ready to just write it off as gang violence but then the other Le sister dies in the exact spot a while later. Now the question is why would these woman go to a place where shooting happen all the time and so far away from their homes? That's when Rick Van Lam officially assigns himself to the case. During the case he uncovers simmering family feuds, jealous children, and racism.
The book immerses you in the Vietnamese culture, from the foods to racism that is an ongoing thing. Our main character refers to himself as a dust boy, because his mother was Vietnamese and his father was a faceless American Soldier. He receives a lot of hatred because of this, but it does give us a better perspective into the culture and to our main character.
Like most mystery books this one will keep you guessing until the end. The one think I didn't like about this is that it gave us a lot of half facts about what was going on. Although we knew when Rick knew so this could attest to being more to be being based on the main character. But still I like having the opportunity to figure it all out for myself.
I liked that our main character was still good friends with his ex-wife. They would go out to dinner together and lightly flirt. It immediately made me like Rick a lot more. All in all Rick was a very likable character, you an be very sympathetic for him but he doesn't need it. He doesn't hold grudges against people who are cruel to him because he's half Vietnamese, and he went into this mystery on his family's request, well his friends family's request, but he's very close to them.
October 13, 2014
Rick Van Lam is a boi doi. In Vietnamese this means he is a child of dust. His mother was a Vietnamese woman and his father an unknown American soldier. Born during the Vietnamese war, Rick was scorned by both cultures. His mother abandoned him to a Catholic Charity when he was about five years old. Eventually, by about his thirteenth year, no one knew his exact birthday, he was sent to the States where he was adopted. Rick adjusted fairly well, going on to study Criminal Justice in college. He did a stint as a policeman that ended after a fatal shoot out with a street punk. Rick turned to a less violent side of the law, taking a job as a private investigator for a small one man insurance investigation firm. He supplemented his income by teaching Criminal Justice at a local college in Hartford, Ct. Rick reconnected with his Vietnamese heritage through Hank Nguyen, one of his criminology students. Hank was full blooded Vietnamese and at first they didn’t hit it off very well. Hank had been raised by his family to regard people like Rick, half Vietnamese, half American, as someone to be hated and demeaned. After a series of confrontations the two found much common ground and become the best of friends. Hank even invited Rick into his home. Although Hank’s father and grandfather continued to hang onto their hatred, Hank’s grandmother and mother soon welcomed Rick into their family. Rick took Hank under his wing and began to teach him the ins and outs of being a private investigator. Their first big challenge comes when a relative of Hank’s is shot down in broad daylight on a street corner in the heart of a drug infested, gangland area of the city. A place where the beautiful Ms. Le would never be caught dead. This is an entertaining book, with a good plot that is very convoluted. I enjoyed learning more about the Vietnamese American culture. Book provided for review by Poisoned Pen Press.
March 8, 2015
Rick Van Lam was born in Vietnam during the war. He is what they call boi doi,a child of dust, as his father was an American soldier. After being left at an orphanage at age 5, he is brought to America when he is 13 and placed with an adopted family. Rick struggles with where he fits in the world, a struggle that still is with him in adulthood.
Rick does a short stint on the police force in Manhattan, but after being shot, and killing the shooter, he takes on the job of teaching Criminal Justice at the college in Farmington and he is befriended by Jimmy Gadowicz, who also become his boss.
As Rick is now working for a private investigator, he gets all types of calls, wanting Rick to help. One of those calls is from a former student and now close friend, Hank Nguyen. It seems that someone has killed one of the Vu sisters, Mary Le Vu. She is the poor sister, and it makes no sense why someone would target her.
During all of the investigation, Rick becomes familiar with Little Saigon in Hartford, Connecticut. Even though he is in Connecticut, there is no end to the sinister criminal activity that lies underneath every clue.
Until I read this book, I had no knowledge that after all these years, life for so many Vietnamese still infused with the social stigma surrounding who they are and where they come from. A very sad, but true, fact of life.
I enjoyed this book and am looking froward to reading the next in the series.
Rick does a short stint on the police force in Manhattan, but after being shot, and killing the shooter, he takes on the job of teaching Criminal Justice at the college in Farmington and he is befriended by Jimmy Gadowicz, who also become his boss.
As Rick is now working for a private investigator, he gets all types of calls, wanting Rick to help. One of those calls is from a former student and now close friend, Hank Nguyen. It seems that someone has killed one of the Vu sisters, Mary Le Vu. She is the poor sister, and it makes no sense why someone would target her.
During all of the investigation, Rick becomes familiar with Little Saigon in Hartford, Connecticut. Even though he is in Connecticut, there is no end to the sinister criminal activity that lies underneath every clue.
Until I read this book, I had no knowledge that after all these years, life for so many Vietnamese still infused with the social stigma surrounding who they are and where they come from. A very sad, but true, fact of life.
I enjoyed this book and am looking froward to reading the next in the series.
January 8, 2015
I received a free e-copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This was an interesting read. Rick Van Lam is a product of the Vietnam war. His father is a nameless American G.I and his mother is Vietnamese. He isn't accepted by either the Americans or the Vietnamese. When he is 13, he is sent to live in America and is eventually adopted. He becomes a police officer but finds that he doesn't quite fit so he moves and becomes a private investigator. He also teaches a class through the summer at the local college.
When his friend Hank asks him to look into the death of Mary Le, he tells him he will ask some questions, he knows that the Vietnamese community wouldn't talk to him. Mary was killed in the wrong part of town in what the police called a drive-by. But no-one can explain why Mary was in that part of town to begin with. A week later her sister is killed in the same place, in the same manner.
With plenty of clues to follow, Rick plods along, being snubbed by the Vietnamese community and eventually get to the right conclusion. The author has done a wonderful job of describing the characters, Hanks Grandma is a gem. The storyline is intriguing and wonderfully descriptive of a community that don't like outsiders.
I would definitely recommend this to anyone who is a fan of murder/mysteries.
This was an interesting read. Rick Van Lam is a product of the Vietnam war. His father is a nameless American G.I and his mother is Vietnamese. He isn't accepted by either the Americans or the Vietnamese. When he is 13, he is sent to live in America and is eventually adopted. He becomes a police officer but finds that he doesn't quite fit so he moves and becomes a private investigator. He also teaches a class through the summer at the local college.
When his friend Hank asks him to look into the death of Mary Le, he tells him he will ask some questions, he knows that the Vietnamese community wouldn't talk to him. Mary was killed in the wrong part of town in what the police called a drive-by. But no-one can explain why Mary was in that part of town to begin with. A week later her sister is killed in the same place, in the same manner.
With plenty of clues to follow, Rick plods along, being snubbed by the Vietnamese community and eventually get to the right conclusion. The author has done a wonderful job of describing the characters, Hanks Grandma is a gem. The storyline is intriguing and wonderfully descriptive of a community that don't like outsiders.
I would definitely recommend this to anyone who is a fan of murder/mysteries.
May 21, 2015
For anyone who lived through the Vietnam War or is a student of its history, this first book of Andre Lanh (aka as Ed Ifkovic who writes absorbing mysteries) will ring true. The children—who had the misfortune to have a Vietnamese mother and U.S. father who disappeared when his tour was over—suffered innumerable assaults mentally and physically. Rick Van Lam, one of these children, was sent to a Catholic Charity organization at the age of five and found his way to America. Like all people, Rick carries the pain of his past with him, but for Rick, his lack of acceptance in the Vietnamese community in Connecticut too frequently summons bad dreams. He has done well for himself, teaching criminal justice at a community college and working as a private investigator for an insurance company, but he is still treated as part of the Yellow Peril. He works to find the killer of a Vietnamese woman at the request of his friend, Hank, who is full-bloodied Vietnamese and helps him navigate between two hostile worlds. Lanh’s characters expertly develop the hostilities and rivalries rife from page one. Detailed settings effortlessly drew me into the scenes. A well-thought out, somewhat complex book with a winning, new protagonist.
January 10, 2018
This came up on my hold list at the library, but I did not remember why I requested it.
Turns out it is another mystery from Ed Ifkovic writing as Andrew Lanh. I don't know if I knew that at the time of the request or whether it was just recommended on DorothyL.
I enjoyed it as much as Ed's Edna Ferber series. Set in Hartford Connecticut, a place I have never been, the premise was a draw and the writing and characters kept me reading. Why is a woman drawn to the bad part of town and gunned down?
Reluctantly the protagonist is drawn in to investigate despite his desire to not do so. Yes, he is a PI, but there are no indications that this is not just an accidental drive by as determined by the police.
Friends he feels obligated to insist that he help determine why she was there and since he has the skills to help, he does. He takes the only route initially open to him, and talks with each of the family members.
First and second generation Vietnamese keep their secrets as long as they can, but Rick eventually finds reasons for discord within the family and the reasons for keeping people in the know from disclosing what they know.
Turns out it is another mystery from Ed Ifkovic writing as Andrew Lanh. I don't know if I knew that at the time of the request or whether it was just recommended on DorothyL.
I enjoyed it as much as Ed's Edna Ferber series. Set in Hartford Connecticut, a place I have never been, the premise was a draw and the writing and characters kept me reading. Why is a woman drawn to the bad part of town and gunned down?
Reluctantly the protagonist is drawn in to investigate despite his desire to not do so. Yes, he is a PI, but there are no indications that this is not just an accidental drive by as determined by the police.
Friends he feels obligated to insist that he help determine why she was there and since he has the skills to help, he does. He takes the only route initially open to him, and talks with each of the family members.
First and second generation Vietnamese keep their secrets as long as they can, but Rick eventually finds reasons for discord within the family and the reasons for keeping people in the know from disclosing what they know.
Shelved as 'books-i-have'
August 5, 2016One of the beautiful Le sisters is dead.Hartford, Connecticut's small Vietnamese community is stunned. Mary Le Vu, wife of a poor grocery-store owner, is gunned down in a drive-by. Her twin sister insists dutiful Mary "wouldn't be caught dead" in that drug-infested zone. The police rule it an unlucky accident. Skeptics hire private eye Rick Van Lam to get to the truth. Amerasian Rick —his father an unknown US soldier —is one of the Bui Doi, children of the dust, so often rejected by Vietnamese culture. But his young sidekick, Hank Nguyen, a pureblood Vietnamese, can help Rick navigate the closed world of Little Saigon. Surrounded by close friends —a former-Rockette landlady, his crusty mentor, and his ex-wife Liz —Rick immerses himself in a world that rejects him, but now needs his help. Especially when a second murder strikes in Little Saigon. Rick and Hank delve into the families of the Le sisters, one poor, one very rich, and uncover a world of...
March 22, 2015
Someone who hasn't every felt like a full part of his culture is asked to help solve a crime for close family friends, but some members of the family aren't as accepting of him - as he is half white and half Vietnamese. But he is chosen to investigate the murder or a mother and aunt and get to the bottom of it.
I loved the uniqueness that the Vietnamese culture gave to this who dun it. And the two sets of siblings and an "adoptive" son were the meat of the story for me. I loved hearing how the two sets of siblings grew up in two very different homes but with their mothers as twins you would think it would have been very similar upbringings! The sibling rivalry mixed with family rivalry made this book for me.
The way the book ended was interesting - not what I expected and not sure I completely loved it, but it wasn't bad.
I loved the uniqueness that the Vietnamese culture gave to this who dun it. And the two sets of siblings and an "adoptive" son were the meat of the story for me. I loved hearing how the two sets of siblings grew up in two very different homes but with their mothers as twins you would think it would have been very similar upbringings! The sibling rivalry mixed with family rivalry made this book for me.
The way the book ended was interesting - not what I expected and not sure I completely loved it, but it wasn't bad.
September 13, 2014
Mary Le Vu is killed in a drive by shooting in Hartford. But what was she doing in a neighborhood she knew was not safe? Rick Van Lam, a local PI and friend of Hank Nguyen starts asking questions at the request of Hank's grandmother. But not everyone is happy with Rick's interest in the killing. Hartford cops want to close the case and are not willing to talk to Rick. Members of Mary's immediate family are not helpful either. But when Mary's twin sister Molly is killed at the same location weeks later, Rick and Hank know these were not drive by shootings of two women who were not where they should be.
An interesting look into Vietnamese-American culture. Moves a little slow in some sections but interesting characters.
An interesting look into Vietnamese-American culture. Moves a little slow in some sections but interesting characters.
September 11, 2016
The author himself, is very good. Short yet concise descriptions. Other than a few individuals who show a bit of anger, he describes very little emotion. You could figure out who did it a quarter into the book. Guilty dog barks the loudest. I love his ability to show respect for diverse beliefs. I gave the book a three, because I could jump several chapters at a time and pick up right where I left off. Not adventurous, though not all mysteries need a level of excitement. I would still give the author a thumbs up, and be willing to read another book authored by him.
April 3, 2015
5 stars for grammar and punctuation, but only two for a plot that drags on and on, with a slam it in for the publishing date conclusion which defied reason. None of the characters seemed that interesting either.
June 2, 2016
Clunky, cheesy, unrealistic dialogue. I didn't realize that the author was using a Vietnamese pen name until I finished the novel. That seems unnecessary, and possibly, inappropriate. I won't continue with this series.
December 22, 2014
Workmanlike mystery set in Hartford's Vietnamese community, but not a real page turner.
April 5, 2015
Good book. Nicely played out mystery. Nice unpredictable end.
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