This was a perfect followup to 'The Murder of Mr. Ma', and just what I needed right now. This is a fantastic mystery, a deeper look into Dee and Lao's culture [and their own personal belief systems, that do not always agree], a sinister conspiracy [that left me shuddering several times] that threatens everyone, and some seriously amazing kung fu skills/fighting [that made me want to run right out and sign up for classes] that really adds to the story [it is amazing to me that one can learn to do all they do in this book, simply with their bodies]. This seriously was everything I wanted and more and I cannot wait for Book 3. Very well done!!!

Daniel York Loh is the PERFECT narrator for these books and I cannot recommend him enough; he makes these stories come fully alive and also makes you feel as if you are right there in the midst of everything that is happening [I often gasped out loud as he was reading some of the more...EEEK! parts]. Please listen to him narrate these books; I guarantee you will not be sorry!!

Thank you to NetGalley, John Shen Yen Nee, S.J. Rozan, Daniel York Loh - Narrator, and RB Media for providing this audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For fans of Sherlock Holmes, this series is a refreshing homage to the legendary detective duo. While Dee and Lao’s relationship pays tribute to Holmes and Watson, SJ Rozan’s writing adds layers of richness and depth that surpass the original tales.

Set in 1924 London, *The Railway Conspiracy* unfolds against the backdrop of political turmoil in China, which spills over to affect Chinese citizens living in London. As various factions—including representatives from other nations—work to shape events back home, the intrigue and stakes rise.

I found the dynamic between Dee, Lao, and Mr. Hoong incredibly engaging. Their camaraderie, with Mr. Hoong occasionally stepping in as their muscle, adds both warmth and humor to the narrative.

Daniel York Loh, the audiobook narrator, delivers a wonderful performance. His ability to distinguish between characters and accents enhances the immersive experience, bringing the story vividly to life.

The only thing I would change is that I would have loved an afterword exploring the historical events in China during this period. This fascinating chapter of history is rarely covered in American schools, which tend to focus on Western history. After finishing the audiobook, I was so curious that I did some research myself—but hearing what inspired the author to include these elements would have been a wonderful addition.

Many thanks to NetGalley and RB Media for providing me with a copy of the audiobook in exchange for my honest opinion. I was so captivated by this series that I purchased the Kindle editions to ensure I have them both. I can’t wait to see where Dee and Lao’s adventures take them next!

Such a fun series and I will read as many as this author writes. It's escapism at its finest, with a larger-than-life hero so wild and fantastical that you want him to be real. Judge Dee is awesome! And Lao is coming along. The rag-tag team is growing and they're so much fun that I didn't want it to end. Picture a superhero version of Sherlock Holmes who is Chinese in London in the 20s. Racism, communism and conspiracies, but Spring-Heeled Jack is smarter than them all.

The audiobook is PHENOMENAL, and all the accents are done beautifully.

Free eARC audiobook provided by NetGalley and the publisher for reviewing purposes!
The Railway Conspiracy is the second in the Dee & Lao series, take on Holmes and Watson where the detecting pair are Chinese immigrants living in 1920's London. This series is definitely more action-based than just general historical fiction mysteries- there are plenty of fight scenes, twists and turns, and mysterious, possibly backstabbing women. I also consumed the first book in the series via audiobook and I really enjoyed the narrator. The main characters are likeable and fully developed, the narrative and mysteries are compelling, and the setting is incredibly immersive. This was an excellent follow up to the first book, and I look forward to enjoying more of this series!

By setting this in the Chinese community in London, our authors have given the story a fresh twist. There are plenty of nods to Holmes & Watson (including a "reichenbach falls" moment) as Dee and Lao chase the villains around London. The ending ties things up but also leaves room for book 3. Even though this is book of the series, it is does stand on its own. However, I found the fight scenes sometimes a bit long (when really the story is that character X finally defeats character Y which could be done in a few paragraphs rather than requiring most of the chapter).

I listened to the audiobook which was well narrated.

I received an advance review copy of the audiobook for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I love this series so much -- the nods to golden age detective fiction, the interesting historical bits, the witty writing.



Review copy provided by publisher.

I was completely enthralled by the first book in the Dee & Lao series, The Murder of Mr. Ma, and have been hoping for a second since the minute I turned the very last page of that first. So I was more than pleased to see this second book appear – even if finishing it has returned me to my earlier state, now hoping for a third book to be published.

Because this second adventure was every bit as marvelous as the first – and in some ways better as we already know these characters but now have the opportunity to plumb their hidden – and sometimes not so hidden – depths.

This second of Dee and Lao’s adventures is set in 1924 London. Both characters are based on real historical figures. Lao’s background and current profession were historically as the series portrays him. From 1924 until 1929, he was a lecturer at the University of London on the subjects of Chinese language and literature. Whether his students were as frustrating, and whether Lao himself was as utterly bored out of his mind as he is portrayed in the story, is not certain, but they certainly leave the fictional Lao ripe to be carried along in Dee’s adventures.

Dee Ren Jie is as much myth as he is historical, but the historical Dee was a magistrate in late 7th century China. How much the historical Dee resembles this fictional interpretation is unknown, but I think it’s safe to say that the original Dee never masqueraded as the English folk hero/demon Spring-heeled Jack – as Lao’s friend Dee often does.

The story combines these bits of history with a compelling, confounding mystery, as all the best historical mysteries do.

Dee has returned to London after a year’s absence as an agent of the then-current Nationalist government in China. But that government is shaky at best. There are movements within China, including but not limited to the Communist Party, to bring the Nationalist government down. And there are forces outside China, great and would-be great powers far from limited to Britain, Russia, Japan and the United States, observing and even influencing events hoping that to destabilize the Nationalist regime so that they can pick up the pieces.

Which is where Dee and Lao and their associates, the redoubtable Sergeant Hoong and young English pickpocket Jimmy Fingers come into this tale, which begins with the return of a precious stolen artifact, middles in a great deal of romantic misdirection practiced successfully upon the supposedly impervious Dee, and concludes with an explosive confrontation on the London Necropolis Railway. (The Necropolis Railway is another bit of history that seems like it must be fiction, but it did really exist!)

When the dust settles, and there’s LOTS of it to settle, the immediate crisis – at least the London branch of it – is over. Dee is left realizing that he’s been a fool. And that while this crisis has been ameliorated it has absolutely not been averted – but that the fight will take him to other shores in other guises. In addition to making a fool out of him, the conspiracy has also made him their scapegoat, and London has become much too hot for him – at least as long as he continues to present himself as, well, himself.

So poor Lao is stuck returning to the boredom of his academic existence, while the country he left behind and plans to return to, is in jeopardy from all sides – including the one that he himself espouses.

It all sounds ripe for another book, doesn’t it? I certainly hope so!

Escape Rating A: I loved this even more than I did the first book, The Murder of Mr. Ma, which means that I need to give another shoutout to First Clue Reviews for their featured review of that first book.

One of the reasons I liked this better leads around and back to the other reason I got into this series. Many of the reviews of Dee & Lao liken them to Sherlock Holmes, especially the more active Guy Ritchie movie interpretations. While I think that is debatable, one way in which Dee & Lao are certainly like Holmes and Watson (and also Barker & Llewelyn) is that Lao serves as Dee’s chronicler as Watson does Holmes, with the same amount of reluctance to participate in the process on the parts of both Dee and Holmes.

Which means that this story is told in Lao’s first person voice. This is his interpretation – with the occasional use of a bit of literary license – of the events. In that regard, the narrator Daniel York Loh does a terrific job of interpreting Lao’s voice, to the point that when I ended up reading the last part of the book because I needed to find out who the true leader of the conspiracy is and how all the issues and conundrums got resolved – I was still hearing Loh’s voice in my head speaking as Lao.

I couldn’t put this one down because of how effectively it combined the pure whodunnit of the theft and murder conspiracy in London with the depth of historical setting and situation that lay behind it and the increasing knowledge of and bond between the characters, this most unlikely band of ‘scoobies’ that includes a government official, a merchant, a scholar, a pickpocket and has increased by the addition of a knife thrower and a dog. Dee pretends they are a circus act and he’s not far wrong in some aspects, but if it is it’s a circus that manifests a well of competence and an ability to improvise on the spot and roll with the punches.

And not just the punches they are administering themselves.

This reader, at least, is already anticipating Dee and Lao’s next adventure. It’s sure to be another fantastic read. After all, thanks to the conspiracy it’s going to have to start with Dee coming back from the dead!

In 1924 London, Judge Dee returns to investigate a series of murders following the recovery of a valuable artifact. Aided by associate Lao, he must unravel a conspiracy linked to Chinese nationalism and the Chinese Eastern Railway before more lives are lost.

This is an interesting mystery, but I’m not the target audience. The characters are flat and the emotion nonexistent. There were multiple, long, elaborate fight scenes, which I fast-forwarded through. I guess some people like that sort of thing, but it doesn’t appeal to me. I’m sure others will enjoy it. The book is well written, and the audiobook narration is well done.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

While this is the second book in a series, I had no problem following the intriguing duo of investigators along the winding path to uncovering this conspiracy surrounding a railway. What initially attracted me to the book was the cover that hints at an old-timey mysterious fun, but what kept me gong were not only the rich historical detail about the spread of communism in China amidst imperialist ambitions, but also the abundant and enticing descriptions of Asia food.

Thank you Netgalley for this ALC.

Cool premise and history -- a little too much action for me (I had not read book one) b ut I liked the characters and the plot twists. I've liked every "Judge Dee" story I've met :-)

This sequel, 'The Railway Conspiracy', is a culturally intriguing and action-packed mystery! With such a unique premise, I'm pleased that the books' descriptions truly do the series justice. I love following the unlikely band of characters as they root out evil in 1920s London. Professor Lao She's narration is especially entertaining, and I often chuckle at how he incorporates accounts from other characters.

I recommend this audiobook to any fan of historical action stories! Daniel York Loh is a top-notch narrator.

Special thanks to RBmedia and NetGalley for providing a complimentary copy of this audiobook. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.