默读

Format read: KindleReading time: 4-5h Tags: detective fiction, crime, thriller, trauma, police, translation, friendship, found family, enemies-to-lovers, lgbt (bi, m/m)Own a copy: yesReread likelihood: 10/10If you liked this book, then you'll probably like: [b:Guardian: Zhen Hun, Vol. 1 62145801 Guardian Zhen Hun, Vol. 1 Priest https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1687960312l/62145801.SX50.jpg 97934663] by the same author, and [b:SCI Special Crime Investigation (Season 1) 42112981 SCI Special Crime Investigation (Season 1) (谜案集（第一部）) Er Ya https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1538435169l/42112981.SX50.jpg 24826651]SummaryLuo Wenzhou is the director of a small investigative unit that specialises in difficult and unusual crimes. Together with his best friend and vice director, Tao Ran, Luo Wenzhou works tirelessly to bring peace to their city. Enter Fei Du, a carefree young man who has more money than common sense, and who is also a victim from Luo Wenzhou and Tao Ran's first case. Seven years ago, Fei Du's mother committed suicide in mysterious circumstances, and when Luo Wenzhou closed the case, Fei Du never forgave the policeman for dismissing the possibility of murder. Today, Fei Du continues to be a thorn in Luo Wenzhou's side, but the young man proves useful when a difficult murder case arises and his friend is suspected of the crime.ReviewDetective/crime fiction is one of my favourite subgenres, and I'm already a big fan of Priest's novels (Guardian (Zhen Hun) being my favourite by far, but TYK and SPL are way up there too), so it was only a question of time before I picked up Silent Reading (Mo Du). Other reviewers have pointed out the slow pacing for most of the book, but to me this is just a trait of detective novels. The story focuses on the murder of a young man who is found strangled in the slums with no one but an ailing mother and an untrustworthy roommate as companions. Luo Wenzhou is sent to work on this case while also secretly investigating one of the police's higher ups for corruption and drug trafficking. Luo Wenzhou figures out that the two cases are related, and his investigative team works to undo the knots that make the case difficult to crack. In Priest's signature style, Silent Reading is action driven and sprinkled with comedy, which makes for a unique reading experience. Tao Ran is an interesting sidekick to Luo Wenzhou, if a bit milquetoast to Wenzhou's more brazen personality. Fei Du, on the other hand, matches Wenzhou's intensity step for step, and their initial dislike of one another adds to the tension of the crime narrative. Wenzhou suspects that Fei Du has an inclination for crime, and Fei Du does not trust the policeman in the slightest ever since he dealt with his mother's case. The two often headbutt, with Tao Ran stuck in the middle, trying to pacify both. Even though Tao Ran also worked on Fei Du's case, the two have a close, almost brotherly relationship, while Luo Wenzhou singlehandedly suffers Fei Du's hatred and distrust. Fei Du's expectations were such that he believed Wenzhou would solve his case, but when the policeman is unable to, Fei Du's disappointment and heartbreak is too great for him to accept the result of the investigation.[Luo Wenzhou] thought he was overflowing with talent, Number One in the world–Number Two being an English fellow named Sherlock Holmes.Wenzhou's number one suspect in the more recent case happens to be Fei Du's close friend, Zhang Donglai, so naturally this causes more tension to build up between the two. Fei Du is an idle aristocrat who inherited his father's company at a young age; however, despite his appearance as a carefree loafer, he is gifted in crime psychology and eventually becomes an important consultant in Wenzhou's team. Not only is he determined to prove his friend's innocence, Fei Du is all to happy to show Wenzhou that he is not as mighty as he believes. This results in a battle of the minds more often than not.[Fei Du] was like a person living sealed in a castle, surrounded on all sides by an iron fastness with only one clear window, from behind which he quietly observed the people outside. Only by remaining very composed could you make him cautiously open the window a crack.While the detective-consultant duo do not see eye to eye for most of the novel, they slowly start to warm up to each other the more they learn about each other's thoughts and reasons for what happened seven years ago. Though they are not exactly friends by the end of book 1, they are at least more tolerant towards one another.All in all, if you start this book with the idea that you'll be thrown into a danmei from the get-go, that's not going to happen. It is first and foremost a crime novel, and if you're not particularly inclined to like or read crime stories, this one may seem slow compared to other types of danmei. That being said, the crime aspect is very clever and well developed with many twists and turns (complete with a police car chase scene!) Silent Reading is a compelling read for fans of modern police procedurals.