Fate (Death Notice, #2) by Zhou Haohui

Fate (Death Notice, #2) Reviews

• 
  Paromjit

  This is the second in Zhou Haohui's Death Notice trilogy, a best selling book in China that has already been turned into a popular TV series. I have not read the first one, and immediately found myself feeling at a disadvantage, and whilst there is a brief summary at the beginning, it took me a little while to feel comfortable with what was going on, and slowly become familiar with the names of the characters and their roles. For that reason, I would recommend reading the first book, this would definitely put you at a greater advantage than me. The story focuses on a popular vigilante serial killer running rampant, known as Euminedes, named after the Ancient Greek spirits of vengeance, issuing Death Notices to individuals, murdering those deemed to be deserving of death, those that have evaded justice, acts that have built Euminides a popular following amongst the public.
  
  It is now 2002, the original Euminides is now dead at the Jade Garden explosion, but he has spent years grooming a successor to take over. The Chengdu Police April 18 Task Force, led by the now transferred Captain Pei, assisted by Lieutenant Yin and supported by the technical surveillance officer, Zeng Rihua and the gifted psychologist, Ms Mu, now have the unenviable job of trying to identify the new Euminides who has begun issuing his own death notices, there are two students dead in a hotel suite, with a teacher who chopped off his hand to save the remaining student. It is clear he has no intention of stopping, as the police team go back to throw light on a hostage situation that arose in 1984 that culminated in a shooting, the grisly 1992 Bagman killing where the perpetrator was never identified, the disappearance of Captain Ding Ke, all events with connections to the present, along with further deaths at the Longyu Corporation after the killing of Mayor Deng.
  
  Zhou Haohui's storytelling is tense, suspenseful and thrilling, there are twists galore, with the new Euminides always streets ahead of the police team, raising the strong possibility that he has an inside line to the April 18 police task force. Captain Pei and his team are strong and determined in the face of the obstacles they face in their inquiry, I was particularly impressed with the contributions made by Ms Mu. This is a hugely entertaining and engaging trilogy set in China that held my interest completely once I became immersed, if only I had read the first and hadn't experienced difficulties at the beginning, otherwise it would have been a 5 star read. Many thanks to Head of Zeus for an ARC.
• 
  Майя Ставитская

  For you who have not read the first part of the Chinese detective masterpiece from Zhou Haohui "Letters of death", I will explain. The name of Eumenides, aka Erinii, came from ancient Greek mythology, remember this story about Iphigenia in Aulis: when the Greeks were going to sail to storm Troy, calm reigned on the sea and there was nothing to fill the sails with. The oracle promised a fair wind in the stooped backs, in the case of the sacrifice of Agamemnon's daughter Iphigenia. The girl was sent for, tricked into believing that Achilles was going to marry her, killed on the spot, the promised wind appeared, the men sailed to war.
  
  Agamemnon's wife and Iphigenia's mother Clytemnestra did not forgive her husband for the death of her daughter and killed him. A chance witness was the second daughter Elektra, who inspired Orestes' brother to take revenge on his mother. Orestes killed Clytemnestra, and the goddess of vengeance Erinia set off in pursuit of him. Fleeing from them, the matricide Orestes fled to Athens, where the Areopagus, thanks to the intervention of the goddess of the same name, acquitted him. To appease the violent, the Athenians called them Eumenides (the merciful), establishing a cult in their honor.
  
  Isn't there too much cruelty? - you might have thought. - Not too much, - I answer, - Too much is when Eumenides is cosplayed in a Chinese detective. You didn't seriously think that the story of the self-proclaimed judge and executioner would end with the death of Yuan Zhibang, a former classmate and friend of the heroic policeman Luo Fei? That Zhibang. what was hiding under the guise of an infirm cripple in a stinking garbage dump, carrying out criminal projects worth hundreds of thousands of yuan?
  
  You didn't think otherwise you're not a fan of detective series. The king is dead, long live the king, the criminal genius has a student brought up by him with all care, who will continue the work of the teacher. And the first thing he will do will be revenge on impudent teenagers for the humiliation of their elderly teacher, which the little bastards filmed and posted online. The scene in the scenery of a luxurious hotel room is cruel, dramatic and (to be honest) along with the horror, it causes a certain amount of sympathy.
  
  Эвмениды возвращаются
  Эвмениды - богини мщения и жестокого убийства, преследующих преступников в древнегреческой мифологии.
  Для тех, кто не читал первую часть китайского детективного шедевра от Чжоу Хаохуэя "Писем счастья (зчркнт) смерти", объясню. Имя Эвмениды, они же Эринии пришло из древнегреческой мифологии, помните эту историю про Ифигению в Авлиде: когда греки собирались плыть на штурм Трои, на море воцарился штиль и нечем было наполнить паруса. Оракул обещал попутного ветра в сутулые спины, в случае принесения в жертву дочери Агамемнона Ифигении. За девушкой послали, обманом убедив, что на ней собирается жениться Ахилл, на месте убили, обещанный ветер явился, мужчины поплыли на войну.
  
  Жена Агамемнона и мать Ифигении Клитемнестра не простила мужу смерти дочери и убила его. Случайной свидетельницей стала вторая дочь Электра, которая вдохновила брата Ореста отомстить матери. Орест убил Клитемнестру, в погоню за ним пустились богини мщения Эринии. Спасаясь от них, матереубийца Орест бежал в Афины, где ареопаг, благодаря вмешательству одноименной богини, оправдал его. Чтобы умаслить неистовых, афиняне назвали их Эвменидами (милостивыми), учредив в их честь культ.
  
  Не слишком ли много жестокости? - могли вы подумать. - Не слишком, - отвечаю я, - Слишком - это когда эвменид косплея�� в китайском детективе. Вы ведь не думали всерьез, что история самопровозглашенного судьи и палача закончится со смертью Юань Чжибана - бывшего однокурсника и друга геройского полицейского Ло Фэя? Того Чжибана. что скрывался под личиной немощного калеки на смрадной помойке, верша криминальные проекты, стоимостью в сотни тысяч юаней?
  
  Не думали, иначе вы не поклонник детективных серий. Король умер, да не здравствует король У преступного гения остался воспитанный им со всем тщанием ученик, который продолжит дело учителя. И первым, что он сделает, будет месть наглым подросткам за унижение их пожилого учителя, которое мелкие ублюдки засняли на видео и выложили в сеть. Сцена в декорациях роскошного номера в отеле жестока, драматична и (что греха таить) вместе с ужасом вызывает некоторую долю сочувствия.
  
  Так начнется новый виток эпопеи Эвменид, на котором мы встретимся с храбрым Ло Фэем, проницательной Мо Цзаньюнь - криминологом-психологом, еще несколькими персонажами, знакомыми по первой книге. И сведем знакомство со множеством новых. Кровь-кишки-доброта будут в изобилии, немыслимая изобретательность преступника, заранее объявляющего жертвам дату смерти, вкупе с его невыносимой жестокостью - тоже.
  
  А еще невероятные сюжетные твисты, из которых самым крутым и достойным премии Дарвина окажется финальный. Все для вас, поклонники детектива.
  
  
• 
  Skip

  Set in the Chinese city of Chengu, this is the second book in the Death Notices series. An assassin calling himself Eumenides (Greek goddess of vengeance) is dispensing judgment that the police cannot. While the original Eumenides died in the Jade Garden explosion, his successor has taken the mantle. The April 18 Police Task Force is now led by Captain Pei, assisted by Lieutenant Yin, technical surveillance officer, Zeng Rihua, and psychologist, Ms. Mu. The new Eumenides kills two students in a hotel suite, and compels their teacher to chop off his hand to save the one remaining student. Several cold cases loom large, a long ago hostage situation, a grisly slaughter and dismemberment of a university student are tied together along with the the mysterious disappearance of the famous Captain Ding Ke, who had solved all his previous cases as well as further deaths at the Longyu Corporation after the killing of its CEO, Mayor Deng. 3.5 stars.
• 
  Jessica Woodbury

  Yet again this series delivers real thrills and impressive twisty puzzles. Is this the best thriller series? It might be! I am ready for book 3.
  
  Right now in the US, as far as I can tell, this book is only available on audio and ebook, which is a shame. As of yet I haven't seen any signs to publish the translation in print. (Scratch that! I see print versions available from B&N but Amazon doesn't have them. I have no idea why.) The audio suits me just fine, though it can make it a little harder to keep track of the extensive cast of characters.
  
  As with DEATH NOTICE, the comparisons to Se7en still hold. This has some murders that are quite violent (though most of them aren't) but really the fun of the book is the big chases and riddles and setpieces that feel very cinematic and heart-pounding. Trailing a suspect through a complicated subway system, figuring out how a killer accessed a locked room, working through a profile on a cold case. This book understands that drawing these out and making them complex is a strength. And they really mix it up here, as we aren't always chasing the same killer, so it doesn't feel like there is one unbeatable villain.
  
  There is some ableism and minor misogyny around a perfect and beautiful blind woman that of course has to be held up as more of an object who must not be damaged. It annoyed me but it didn't take over the narrative. (And the man doing it is not exactly a good guy.) It's a heavily male-dominated cast, but we do have our female psychologist in one of the largest roles so at least there's that.
  
  When will we get book 3 translated and when will we get a movie franchise???
• 
  Claire Chibi

  This series isn’t necessarily perfect but it’s still easily one of the best police thrillers I’ve ever read, and I have read a lot of police thrillers so that’s saying something!
  
  The plot has various groups of clever characters all working against each other towards their own goals and it all fits together extremely well, this sort of thing is always more exciting to me compared to a simple serial killer vs police type story.
  
  Funny enough, the more I think about it, the more this series reminds me of a non-supernatural version of Death Note, and I swear it’s not just because the names are so similar. The story structure of a serial killer with a twisted sense of justice going up against the police and ending up getting various other groups involved in the conflict is very reminiscent (but the rest of the plot is of course, very different).
  
  It even has a bit of a Detective Conan-eqsue feel to it thanks to Eumenides’ clever setups and tricks used to perform his ‘assassinations’, which makes it even better in my eyes.
  
  So basically this series is like Death Note crossed with Detective Conan, if you like either of those series, what are you waiting for? Go read this, it’s so freaking good!
• 
  Marie

  It feels kind of ungenerous to review a book by listing all of the ways it manages to not screw up, but honestly, sometimes I just want to read a tight, complexly-plotted crime thriller where we don’t have to care about the detective’s troubled personal life, the gratuitous violence against women is kept to a minimum, and there’s a competent female colleague who isn’t there to be anyone’s love interest. These two books have delivered on that front so far and I’ve really enjoyed the escapism. Eumenides has been defeated, but Newmenides is just as dastardly and I’m looking forward to reading book 3 when it’s available in English.
• 
  LeseMaus

  3,5 ⭐
• 
  Alan

  'It's your fate - it was set in motion eighteen years ago.'
  
  Phew! This is the kind of fast-paced, edge-of-the-seat, 'what the heck is going on?' thriller that just sweeps you along. Most of the time it's a scramble to keep up with who is who, who was who, who might be who, and what they may or may not have done. But it's a crazy fun ride and it is the type of crime book that you can't quite decide if you want Eumenides caught or not.
  
  If you haven't read book one in the series then you should. I guess this could read as a stand-alone, but there is so much background that it covers that it probably reveals more if you know what happened in 'Death Notice', although the basics are covered in flashbacks and recounting.
  
  I genuinely have no idea what to expect from the third book, but I can't wait.
  
• 
  Aro~

  In the first book Eumenides have presence like a god who sent punishment toward sinner. No matter where and who the sinner, he give no mercy. As a god, no human can come close to him. Human know his name, but not him in person.
  
  In the second book, Eumenides's identity start to reveal bit by bit. His perfect cover still absolute, but his greed start making him visible. There's a lot complicated case that mentioning in this book. Compared to the first one, the second one have a lot case that somehow have bridge that connect each other. Just like fate.
  
  At some part, I got confused since there's feels like a lot happening at the moment and I can't follow it right away. But the ending still as great as the first one. It clean but tickling you to keep reading. The ending that also feels like a beginning.
• 
  Charlie Corn

  I loved Death Notice, which got me really excited about Chinese fiction again. It's great to see so much genre fiction coming out of China now. So I was very excited to see the sequel out, despite the somewhat less enticing title.
  
  It’s a tangled web of a plot, full of double crossing, unmasking, surprise deaths and other twists, but Zhou keeps the narrative clear and pacey. Scenes open with highly precise and filmic locations and times (‘29 October, 8am, a conference room in Chengdu criminal police headquarters’) which remind me of the opening scene of Psycho (‘Phoenix Arizona, Friday December the Eleventh, Two Forty-Three pm’). The narrative is built around uncovering several mysteries – not just who is Eumenides, but unravelling a number of events that took place in the past and working out how they are related the current events. The shadow of the past – and its fatalistic imprint on the present – is always there. This is a murderer driven by vengeance, after all. But happily this doesn’t make it too talky - Zhou has mastered the art of the Hollywood set piece.
  The plot mostly unfolds through a series of discrete contrivances at a distinct location or event (a football match, say), featuring distinctive new or familiar characters (a fruit seller, a blind violinist, a teacher); with high stakes, high drama and a splattering of shootings, car crashes and dismembering, even if it’s not immediately obvious how it fits in with the wider narrative. Zhou is fantastically and gruesomely inventive – the ‘body in the bag’ trope used in Fate is one of the (pleasingly) nastiest I’ve ever read. Zhou also maximises the crime fiction form: the set pieces rely heavily on mystery men doing mysterious things, so much of the action unfolds with ‘a man’ or ‘the stranger’ (‘From inside Room 2107 a man watched the stadium’). At its best, such as when Eumenides appears out of nowhere in a room on CCTV footage, there’s a real creepy horror edge to the writing. This is brilliantly creepy, grisly writing.
  
  It’s a tangled web of a plot, full of double crossing, unmasking, surprise deaths and other twists, but Zhou keeps the narrative clear and pacey. Scenes open with highly precise and filmic locations and times (‘29 October, 8am, a conference room in Chengdu criminal police headquarters’) which remind me of the opening scene of Psycho (‘Phoenix Arizona, Friday December the Eleventh, Two Forty-Three pm’). The narrative is built around uncovering several mysteries – not just who is Eumenides, but unravelling a number of events that took place in the past and working out how they are related the current events. The shadow of the past – and its fatalistic imprint on the present – is always there. This is a murderer driven by vengeance, after all. But happily this doesn’t make it too talky - Zhou has mastered the art of the Hollywood set piece.
  The plot mostly unfolds through a series of discrete contrivances at a distinct location or event (a football match, say), featuring distinctive new or familiar characters (a fruit seller, a blind violinist, a teacher); with high stakes, high drama and a splattering of shootings, car crashes and dismembering, even if it’s not immediately obvious how it fits in with the wider narrative. Zhou is fantastically and gruesomely inventive – the ‘body in the bag’ trope used in Fate is one of the (pleasingly) nastiest I’ve ever read. Zhou also maximises the crime fiction form: the set pieces rely heavily on mystery men doing mysterious things, so much of the action unfolds with ‘a man’ or ‘the stranger’ (‘From inside Room 2107 a man watched the stadium’). At its best, such as when Eumenides appears out of nowhere in a room on CCTV footage, there’s a real creepy horror edge to the writing. This is brilliantly creepy, grisly writing.
  
  It’s not all on Zhou, of course – Haluza’s translation is one of those quietly effective translations you don’t notice. The dialogue is naturally hard-boiled, the descriptive language creative, and he keeps the pace up. It’s a no-nonsense translation that really works and builds on the strengths of the original. It’s also helpful that the focus in Death Notice is really on the crime, not the politics or bureaucracy which some other crime works have led on, which keeps it much tighter in translation. We also know that changes were made to the text for the English language version of Death Notice and I assume this is the same for Fate; I’d love to know more about what changes might have been made, but the effect leads me to think they were smart choices.
  
  It’s atypical from a Western genre perspective in terms of structure and character, but it works just as well. And while Pei Tao as a hero doesn’t seem to resonate on another level, Fate works best when it’s just straight police action and grisly murders. The musing on ‘fate’ itself towards the end, which tries to bring all the strands together, is a bit unconvincing, as is some of the cod psychology (particularly an odd excursion into heavy metal lyrics which feels like none of the characters has ever listened to heavy metal). And given the pat and icky way Zhou tackles the one sex scene, where a character has cold and gratuitous sex with his secretary while thinking about the time he saw his mother naked (he then kills himself, but not because of the sex), I’m quite pleased there’s not much in the way of sex or a romantic subplot for Pei Tao. A final criticism is that while it’s set in Chengdu, there’s almost no sense of place. It could be set anywhere, unless a lot of crime fiction that is deeply rooted in location. But that’s easily explained – it’s only set in Chengdu in the English version, a deliberate change for the translation. It’s a shame, as the hard-boiled feel should work perfectly with a Sichuan-spiced noir tone.
  
  But I enjoyed Fate as much as I enjoyed Death Notice- it’s fun, creative and nasty, which is just what I want from a bit of crime fiction, and I can’t wait for the next one.
• 
  Lelita P.

  CRAZY. ABSOLUTELY CRAZY.
  
  Okay, so I was on around page 380 and I started to think to give this book 4 stars because I felt like so many coincidences and a lot of things seem too easy. But then! Revelation of the Bagman Killer. And then!!! The climax twist!!! So jawdropping. I was surprised; unlike the first book, I didn't expect those twists at all. And the ending made me shiver. By the time I closed this book, 5 stars it is. The author really prepared big bombs in the last pages.
  
  The atmosphere in this second book is quite different with the first. Maybe because we could see Eumenides' side here. Of course he is still as twisted as ever, but this book shows the other side of him. We can understand him better--why he and his mentor turned out like that. Doesn't mean all their killings are justified, though.
  
  There are many plot devices here that--like I said--make many things become "too easy". That's what I think during reading. But, after finishing the book, I realize that it has to be that way because it is how the author arranging all the plot. I have to complete the reading journey first so I can see the whole plot as a bigger picture... why character A has to get rid of, why character B emerges, why character C doesn't make appearance anymore. In the end, I have to salute the author because his plot is so tight, with many hints hidden tidily here and there. It's all for the story build-up; everything comes full circle in the end.
  
  Well, one thing that disturb my mind: I read the Indonesian translation for the first book, and English translation for the second book. In the Indonesian edition, the main character's name is Luo Fei, but in the English translation, it's Pei Tao. I'm so curious about those differences. Why? Do pinyin alphabets have more than one reading? But it's a character name--it shouldn't have been different. I don't understand... and now I don't know how to address the captain. :)))
  
  Wish to read the third book, immediately!
• 
  Shannon

  Thank you to Netgalley and Head of Zeus for the arc of Fate by Zhou Haohui.
  
  4 star read- This is the second installment in the Death Notice series, which is a best seller book in China and which has already been turned into a tv series. I felt a bit daunted and uncomfortable at first due to the fact I have not read the first book but i think you would be much of much greater advantage if you read the first in the series. This follows a popular vigilante serial killer whom is on a rampage... whom is known as Eumindes which is named after the Ancient Greek Spirits who gives out what he calls Death Notices to people whom deserving of death, or those who have escaped Justice... so Eumindes have got himself a popular following. the original Eumindes is death but there is another one at the mix..
  
  This is such a thrilling storytelling like wow this was so intense and thrilling recommend to all
  
  4 stars⭐⭐⭐⭐
• 
  Ari

  The investigation to uncover Eumenides' identity brought the 418 task force looked into old cases. And as they looked deeper, more shocking finding were revealed.
  
  Book 2 of Death Notice Trilogy, picked up from where book 1 left off. The task force not only trying to outsmart Eumenides but also have to catch their run away captain. And add a mafia group's power struggle into the mix, the task force really have so much on their plate.
  
  Eumenides was still always two steps ahead than the police but he's a bit sloppy here, I think. Also a killer confide into a blind musician and that this blind musician connected to his victim was a bit cliche, no?
  
  The ending makes me wondering, how will book 3 all about?
  
  
  
• 
  Sangita

  Part 2 of the Death Notice series is a worthy continuation of the first book, though some time has definitely gone in between.
  A lot of violence is involved in this part as the Police run against time to stop the assassinations. The writing is good, the pace is fantastic and the end is just perfect.
  My rating - 4/5
• 
  Caitlin

  A fun, wild, ride. It entertained me from start to finish just as the previous book did, I think I like this one just as much if not slightly more. A few twists and turns that surprised me a little! I honestly loved it.
• 
  Francine Chu

  Even better than the first book; full of exciting plot twists. Eumenides is a really an unprecedented serial killer; you can’t help but finish this book yet it’s a torturous wait for the final book (no mention in sight currently).
• 
  yengyeng

  Even better than the first book, with more unexpected plot twists. This cat-and-mouse game is becoming more intense and both main characters had a steamy moment with handcuffs. Nothing kinky really, this isn't a DN fanfic. :D Can't wait for book 3!
• 
  Claire

  This is a excellent follow up to the first novel! I had a great time reading it and was kept guessing at every turn. Did not expect it to end the way it did. Very surprised!
• 
  Kam-Hung Soh

  A rollercoaster ride of a thriller, characters and background pared down to minimum required to propel the plot forward.
• 
  Crystal

  I loved it just as much as the first one. Really knows how to keep you reading and gripped to the novel. I could predict the ending much earlier this time around, but it's never about that, is it? It's all the twists and turns along the way, and this satisfies just like the first book.
• 
  Alix

  W.T.F
• 
  May

  just as fun as the first one with all its twists and turns. can't wait to read the third book