Rita Wong and the Jade Mask

Here’s a surprising and original take on the classic detective story. Young Rita Wong, newly-ish arrived from Hong Kong, is settled in Morecambe and living a quiet, lonely but normal life, until the day she spots a mysterious green-headed figure staring out across the bay. On closer inspection, it turns out to be a dragon and the two strike up a friendship. Rita accompanies the dragon, whose name is Lester Thyme, into Neon City, a very strange alternative world, full of magic and magical creatures, but plagued by the kind of corruption that Raymond Chandler made his stock in trade. When the previously unemployed Lester sets up as a private detective, Rita becomes his partner and soon the two have their first case, on the trail of missing antiques and a clever thief. Their relationship feels very real, and they are a truly effective couple of sleuths. The surreal setting takes nothing away from the hard-boiled nature of the action, and despite regular pauses to give readers a heady sense of the sights, sounds and smells of Neon City, it’s page-turning stuff.  Cool illustrations too by Seamus Jennings.