The Message (Unabridged ed)

China, 1941. While war rages in Europe, Japan has established itself as the supreme power in Asia.

The beautiful province of Hangzhou has become a stronghold of the Japanese puppet government.

One day, five officers from the code-breaking department are escorted to an isolated mansion outside the city.

One of them has been sharing secrets with the communists.

No-one is leaving until the traitor is uncovered. It should be a straightforward case of sifting truth from lies.

But as each code-breaker spins a story that proves their innocence, events are re-framed, and what really happened is called into question again and again.

Part revisionist history, part playful meta-fiction, The Message is at once an absorbing and cerebral spy thriller and a commentary on storytelling itself. Praise for the author: "A page-turner with a gripping plot, otherworldy aura, and flamboyant detail" NEW YORK TIMES"'An intriguing Chinese thriller" GUARDIAN