Inside The Red Mansion: On the Trail of China's Most Wanted Man

The notorious gangster Lai Changxing started out as an illiterate farmer, but in the tumult of China’s burgeoning economy, he seized the opportunity to remake himself as a bandit king. A newly minted billionaire of outsized personality and even greater appetites, he was a living legend who eventually ran afoul of authorities. The journalist Oliver August set out to find the fugitive Lai. On his quest he encountered a highly entertaining series of criminals and oddball entrepreneurs—and acquired unique insight into the paradoxes of modern China. Part crime caper, part travelogue, part trenchant cultural analysis, August’s page-turning account captures China’s giddy vibe and its darker vulnerabilities.

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This must-read, can't-put-it down tale shows th China only hinted at on the evening news.

Publishers Weekly, Starred
August artfully delays the powerful denouement until the last dozen words. A splendid debut.

Kirkus Reviews, Starred

August comes across as brave, resourceful and determined...He is a careful and thoughtful observer, with an eye for emblematic contradictions...

Los Angeles Times
... roller-coaster ride of a farmer-turned-billionaire gangster, a man variously regarded as Robin Hood, the Chinese Gatsby...

The New York Times