Burke: Chinese Red

Private detective Quinny Hite investigates the murder of a wealthy playboy who disappears from a dinner party at a Chinese restaurant. Quinny finds plenty of suspects, and one beautiful half-Chinese, half-Russian singer with red hair. But murder is what he knows, not dames (just ask his girlfriend), and after plenty of action he discovers the killer. “Most murderers are dopes—no matter how smart they are any other time. They kill somebody because they ain’t smart enough to figure out any other way to get what they want.”

Additional

First published in 1942.

Review

Hite is an ex-Times Square policeman, turned private detective. This time he has to solve the murder of a rich playboy whose body was found in a phony opium den under a Chinese restaurant. Quinny does solve the mystery—ahead of his ex-boss on the police force—and he gives his readers a merry time while finding the solution. This is a fast-moving, interesting mystery story. Hite will do well to run into another murder soon. (Raleigh, NC, News and Observer, 1942)