Inspector O Goes to Macau

You got something to say, speak now or forever hold your peace

If it’s information you want, you can get it from the police

James Church gave an interview with the Macau Closer, which includes an excerpt from the forthcoming fourth novel in the Inspector O series (due out 17 August 2010 from Minotaur Books).  The fourth novel appears in as many years as the number of anti-corruption campaigns affecting O.  The Man with the Baltic Stare takes everybody’s favorite MPS employee to the city where Mr. Church first encountered the idea of O, as he tells Closer:

In a curious way, Inspector O, a detective in the Pyongyang branch of the North Korean Ministry of People’s Security, emerged from an incident during a trip I took to Macau twenty-five years ago. Two decades later he strolled out onto the pages of the first book nearly fully formed. I have to say, it was a surprise to see how much we seemed to understand each other.

The interview is also available in Chinese if one is inclined.  In the excerpt, Inspector O is dealt a most intriguing case. His Macau counterpart seems buffeted by rules which sound like something that originated in the KWP Administration Department:

“Yes, if someone else buys the meal. Standing is less corrupting, apparently. I can nibble tiny sandwiches by the plateful. I can heap on lobster, eat caviar with a shovel. But only if I stand.”

If you think you can not hold out for your O fix until the dog days of summer, I’ll have you know a fifth O novel is already being planned.