The Detective Inspector Chen Novels Series

The spell-casting detective and his demonic partner go to Hell on a fact-finding mission in this “pleasantly suspenseful . . . fantastical mystery” (Publishers Weekly).  For years, the embarrassing secret of the Singapore Three police department was Detective Inspector Chen—a specialist in the supernatural whose jurisdiction extended to Heaven and Hell. But when a rampaging goddess nearly destroyed the city, only to be stopped by Chen and his demonic partner, Zhu Irzh, the department was forced to reward them, resulting in the kind of attention that both cops loathe. Their new assignment is an affair of state, escorting the Heavenly functionary Mi Li Qi on a diplomatic mission to the underworld. By the time they’re finished, Chen and Zhu Irzh will wish they had remained forgotten. Soon after they check in to their hellish hotel, Miss Qi vanishes into the abyss. They follow her into the bowels of the demonic bureaucracy, where they will be forced to dodge all manner of otherworldly dangers if they wish to avoid a political incident with apocalyptic implications.   Precious Dragon is the third of the five Detective Inspector Chen Novels, which begin with Snake Agent and The Demon and the City. 

A supernatural detective in Singapore tries to save his wife—and the universe—in this “thoroughly original fantasy” by the author of Snake Agent (Publishers Weekly).  Detective Inspector Chen is getting used to visiting Heaven. It is a peaceful place, but the eerie calm and ever-present scent of peaches make him yearn for the chaos of Singapore Three. He has come to visit Mhara, the Emperor of Heaven, who ascended to the celestial throne after his father went mad and launched an ill-advised invasion of Hell. Order has been restored to the cosmos, and Mhara is characteristically serene, but trouble is lurking for this handsome young god. Someone is trying to kill the Emperor of Heaven, and Chen does not have his demonic partner, Zhu Irzh, to fall back on. Zhu Irzh has vanished, Chen’s wife is in danger, and a psychotic Bollywood star is on the warpath. It’s another day in the office for the occult detective—a day that, if he doesn’t restore order quickly, could be the universe’s last. The Shadow Pavilion is the fourth of the five Detective Inspector Chen Novels, which begin with Snake Agent and The Demon and the City. 

A supernatural mystery set in Singapore featuring a “detective whose beat reaches to the fringes of Heaven and Hell,” by the author of Snake Agent (Booklist).  No mortal has ever heard of the Book, and few in Heaven even believe it is real. Instead, they regard the stories of a bound volume older than time itself as something of a creation myth. But Mhara, the Emperor of Heaven, knows the Book is very real, very powerful, and very much missing. It has a mind of its own, and it appears to have wandered off—taking the secrets of the universe with it. To find it, Mhara calls Detective Inspector Chen, a supernatural sleuth with previous experience in saving the universe. Chen has a lot on his plate at the moment: His wife is pregnant, his demonic partner is tracking the movement of an immortal horde, and he hasn’t had a vacation in years. But for the sake of the Emperor, he’ll do his best to return order to the cosmos. If he doesn’t, who will? The Iron Khan is the final volume of the Detective Inspector Chen Novels, which begin with Snake Agent and The Demon and the City. 

Introducing Singaporean DI, Wei Chen. “This exotic amalgam of police procedural, SF, comic fantasy, and horror is a delight from start to finish” (Locus). When the fourteen-year-old daughter of Singapore Three’s most prominent industrialist dies of anorexia, her parents assume that Pearl’s suffering has come to an end. But somewhere along the way to the Celestial Shores, Pearl’s soul is waylaid, lured by an unknown force to the gates of Hell. To save their daughter from eternal banishment, they come to Detective Inspector Wei Chen, whose jurisdiction lies between this world and the next. A round-faced cop who is as serious as his beat is strange, Chen has a demon for a wife and a comfort with the supernatural that most mortals cannot match. But finding Pearl Tang will take him further into the abyss than ever before—to a mystifying place where he will have to cooperate with a demonic detective if he wants to survive. It’s easy, Chen will find, to get into Hell. The hard part is getting out. Snake Agent is the first of the five Detective Inspector Chen Novels, which continue with The Demon and the City and Precious Dragon. 

Three paranormal mysteries in an “exotic amalgam of police procedural, SF, comic fantasy, and horror . . . a delight from start to finish” (Locus).   Det. Inspector Wei Chen of Singapore Three’s Thirteenth Precinct is “a detective whose beat reaches to the fringes of Heaven and Hell” (Booklist). Along with his demon partner from Hell’s vice squad, Zhu Irzh, Chen is the man to turn to for paranormal problems that are literally out of this world.   Snake Agent: This “entertaining supernatural mystery” introduces an occult detective who is as serious as his beat is strange (Publishers Weekly). With a demon for his beloved wife, Det. Inspector Wei Chen possesses a comfort with the supernatural that most mortals cannot match. But his journey to Hell to find the waylaid ghost of Pearl Tang, the deceased daughter of a wealthy industrialist, will take him further into the abyss than ever before—to a mystifying place where he will need the help of a demonic detective to survive. Getting into Hell is easy. Getting out is another story.   “Snake Agent combines disparate elements of Chinese mythology, urban fantasy, science fiction and mystery to create a rich milieu and a highly entertaining story.” —Jacqueline Carey, New York Times–bestselling author   The Demon and the City: In this “wildly imaginative” second novel, demon Zhu Irzh has been assigned to aid the Singapore Three police department as they investigate cases that overlap this world and the world to come (Publishers Weekly). With Detective Inspector Chen on a well-deserved vacation, Zhu Irzh’s first murder case involves the savage killing of a rich would-be witch outside of the occult market. Soon he’s unearthed a supernatural conspiracy that proves Hell holds no monopoly on evil. Chen just may have to cut his vacation short.   “Uniquely imaginative . . . [a] surreal fusion of Chinese mythology, paranormal high jinks, and satisfyingly suspenseful sleuthing.” —Booklist   Precious Dragon: Chen and Zhu Irzh have been assigned to escort the Heavenly functionary Mi Li Qi on a diplomatic mission to the underworld. Soon after they check in to their hellish hotel, Qi vanishes into the abyss. Now they must follow her into the bowels of a demonic bureaucracy, where they will be forced to dodge all manner of otherworldly dangers if they wish to avoid a political incident with apocalyptic ramifications.   “One of the most colorfully imaginative packages in recent fantasy.” —Booklist

In this “satisfyingly suspenseful” urban fantasy, a demon teams up with a human detective on the Singapore police force (Booklist). Zhu Irzh is having trouble adjusting to life on Earth. The food is bland, the colors dim, and the weather much too chilly for a demon used to the balmy climate of the underworld. Recently attached to the Singapore Three police department, Zhu Irzh has been assigned to help humans like Detective Inspector Chen investigate cases that overlap this world and the world to come. But how dedicated can a demon be to justice when his last assignment was to Hell’s vice squad—whose job is not to prevent vice, but to promote it? Zhu Irzh is pondering these philosophical questions when he catches his first murder case: the savage killing of a rich would-be witch outside of the occult market. Chen is on a well-deserved vacation, so the demon takes charge himself, unearthing a supernatural conspiracy that proves Hell holds no monopoly on evil. The Demon and the City is the second of the five Detective Inspector Chen Novels, which also include Snake Agent and Precious Dragon. 

Two paranormal mysteries in an “exotic amalgam of police procedural, SF, comic fantasy, and horror . . . a delight from start to finish” (Locus).   Det. Inspector Wei Chen of Singapore Three’s Thirteenth Precinct is “a detective whose beat reaches to the fringes of Heaven and Hell” (Booklist). Along with his demon partner from Hell’s vice squad, Zhu Irzh, Chen is the man to turn to for paranormal problems that are literally out of this world.   The Shadow Pavilion: An assassin is trying to kill the Emperor of Heaven, and Detective Inspector Chen does not have his demonic partner, Zhu Irzh, to fall back on. Irzh has vanished, Chen’s wife is in danger, and a psychotic Bollywood star is on the warpath. Good thing the occult detective is no stranger to chaos—because if he doesn’t restore order quickly, this could be the end of the universe.   “[A] clever mix of Chinese folklore and police procedural . . . The plot zips along . . . Williams seamlessly blends the occult with modern issues like feminism and illegal immigration to create a thoroughly original fantasy.” —Publishers Weekly   The Iron Khan: No mortal has ever heard of the Book. Few in Heaven even believe it is real. But Mhara, the Emperor of Heaven, knows the Book is very real, very powerful, and very much missing. It has a mind of its own, and it appears to have wandered off—taking the secrets of the universe with it. No ordinary mortal, Detective Inspector Chen has a lot on his plate: His wife is pregnant, his demonic partner is tracking the movement of an immortal horde, and he’s the only one who can retrieve the Book and restore order to the cosmos. Before all Hell breaks loose . . .   “Williams continues to expand her unique future Asia, stuffing it with lively characters, chop-socky action, demonic intrigue, amazing magic, and a tasty dash of screwball comedy. This fantasy mystery adventure will delight readers who crave originality and excitement.” —Publishers Weekly