Ed Lin’s The Dead Can’t Make a Living is the fifth book in his Taipei Night Market Series, serving up an interesting mix of cosy mystery, arm chair travel and social commentary along with a good measure of Taiwanese cuisine. This time around protagonist Jing-nan goes undercover to investigate whether a major food company played a role in the death of a foreign worker and the disappearance of the man’s sibling.
At one time, Jing-nan attended university in America however a family crisis brought him back to Taiwan. He set up Unknown Pleasures, a food stall in the night market after returning home. His social media posts with photos of whatever is on the evening’s menu, along with his ability to speak English, have helped establish Unknown Pleasures as the market’s go-to stall. The customers’ willingness to wait in long lines for the food is a good measure of its popularity.
In addition to his role at the market, Jing-nan is also a college student. He is taking an introductory business management course. Unfortunately, his relationship with his instructor started on the wrong foot. The night class sub-plot and the main plot are intertwined.
While Jing-nan is attending class, his girlfriend Nancy is covering for him at the market. Nancy, along with Jing-nan’s employees and friends Dwayne and Frankie make a good team. Jing-nan joins them after his class and gets busy at the food stand. When he takes out the garbage, he notices someone sitting on the ground near the dumpsters. Upon closer investigation, he realises the man is dead.
The police identify the victim as Juan Ramos, a Philippine national who came to Taiwan to work at ZHD, an enormous food processing plant. The police have no suspects and are unable to find a motive. The man’s mother and brother fly into Taipei to retrieve his body and stop by the restaurant and wish to see where he died. Since the police have no leads, the victim’s brother Paolo decides to go undercover at ZHD.
When he too disappears, his absence creates a stir. Even Jing-nan’s instructor is pressing him for information. Eventually, Jing-nan’s uncle Big Eye, a local gangster, convinces him to go undercover at ZHD as well, but is evasive as to why. Big Eye comes across as a fun-loving man in his scenes with his nephew. As with all good cosy mysteries, the violent behaviour required of a man in his position happens off the page.
The Dead Can’t Make a Living is driven by its characters rather than action, with the setting and characters established in the first half of the book. While at first it seems like an appetiser to the main story, the space devoted to establishing the characters and the back story is probably excess to requirement. An American of Chinese and Taiwanese descent, Ed Lin does an excellent job conveying the culture and vibe of Taipei. Once Jing-nan moves into the staff residence at ZHD and starts digging the tension really builds. His mysterious roommate, a former university professor, takes Jing-nan under his wing.
You have to wait for the second half of the book for the main course. It features more action and takes on a more serious tone regarding the treatment of migrant workers. Conditions in the plant are a huge eye-opener for Jing-nan. The staff perform back-breaking work as it pays more money than they would earn back in the Philippines. Their employer keeps their passports, essentially rendering them prisoners in Taipei. Corrupt government officials accept payments to look the other way over safety violations.
Although this is the fifth book in the series, you will have no problem understanding it if you haven’t read the previous four. It may have been my first exposure to Lin’s books, but it will not be my last. I found the characters engaging and the plot around the treatment of foreign workers grabbed my attention. Resembling noodle packaging, the book cover conveys the sense of fun and the celebration of food that is carried throughout. You will finish it wanting another helping of whatever the team at Unknown Pleasures is serving.
Also see Murder and Mamon by Mia P Manansala.
Soho Crime
Print/Kindle
£11.84
CFL Rating: 4 Stars
