title: Precious Dragon (The Detective Inspector Chen Novels)
author:  Liz Williams 
description: The pleasantly suspenseful third fantastical mystery (after <i>The Demon and the City</i>) in Williams's Det. Insp. Chen series throws Chen and his demon partner, Zhu Irzh, into the heart of a deadly political storm. While investigating a chorus girl's disappearance, the duo are called on to escort a diplomatic envoy from Heaven, the Celestial Miss Mi Li Qi, on a fact-finding mission to Hell. Neither detective is happy about this task, particularly Zhu Irzh, as the trip coincides with his mother's birthday and he dreads seeing his family. Meanwhile, the strange birth of a boy to newlywed ghosts sets off a scramble between the forces of Hell and Heaven. Someone tries to assassinate Zhu Irzh's mum, and Miss Qi goes missing as cosmic forces collide with cataclysmic results. Though Chen and Zhu Irzh are mostly along for the ride, the other colorful characters and imaginative settings extrapolated from ancient Chinese mythology make for a unique story that fans and new readers will enjoy. <i>(July)</i> <br />Copyright  Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
zlib_text: ## **PRECIOUS DRAGON**
  
  ###  **A Detective Inspector Chen Novel**
  
  
  
  
  
  ## **Liz Williams**
  
  >  ** _Precious Dragon_** © 2006 by Liz Williams  
  >  
  > This edition of Precious Dragon © 2008 by Night Shade Books  
  >  
  > Cover art by Jon Foster  
  > Cover design by Michael Fusco  
  > Interior layout and design by Jeremy Lassen  
  >  
  > All rights reserved  
  >  
  > ISBN 978-1-59780-083-9  
  >  
  > **Night Shade Books**  
  >  **Please visit us on the web at**  
  >  **http://www.nightshadebooks.com**
  
  ###  **Other books by Liz Williams include:**
  
   **Detective Inspector Chen:**
  
   _Snake Agent_  
   _The Demon and the City_  
   _Precious Dragon_  
   _The Shadow Pavilion (Forthcoming)_  
   __  
  _Banner of Souls_  
   _Bloodmind_  
   _Darkland_  
   _Empire of Bones_  
   _The Ghost Sister_  
   _Nine Layers of Sky_  
   _The Poison Master_  
   _The Banquet of the Lords of Night and Other Stories_
  
   __
  
  
  
  
  
  # **One**
  
  The spirit was singing her heart out, her ethereal voice soaring up into the
  air. Uneasily, the demon p