From the beloved, internationally bestselling author of Wild Swans, and co-author of the bestselling Mao: The Unknown Story, the dramatic, epic biography of the unusual woman who ruled China for 50 years, from concubine to Empress, overturning centuries of traditions and formalities to bring China into the modern world. A woman, an Empress of immense wealth who was largely a prisoner within the compound walls of her palaces, a mother, a ruthless enemy, and a brilliant strategist: Chang makes a compelling case that Cixi was one of the most formidable and enlightened rulers of any nation. Cixi led an intense and singular life. Chosen at the age of 12 to be a concubine by the Emperor Xianfeng, she gave birth to his only male heir who at four was designated Emperor when his father died in 1861. In a brilliant move, the young woman enlisted the help of the Emperor's widow and the two women orchestrated a coup that ousted the regents and made Cixi sole Regent. Untrained and untaught, the two studied history and politics together, ruling the huge nation from behind a curtain. When her boy died, Cixi designated a young nephew as Emperor, continuing her reign till her death in 1908. Chang gives us a complex, riveting portrait of Cixi through a reign as long as that of her fellow Empress, Victoria, whom she longed to meet: her ruthlessness in fighting off rivals; her curiosity to learn; her reliance on Westerners who she placed in key positions; and her sensitivity and desire to preserve the distinctiveness of China's past while overturning traditions (she, as Chang reveals--not Mao, as he claimed--banned footbinding) and exposing its culture to western ideas and technology.

Affairs of the state will soon give way to affairs of the heart. Althea Markham shoulders many burdens of being an unattached countess—wading through the collection of gold-diggers and rogues to find a suitable husband, providing her family with a male heir, and most of all, protecting her mother, who tends to acts more debutante than dowager. As she sneaks away for illicit meetings with a mysterious stranger, Althea is determined to unveil his identity—and his intentions. Desperate to escape from beneath the shadow of his older brother, John Ridley takes part in a daring game of espionage against the French. Posing as a smuggler, he engages with the charming Celeste Markham. But despite her winsome allure, it is her daughter, Althea, who seizes John's attention. As affairs of the state give way to affairs of heart, John must convince Althea that she can trust him with her future, and her love.

A dead body turns up in the East Asian wing of the fictional Dowager Museum of Art. Madame Li – an intelligent and aristocratic Chinese-American art specialist – gets called in by her former colleague at the museum to examine the art displays around the crime scene. When this dear colleague and friend becomes the prime suspect in the murder investigation, Madame Li is roped into investigating the crime herself in a race to find the true killer before the authorities can arrest her friend. As she investigates the interconnected suspects with the help of her colorful friends and acquaintances, she unravels buried secrets in New York’s exclusive art market that ultimately lead her to the murderer. Madame Li and The Mystery at the Dowager Museum is an upmarket cozy mystery set in contemporary New York. It features classic elements of the cozy genre – a female sleuth, off-stage crime, and eccentric supporting characters – but offers an international and cosmopolitan twist. If you prefer a quick and amusing read with refreshing characters, then this is the mystery for you.