The Jade Temptress. Jeannie Lin

      Welcome to the infamous Pingkang li—home of the celebrated Lotus Palace courtesans, and a place of beauty and treachery…

      Charming and seductive, Mingyu is the most sought-after hostess in the pleasure quarter. She has all men wrapped around her finger—except Constable Wu Kaifeng, the one man she can’t resist, the only man to have placed her in chains.

      Wu Kaifeng’s outwardly intimidating demeanor hides a reluctant, fierce attraction to beautiful Mingyu. But the passionate temptation she presents threatens to destroy them both when a powerful official is murdered and they find themselves on a deadly trail. Amid the chaos, a forbidden affair could change Mingyu’s fate forever, for following her heart is bound to have consequences.…

      Praise for Jeannie Lin

      “Wonderfully adventurous love stories set in ancient China, brimming with atmosphere, customs, language and history without missing a deeply emotional love story at the core… Lin proves that, quite simply, she is an exceptional storyteller.”

      —RT Book Reviews on The Lotus Palace

      “[Lin is] known for building plenty of historical verisimilitude into [her] romances, giving them intellectual as well as emotional depth.”

      —Publishers Weekly, Top 10 pick, on The Lotus Palace

      “The Lotus Palace by Jeannie Lin is a sensual romance and a gripping mystery story, but is also a moving portrayal of the women and men who socialize in the bordellos of Tang dynasty China.”

      —Goodreads.com on The Lotus Palace

      “Deliciously detailed and intricately plotted, The Lotus Palace proves Jeannie Lin is a master storyteller.”

      —New York Times bestselling author Deanna Raybourn

      “Lush history, heartbreaking romance, fascinating mystery, and a happy ending! What more can anyone ask?”

      —Patricia Rice, New York Times bestselling author, on The Lotus Palace

      “Jeannie Lin has done it again….The Lotus Palace is a poignant love story to treasure.”

      —Elizabeth Essex, award-winning author of Scandal in the Night, on The Lotus Palace

      “The Lotus Palace is pure entertainment.”

      —Midwest Book Reviews on The Lotus Palace

      The Jade Temptress

      Jeannie Lin

      

www.millsandboon.co.uk

      Dear Reader,

      While writing the previous book, The Lotus Palace, Mingyu and Constable Wu Kaifeng played an important role. I already knew from their early interactions that something was brewing under the surface between them. It was also a pleasure to return to the entertainment district of the Pingkang li. The setting has provided me with endless inspiration.

      For history buffs, the crime featured in The Jade Temptress was based on a popular tale of the Pingkang li. Mingyu’s conduct and her relationship with her patrons as well as her foster mother was also a composite of many different accounts of the courtesans who entertained within the quarter. The source for much of this was Sun Qi’s Records of the Northern Quarter, which was written in the later Tang Dynasty.

      For mystery buffs, Wu Kaifeng’s forensic knowledge was based on case records of criminal investigations from as early as the Han Dynasty and through to the Tang Dynasty. The most prominent treatise on Chinese forensics in imperial China is physician Song Ci’s The Washing Away of Wrongs, which was written later in the thirteenth century. However, given that many of the earlier case records included detail about forensics investigations, I took some liberty and extrapolated that these processes of autopsy and crime scene recreation were likely, or at least believably, in place in some form during the Tang Dynasty.

      In essence, Mingyu is an artist who specializes in invoking and manipulating emotion, while Kaifeng is a man of logic who is searching for discreet answers. Their romance, for me, was at times as unpredictable as the mystery they had to solve.

      To contact me or to learn more about the background of the story or upcoming releases, you can find me online at www.jeannielin.com. I always love hearing from readers.

      Sincerely,

      Jeannie Lin

      Acknowledgments

      This book owes a huge debt of gratitude to my husband for his support and patience whenever there was a deadline looming. A huge thanks to my critique partner and partner in crime, Shawntelle Madison, for all the pep-talks and writing sprints to keep me going when I was running on empty. Also to Amanda Berry, Dawn Blankenship and Kristi Lea for the Skype chats and emotional support. A big thanks to Megan Kelly and CORE for allowing me to vet out the opening chapter and setting me on the right path.

      As always, I must acknowledge Bria Quinlan, Inez Kelley and Kate Pearce for being ready and willing to read the ugly draft and tell me how to make it all better rather than letting me torch it like I want to.

      To my editor Laurie Johnson, thank you for all your support and enthusiasm in this first venture together. Thank you to my agent and cheerleader Gail Fortune for making it so I can keep on writing.

      And a special acknowledgment to Sunita for lending me the research book from Washington University. The information within it has been priceless. I STILL haven’t returned it yet. I promise I will.

      To my wonderful husband and two little twinlets

      Contents

       Chapter One

       Chapter Two

       Chapter Three

       Chapter Four

       Chapter Five

       Chapter Six

       Chapter Seven

       Chapter Eight

       Chapter Nine

       Chapter Ten

       Chapter Eleven

       Chapter Twelve

       Chapter Thirteen

       Chapter Fourteen

       Chapter Fifteen

       Chapter Sixteen

       Chapter Seventeen

       Chapter Eighteen