A newlywed couple embark on their honeymoon to China and while reconnecting with family and friends witness a murder investigation with connections to the past.
The story begins as Catherine and Chance make final preparations for their wedding and then travel to China to explore and for Catherine to meet Chance’s family for the first time. This is a very character focused story, introducing us to people who then turn out to be connected with the bodies found later in the book and the character’s pasts.
There’s a lot of focus on Chinese culture, especially pertaining to newlywed traditions and the annual Ghost Night, which I found enlightening and really helped to establish the setting. The author writes with a great deal of detail, allowing you to get to know the characters and immerse yourself in the different honeymoon locations.
Considering the title of the book, All Body Bags and No Knickers I did expect the crime fiction element to be more prominent and perhaps occur a bit earlier. To me the mystery is more of a plot device to explore the history and connections between certain characters than a focal point. I think because I was expecting more of a focus on the crime fiction element, I felt a little off kilter all the way through and wasn't quite sure of the direction of the plot. An interesting read but I think this book would better suit readers who enjoy more character focused novels than in-depth investigations.