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Silent Reading
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Rating(4.7 / 5.0, 526 votes)
5    83% (439 votes)
4    9% (48 votes)
3    3% (14 votes)
2    2% (9 votes)
1    3% (16 votes)
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2016
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180 Chapters + 5 Extras (Complete)
5 Volumes (Complete)
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Completely Translated
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Release Frequency
Every 81.7 Day(s)
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[Graph]
Weekly Rank: #2669
Monthly Rank: #2418
All Time Rank: #1911
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On 8859 Reading Lists
Monthly Rank: #7859
All Time Rank: #399

Description

Links are NOT allowed. Format your description nicely so people can easily read them. Please use proper spacing and paragraphs.

Childhood, upbringing, family background, social relations, traumatic experiences…

We keep reviewing and seeking out the motives of criminals, exploring the subtlest emotions driving them. It’s not to put ourselves in their shoes and sympathize, or even forgive them; it’s not to find some reasons to exculpate their crimes; it’s not to kneel down before the so-called “complexity of human nature”; nor to introspect social conflicts, much less to alienate ourselves into monsters.

We just want to have a fair trial – for ourselves and for those who still have hope for the world.

Associated Names
One entry per line
Justice in the Dark [Live-Action Drama]
Mò Dú
Quang Uyên [Live-Action Drama]
Silent Reading
The Light in the Night
Đọc Thầm
Мовчазне читання
ชาลาในอนธการ
默讀
默读
묵독
Related Series
N/A
Recommendations
Breaking Through the Clouds (8)
Sha Qing (5)
Criminal Psychology (4)
First-Class Lawyer (4)
Imperfections (4)
Sha Po Lang (3)
Recommendation Lists
  1. Favorites
  2. favourites
  3. DONE.
  4. Danmei Ive read in order I read them (and which on...
  5. Berry strong or possessive shou

Latest Release

Date Group Release
08/14/21 QuantumC c74
09/24/20 QuantumC c73
09/16/20 Ainushi Translations c68
09/15/20 Ainushi Translations c67
09/14/20 Ainushi Translations c66
09/13/20 Ainushi Translations c65
09/12/20 Ainushi Translations c64
09/11/20 Ainushi Translations c63
09/10/20 Ainushi Translations c62
09/09/20 Ainushi Translations c61
09/08/20 Ainushi Translations c60
09/07/20 Ainushi Translations c59
08/15/20 QuantumC c72
07/23/20 E. Danglars epilogue
07/23/20 E. Danglars v5
123…11
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100 Reviews sorted by


Saori_Raven
New Saori_Raven rated it
November 12, 2023
Status: Completed
My favorite Priest book!
Police history, with a psychological theme and romance.
From the first page everything begins to intertwine, the most macabre and complicated cases seem to have more depth than they appear and soon begins to glimpse a whole conspiracy inside and outside the police, splashing the highest and wealthiest spheres of the country. Our lead police unravel these cases one by one until they can reach the people who pull the strings from the shadows. At the same time, you will be forced to interact with a... more>> young acquaintance from the past, a typical rich child with ego problems.
As time passes, we do not realize the depth of darkness in the city as our protagonists approach. Our policeman will need all his patience and ingenuity because what looked like a spoiled child could be much more complicated.
Our second protagonist will also closely follow the cases that occur in the city although, with other ideas in mind and always trying to stay one step ahead of their own demons.

Without a doubt an intriguing story and with a romance of those who you look forward to being together at the same time that you wish that the protagonists can become sincere and become the sustenance of the other. <<less
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LadyBlue
LadyBlue rated it
March 1, 2018
Status: c11
This novel takes a while to make sense, so please read at least 5 chapters before making up your mind about it. Good things are worth your time and patience XD

I know the summary above maketh no sense, so here's my amateur take on it with some very minor spoilers-

... more>>
Spoiler

Basically, our story starts with a mu*der. A gruesome mu*der on the poorer part of the city evokes much interest and outrage from the netizens, forcing the Police to involve the MCs team. Now let's introduce the main cast *clap clap*

Luo Wenzhou (MC/seme) - police officer, hates Fei Du, very gay, in love with his straight best friend

Tao Ran - police officer, very poor, straight best friend mentioned above

Zhongyi- mu*der victim mentioned above

Fei Du (ML/uke) - rich young master, playboy, good at playing detective, bis**ual... maybe, also in love with Tao Ran, hates love rival Luo Wenzhou,

[collapse]

I find the MC and ML's relationship as love rivals very amusing... especially since the object of their affection has made it clear that both of them have a rat's chance in hell with him. I'm really looking forward to how they will go from can't stand being near 20 feet from each other to don't touch my boyfriend b*tch.

One of the reasons I like about this novel is the fact that neither of the MCs are straight from the start. Most Bl stories start with one or both of the main characters being straight, then slowing becoming gay *insert air quotes* for each other. One of the things I hate most about BL is the "I'm straight but I'm gay only for you" trope *rolls eyes* which I'm glad this novel manages to avoid cuz I'm so sick of that crap.

I feel like many authors miss their mark when it comes to character-driven stories--this one doesn't. Priest is an excellent author and this was one of the top 3 books in 2016. There were a lot of small details I found when I was reading that I really found interesting and amusing.

Warning- I helped editing and QCing this novel so my opinion may be biased. <<less
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katiethairu33
katiethairu33 rated it
July 19, 2020
Status: Completed
I have to say this first so as to make sure no more people have misconceptions because of the reviews here.

Fei Du, MC, is not ridiculously OP like mentioned. He is rich yes. From the very first chapter, he is portrayed as a flamboyant dandy. His father was a workaholic and left him most of his wealth when he was very young. He is a CEO but most of the decisions are made by a managerial team and his stakeholders. He doesn't spend any large amount of time on the... more>> company and spends most of his time playing around (as it seemed). Secondly, he isn't a rich f*ck who just gets to participate in police cases because of connections. His DEGREE is in Applied Psychology, specifically, criminal psychology, which, last time I checked, still has influence in police cases. In real life, criminal psychologists do work with the police. It is an actual police job. And besides the first few times when he was actually at the scene and actively helping the police, the rest of the cases he participated were as an INTERN => someone who is doing their JOB.

Untrue statement: a genius psychologist, a millionaire who runs a company, and also has time to help the police solve their crimes???

He doesn't run his company. He only signs documents when necessary and takes in reports. And I believe he is a billionaire. So it's worse. Haha. He is a psychologist and that IS his job with the police so it's not mutually exclusive. So I don't see how he is 'ridiculously OP'.

I'm not finished reading this story. I'm only at the one-third mark and I decided to write this to stop people from having misconceptions like I did after reading the reviews here. I'm unlikely to change my 5 star rating. This is my first Priest novel. So maybe it's because I'm objective and I don't find them OP at all? Both MC & ML have such blatant flaws. I don't see how they can be categorized as such. Anyway, I will update this review once I'm finished.

Update:

I MTLd it from around the 70s. I'm sure I missed some of the nuance but the story was so complex and well-written. Everything has an explanation and Fei Du makes such amazing progress towards the end of the story. I love the ML because he really managed to reform a person through sheer love. Haha. He has so much patience and doesn't press the MC for answers any more than he can handle. I would rate it 5 stars just for their relationship not to mention the amazing supporting characters as well as the intriguing plot. It's definitely worth it. I haven't started reading Priest because I can't find completely translated works but now I'm regretting not starting them earlier. I should've not cared if it was MTL. I probably missed some great books out there. QAQ <<less
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Aila
Aila rated it
September 15, 2020
Status: Completed
When I'm trying to find a novel to read, I learned to ignore the 5/4 ratings and move on to the low ratings so that I can determine what others find inadequate in it. Alas, in this case there was only one such review which was quickly refuted by later reviews. In any case I proceeded to read this as I was curious and adamant in at least reading one crime novel in this site (as I used to read that kind of novel in the past) and this was... more>> a good candidate.

Now, while this may be referred to as better than some of its kind in this site, I did find some unsatisfactory things in it.

As the story progressed it was engaging, to say the least. While it has the unfortunate elements common to such novels — the two protagonist are indeed more intelligent than their peers (more so with the ML). It can be reasoned that as MC is the leader of their unit, he is naturally their brain. While ML, well let's just say he understands the minds of psychopaths really well. However I found it suspicious that MC asks ML questions that he should know/deduce already seeing as he's an experienced police officer! (This happens later in the story btw) It's like the author is deliberately making it happen so that we should know ML is more intelligent and so on. Side characters also somehow can't come to their own conclusions and always need to ask questions to understand things. Now while these things may not be a major flaw this bothers me and one of the reasons why I don't find this novel good as the majority do.

The major flaw I do find is the way things are strung in the climax... is kinda convoluted. As the author made it so that the cases are connected in the end, the end product was not handled well in my opinion. It's like connecting the strings together and maybe what the author envisioned after it's done is a beautiful artwork, but what I see are strings that are so tangled I find it hard to believe. Pity that, as the individual cases shined in their own way and I was enjoying them too.

Now that I finished it and as I looked back on it I don't find it that impressive. Or maybe my expectations of what I find impressive are just that high, as in the caliber of rational fics.

Tl;dr As the novel neared its end and revelations after revelations are revealed, novel lost its luster to me. <<less
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shairiru
shairiru rated it
March 2, 2019
Status: Completed
I've seen many readers praise Mo Du highly and now I know why. It's really brilliant, how the things were woven together without losing its sense of being believable. Really really smart. Priest definitely gave the plot a hard thought.

Definitely more plot-centric, but the interactions between the main CP are intense af and are oh-so-good.

The main characters are precious. Starting from a sort of 'love rivalry' to becoming lovers themselves... their growth together was really wonderful, too. Fei Du is a really really interesting character. The way Priest showed how... more>> he was dealing with his trauma was really... unnerving? And much real. Some comments about him before was that he's too efficient (intelligent + with resources), but you'd realize it makes sense that he has this when you arrive at the later parts of the story.

Luo Wenzhou is very precious, too, both as a police officer and a boyfriend <3 He's a good character in every sense and has great dynamics with Fei Du.

The secondary characters have greay development, too. They have their own motivations and are definitely essential to the story.

The cases tend to get heavy, e.g. drug trafficking, abuse, gruesome mu*ders, etc... but written well, it's so worth the mtl hahahaha

Priest's characteristic humor and philosophical writing shines as usual.

Highly recommended !!

p.s. Mo Du is Douban's top suspense/mystery book of 2018 for a reason :) <<less
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rICKY
rICKY rated it
July 25, 2019
Status: --
Alright, so I lightly skimmed the novel, but listened to the audio drama pretty carefully to where the story is currently.

This is gonna be controversial: the problem I have with all priest fics is how are... the main leads so ridiculously overpowered??? Fei du, the ML, is literally a genius psychologist, a millionaire who runs a company, and also has time to help the police solve their crimes??? First of all, a police department would never let a civilian do half the sh*t Fei Du does. Secondly, this police is... more>> wildly incompetent if
Spoiler

fei du can interrogate a child sociopath better than a psychologist that works with the police department. they didnt even attempt to bring a child psychologist!!!

[collapse]

If your main lead is this ridiculously overpowered, for me, it takes a lot of the storyline tension away. As for the plot -- it's mainly case-solving. I'd say each case is just alright. The pacing gets a little slow and some of them drag on longer than necessary.

Overall, I didn't enjoy it because I really don't like overpowered ML or MCs unless it's hella funny and self-aware. The plot itself could be enjoyable, if you like super dramatic mu*der cases with like way too many sociopaths lmaooo. <<less
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Donutts
Donutts rated it
March 7, 2019
Status: c71
This novel had sat in my unnervingly long want-to-read list for the longest time and I don't know why I never bother to try it out until now. Even though I've been holding on to the concept that I shouldn't write a novel review before finishing it, I firmly believe that this novel deserves more attention since the summary doesn't do enough justice for this masterpiece.
    • MC : Even though it's stated above that the shou is a coward, so far he's not showing any signs as a coward aside from having hemophobia and suffering a trauma due to his childhood experience. He's dealing with his trauma amazingly in a realistic way. He's a scarred genius, with lots of witty remarks and sweet nonsense to spare.
      Spoiler

      I especially love the way he evades unwanted topics ridiculously smoothly and his 'realistic psychotic's way of thinking

      [collapse]
    • ML: A capable police officer, the son of a somewhat powerful figure in the police department. Shameless. Kind of a love-rival of the MC, since neither he nor the MC is expecting positive result from their love interest.
    • The author didn't make the main characters unreasonably capable while the side characters are left with brain-dead disease. The side characters have their own distinct characteristics and charms as well as developments. Even I who often have troubles remembering names, while I may not be able to recite the name, once it is mentioned, I can easily recognise which character the name belongs to
This is plot-focused story. There is no information dumping chapter here. You get to know the background story of the characters bit by bit through their interactions. You get to unveil and guess the path of the cases together with the characters.

Although it focuses more on the plot, the interactions between the main characters are really loveable too.

I've been hooked to the story after two chapters. The author has a unique style of delivering the story. I have the mind to MTL and finish the entire novel, however I love the translator's choice of words too much. The story flows really smoothly, and I would hate to miss lots of details in a mystery novel.

This novel is a must read! Both for the mystery and the romance! It's amazing in every aspect.
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T1t4n14
T1t4n14 rated it
August 23, 2020
Status: Completed
Wow!!! What a ride...

It's a great stories with great closure and great translation I have no complain. Just in case your are confused like I was, e danglars completed the translations of 5 volumes and an epilogue. Enjoy the ride.
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stardustmist
stardustmist rated it
July 31, 2020
Status: epilogue
This is one of the best written novel out there, not just the plot and crime cases, but the whole of characterization and foreshadowing. I got goosebumps while reading this and not gonna lie, my heart and stomach became so cold, I had to take a moment to breathe and continue this novel.

One reviewer said that the Police is incompetent if... more>>
Spoiler

They didn't invite a child criminal specialist to interrogate but Fei Du has said that there was no evidence and they were running out of time, also, so he wanted to take the chance and talk with the little girl. He was the one who made her drop the weapon, too

[collapse]

Fei Du isn't OP as people mentioned because if you have read the book, you would know why his thinking is so different from "normal people"
Spoiler

Fei Du was trained by his father to be a sad*st like himself, he was abused and filled with the thoughts of harming others since young. His hands were tainted red from the lives of baby animals and birds: his father tortured him into being a monster. He treated himself with electric shocks to unlearn those habits, he had PTSD and forgot some of the memories. He also studied about serial killers and their cases. That's why he knows how a mind of a psychopath works, he places himself into their shoes and analyzes the cause and effects.

[collapse]

These cases were like threads of an old silk scarf, messy and tangled yet so deep rooted that there wasn't a link between them on the surface. I couldn't comprehend some twists and was felt awed by how Priest meticulously wrote the cases. Each and every one of them were so intricately written and overwhelming that I couldn't read a few lines more.

You don't only get familiar with the main characters, but the side characters make you feel so devastated, because not everyone gets their happily ever after. Priest made me feel so strongly even for the passing characters, I truly am amazed and heartbroken.

Wenzhou and Fei Du are such a perfect couple, and have an amazing dynamic. They are so well written as if they are so real and you might encounter them in your life. Sometimes they are shameless, other times tender and loving, sometimes bittersweet and pain. They leave a whole range of flavors in your mouth that makes you crave for more.

WENZHOU BEST GONG EVER, HE'S JUST THE IDEAL HUSBAND!!! AND, FEI DU, OH MY BABY, I'VE ADOPTED HIM!!! Please read to find out about the best husband and his little husband!!!

Mo Du is definitely one of the best novel written by Priest. It made me cry, made me laugh, made me smile, made me heartbroken, made me think over many minute things concerning life and people, but moreover, it made me fall in love with the book and the characters.

I highly recommend people to read this, unless you aren't comfortable with the cases. There are many TW, so please pay attention before reading!!

P.S. YiGuo is the best cat ever, I LOVE HIM SO MUCH!!!! Long Live President Guo!!!! <<less
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ebryetas
ebryetas rated it
June 28, 2021
Status: c1
Absolutely phenomenal story. Priest is a GENIUS, I can't wait to read every other book she has ever written (Mo Du is my first)

This is hands down the best translated novel I have read so far (and yes, I've read MDZS, which I also absolutely love).
    1. The main couple: I love Luo Wenzhou and Fei Du with all of my heart. They were both so interesting and individual. They had distinct personalities, one wasn't more feminine or more a "woman"/"wife" than the other (a very common theme in BL sadly). They were both very strong individuals who slowly but surely fell in love with each other. And it was so so beautiful. I fell in love with their love. This is absolutely a slow-burn romance, and the romance definitely takes a back seat to the plot, but the plot was so good and their love was so pure that I didn't care about that at all. When it comes to romance I think Priest is incredibly talented at "showing" rather than "telling", something that many authors/authors to be get wrong. She showed the readers that Fei Du and Luo Wenzhou were falling in love simply through the small gestures and moments they shared. She never once out right said they were in love with each other until it was already so obvious that they were both boiling over with feelings. The lead up to them officially getting together was filled with silly bickering, soft glances, a bit of longing, gentle caresses and f*ck was it beautiful.
    1. The side characters: Also super enjoyable and fun to read about! I love Little Glasses (Xiao Haiyang) and his anxiousness about dealing with others, Lang Qiao and her silly bickering with Captain Luo, and even Lu Jia and his weird, slightly superhuman strength. And god, Tao Ran. I love this s*upid s*upid... more>> straight man. Kind and tough, smart enough to stand with the best of them, this man stumbles and gets SO flustered around the woman he has a gigantic (and obvious) crush on and it's so freakin cute. Babies. All of them.
    1. The plot: AMAZING. ABSOLUTELY AMAZING. I don't read many mystery novels, I'm much more of a sci-fi fantasy reader myself, but when it comes to anything with LGBT+ content I'll devour it regardless of genre. This book right here makes me actually want to start reading more mystery/investigations novels. Like DAMN Priest can write. I couldnt tell you much about forensics or police procedure but Priest definitely sounds like she knows how it all works. The writing and flow of the plot is just so smart that I'm in awe. There were a few things I managed to guess right throughout, but for the most part I was kept on my toes, every time I thought a case was closed something crazy would happen and I would gasp aloud and my eyes would be glued to the page in shock. AND THE WAY EVERYTHING WRAPS TOGETHER. READING THESE BOOKS AND HAVING THE MYSTERY SLOWLY UNRAVEL AND SEEING HOW ONE CASE FIT IN WITH ANOTHER WAS JUST *chef's kiss* mua, perfect.
5 beautiful beautiful gold stars. This is amazing, I can't wait for it to be two years in the future so that I'll have had adequate time to both digest, and forget this story so that I can read it again.

I love it, please read it.

Edit: (I read the E. Danglars version because it had a. Mobi file option [so I could read it on my kindle and bookmark and highlight stuff], and it was very well translated, though I'm sure the other translations are just fine as well) <<less
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SilverStream1706
SilverStream1706 rated it
August 6, 2020
Status: epilogue
Really one of the best BLs I've read, because Priest doesn't write it as if it's a Bl; this is a story about dark conspiracies and mu*ders, and incidentally, it turns into a love story woven together by those same mysteries.

Both protagonists are strong in their own ways and in all aspects are equals. Luo Wenzhou s a clever, sharp tongued police officer. Fei Du is the insolent rich young master who has a knack for seeing mu*der from the criminal's point of view. They start off as frenemies but... more>> get closer as time passes. Flirting and UST starts from the almost the first chapter but they properly get together around the end of Book 3.

The plot is amazing, just the right amount of suspense, humor and gore to keep your attention. There are A LOT of characters and things that happen in the first chapters become significant in the last few chapters. It's best to read Mo Du in one go, otherwise you'll end up forgetting some details.

All the side characters are well developed, and so are the villains. Luo Wenzhou's fellow police officers start off as comic relief but by the end, they're characters you want to root for. The villains do awful, irredeemable things but Priest forces you to see things from their side, making their actions understandable.

This novel has a lot of dark themes, such as:
Spoiler

gore, child trafficking, pedophilia, mentions of r*pe, child abuse, psychological torture, physical torture

[collapse]

TL;DR Amazing mu*der/conspiracy investigation novel; slow burn; strong MC/ML; great side cast; plot twist after plot twist. Go read it! <<less
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Efu-sama
Efu-sama rated it
February 25, 2021
Status: Completed
Truly a marvelous novel! Sometimes I didn't realize that I'm reading a BL, and a webnovel at that, and think that what I'm reading is a true classically printed crime/detectives novel. I think even people who never read any BL novel would likely to enjoy this very much. If this novel ever get translated to English for real, I'd never hesitate to buy a copy and have it in my collection, without shame, and would definitely bragging about this novel towards my friends who are not even a fujoshi. Because... more>> this novel truly deserve it. <<less
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Queen_of_Chaos000
Queen_of_Chaos000 rated it
January 10, 2021
Status: Completed
Silent Reading is a package compact with thriller, psychology, law, romance, and comedy.

Though the romance is on the low side, it was still very endearing when mentioned.

Both President Fei and Captain Luo are awesome characters, that contribute equally to the whole story. The villains were equally intelligent, but since President Fei was more than a little crafty their plight at the end was a little nasty and well deserved. All in all, very well thought out.

One of the best Chinese novels I've read, and it definitely deserves 5 stars.
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Luxe.d
Luxe.d rated it
August 1, 2020
Status: Completed
I really love it! Specially the ending, it was so satisfyingggg!! A good read, brain-wrecking cases (for me, since I'm slow) I love the character! They really are well-developed! Anyway, give it a try!
7 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
yooa_12
yooa_12 rated it
September 20, 2021
Status: c1
I have to be honest, priest works are not my favorite, but from the few I've read, this is the one I've liked the most. Even though the plot becomes very heavy at some point and it blocked my brain from reading, it was something I was already expecting, Pipi never goes easy on my brain lmao

The romance felt very fast, even when it was a slowburn, I dont know why, but one moment luo wenzhou and fei du were fight-flirting, and the next they are flirting-flirting and then they... more>> are together ajkdhkjh it kept me going like "what??? WhEN?? HOW?¡" but I loved it.

Luo wenzhou is one of the most interesting characters i've seen, he's someone i'd love to be friends with. Fei du, , , , omg, , , fei du went through a LOT, and he is, , , , amazing to say the least.

I remember one quote very clearly that gave me chills: "Fei du has a talent for crime"

That was when I knew he wouldn't be an easy character and a lot of stuff was going on with him.

the side characters are also very lovely, from Lang qiao to tao ran and xiao haiyang, they are strong on their own and always help lwz without question.

But definitely, the main star, the one who takes the crown, is Luo Yiguo HAHAHAHAH he's the best cat ever, I love him so much, so funny <<less
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Synteis
Synteis rated it
July 25, 2021
Status: --
Favourite parts:
- Extensive exploration of how trauma can affect people and be passed down through families.

- Some really good cases which are solved through a partnership, both between the main leads as well as with the wider criminal investigation team.

- Strong sense of places as well as observations on societal composition + problems in contemporary China

... more>> - The number of high-stress cases in a short period of time is remarked upon and explained in universe.

- Fantastic and warm relationship between the MLs in the midst of high stress work and personal struggles. The cop struggles with self-discipline, anxiety and over-confidence while the CEO-criminal psychologist struggles with trust, emotional intimacy, perceptions about his true nature and has ptsd. They're not always sure how to handle each other's difficulties and are just making it up as they go along but the truth of their emotions is always able to win out.

- The structure of the novel is like a rollercoaster. It's divided into 5 cases + an epilogue w extras. Each case ramps up the stress/tension for the first half then in the middle has a partial resolution which exposes a deeper sin/problem which then has to be unravelled in the second half. The midpoint often has a cute moment between the leads which allows for some R&R for you as a reader. Each case ends with a hint/unfurling of the central case/conflict and some more development of the ML's romance.

- The partnership between the MLs is present throughout and they often work together. Their approaches strongly complement each other.

- Although there are no explicit s*x scenes, they have an explicitly s*xual relationship and we see a lot of moments of physical intimacy between them. I find their dynamics here also compelling.

- Both characters are explicitly queer from the first time they're introduced. The cop is gay and out at work and to his parents while the CEO-psychologist is bis**ual. Both are known to be flirty, each in their own way. We never see strong h*mophobia, much more so we see characters worried about h*mophobia directed towards them but which is not present or some very minor comments. It's acknowledged that their interests are non-standard so this isn't some fantasy world.

- The cop's parents are fantastic and very supportive of their son while also being well aware of his flaws. This healthy familial relationship is really important in a sea of unhealthy ones.

- The encounters between the eco-psychologist and his in-laws are hilarious and also very heartwarming.
- The cop has a cat who very normal and thus a complete terror.

- Lots of focus on how both MLs are effective leaders and that a lot of their success comes from having good, smart people on their teams who are well managed.

- Very funny and well-observed characters and humour throughout. The metaphors the author uses are unusual and yet immediately effective while the humour helps balance out the dark tone of the cases.

- The villains over identifying with the CEO-psychologist and misjudging him for it.

- A great side female character who is just as true to life as the other characters on the team. She is allowed to be unladylike and almost gross at times while also enjoying romance novels and caring about her appearance.

Bad parts:
- Like most crime-mystery novels, this glorifies (some) police work including laws being broken "for the right reasons". The issues within the police force which it presents are not structural problems but "bad apples".

- The ending is not the most satisfying because it becomes a bit too convoluted. The earlier villains/criminals were much more grounded and had much better pathos for it but the final villains spent a bit too long in the shadows for the most part.
Spoiler

The corrupt cop is the exception here because we get a lot of his POV and get to see how much his childhood broke him. He has people who he cares about very much and that he would do anything for but is willing to excuse almost everything for their sake. I'm glad we got so much of his POV including before the full reveal of his villain status.

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Spoiler

In contrast, his brother is a never delved into at the psychological level, just hinted. At. Meeting his brother's son early on does help give definition to his brother but he doesn't quite feel grounded. Both he and the other big bad, the Reciter, feel more like cartoon villains. The Reciter in particular runs a cult and also was part of a key memory in the CEO-psychologist's childhood but his motivations lack all depth. The only part I liked about his character depiction was his reaction to a photo of the person who he'd in some ways carried out his plans for. It would have been better if the cult members hadn't been in the room when he and FD were talking at the end. The cult members had already been established very effectively earlier through the surviving family of one of the cases so having this mass of people who were very flat in these scenes flattened things.

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- The epilogue left a lot of side characters with loose ends. In earlier cases, they often summarized the gap between the perception of the criminal and the POV of the outside world as well as following up on small side characters. In particular, I wish they'd fully traced how some of the characters from earlier cases tied into the main plot. <<less
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melongoh
melongoh
February 8, 2021
Status: c136
This is a very good novel actually. The plots and stories are very unique. Priest is a very good author. Unfortunately the bl romance was too little for me to the point of misery, that I lost interest by the time I finished 136 chapters. I decided to take a break from the novel, read something else and return later, but I never did.
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xiexia
xiexia rated it
January 25, 2021
Status: c96
Dropped this novel today, unfortunately. BEFORE YOU LEAVE! Hear me out a bit.

The novel itself is very well written. A good amount of humour and an interesting, albeit complex, story make for an altogether well rounded book, one that proves Priest’s position as one of the more prominent BL authors.

I only had one qualm about this novel - its focal points. It’s pretty plot-heavy with hardly any romance in the first half. Where I dropped off, things were starting to heat up, fortunately, but I lost interest by then. It’s... more>> important to note that this was probably the turning point in MC and ML’s relationship lol. Don’t get me wrong - there are romantic interactions, but maybe not as many as I would have liked.

I understand that objectively this may not be something to criticise the novel about. However, if you are like me and need that perfect balance of love and plot, you’ll understand where I am coming from. Turn your mind, for example to MXTX’s works - imo, the *supreme* leader in terms of what should be included in a BL novel in terms of the amount of romance and interesting storylines.

TLDR: the novel is well put together and you can tell the author spent a lot of time on the plot, but if you are looking for a little more romance, look elsewhere.

side note: if you are like me and have a bad habit of sometimes scan reading when you lose interest, don’t! You’ll probably miss out on some important details. Like I did. <<less
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Sivajani
Sivajani rated it
January 22, 2021
Status: Completed
This is extremely good.

The details, the subtly flirting b/w the main chracs, the flow.. Everything, is exceptionally thought out and interwoven well.

Of all the books I've read, this easily takes up the No.1 place on my list.

Thankyou so much for translating
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BillionJellyfish
BillionJellyfish rated it
October 15, 2020
Status: Completed
As expected, Priest's works never disappoints!

MC: a CEO that works with the police

ML: a police officer

... more>> Summary: The story is a series of cases that delve into the dark side of society. There is child prostitution, mu*der, drugs, corruption, and much more. From enemies to lovers, the MC is smart and shameless, not afraid to go after what he wants. While the ML is a perfect mix of tsundere and shamelessness.

Overall: The story is very well written! This is my first police-detective themed bl novel and I'm happily surprised by how engaging and thrilling the novel is. I love the interactions between the main characters and the side characters. I'm very curious about the side characters' background, their relationships, and future stories, but sadly this is the end. I wish there were more side stories! TT^TT <<less
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clxndestinely
clxndestinely rated it
August 26, 2020
Status: Completed
[Technically a 4.6, but I'd prefer it be rated higher than lower].

Despite the story being a bit dull at the start, the pace picks up once we know who the two MCs are. Although their personalities can sometimes be "unstable", there's a overall grasp, and they can end up being the people you love the most in the universe.

The main plot... is a bit convoluted. Of course, the arcs generally make sense, despite the occasional confusion and info-dumping. It's the majority of the story and gives life to the world,... more>> really. Whilst showing us how cruel humans can be, it also brings with it hope. Admittedly, there are some rollercoaster-like twists that get your head spinning in a not-so-good way, but you can understand the shape relatively well if you ignore the blurriness.

Meanwhile, the romance is rather slow-burn. I think this is my favourite part of it, actually. It takes a realistic pace that makes us, the readers, desperate for more. Kind of like drugs, really. Despite the difference in personality, both MCs work well to discover the truth, and they're equal in one way or another. When they're in troubled waters, they will sit down and communicate, though it takes some time.

Side characters... To be honest, it was hard to keep track sometimes. Some had one-time uses and others were remembered in volatile segments. Of course, I still understood and possibly sympathised with some, but there were too many to keep track of, which makes a bit of sense,
Spoiler

considering the crime-organisation thing.

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Let me give you an example of why I got confused. Here are some surnames that appeared: Zhou, Zhen, Zhang, and Zheng. Perhaps my memory is too bad for this, but I'd prefer not to have so many major guys with surnames beginning with "Zh." Seriously.

The ending was satisfactory. That's all I'll say for people who wanna know without reading. ☺️ <<less
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