Ernest Maxwell Graves, a struggling crime writer, is contemplating ending his life due to an undignified failure in writing literature. His latest novel, "Sex and Pontianak," was also a lack of success and was ridiculed by reviewers. However, his misery takes a chilling turn when a beautiful Chinese ghost appears before him. Her name is Chang Pai Lian, named after the white lotus.
Pai Lian offers Ernest a compelling interest in the murder of her twin sister, Chang Hong Lian, who was infamously dubbed the Red Lotus by the press. Her sister was murdered, and the identity of the murderer remains a mystery. Following this tragedy, Pai Lian took her own life. Both sisters died under the bridge at Taiping Botanical Garden.
She claimed that her sister had been murdered, similar to the book she was ghostwriting. She wanted to expose the wrongdoings and make a deal to be Ernest's ghostwriter to tell the true story.
Interesting premise. Aside from the confusing timeline and perspectives, the author delivers a fun, mystical fantasy with plenty of funny punchlines that are easy to read. It was not a straightforward case, though, and it involved supernatural elements.