Chang, Henry 1951-

PERSONAL:

Born 1951, in New York, NY. Education: Pratt Institute, graduated; City College of New York, graduated.

ADDRESSES:

Home—New York, NY.

CAREER:

Writer. Works as a security director.

WRITINGS:

Chinatown Beat (novel), Soho (New York, NY), 2006. Contributor to anthologies and Asian-American magazines.

SIDELIGHTS:

Henry Chang's first novel, Chinatown Beat, features New York Police Department detective Jack Yu, who finds himself on a case in New York City's Chinatown. Since, like the author, Yu grew up in Chinatown, he has inside information on the famous district and can interact easily with its residents. Yu also has firsthand knowledge of the local gangs and organized crime syndicates. Yu finds himself tracking down a serial rapist who targets little girls, as well as the person who murdered the leader of the Hip Chings, a powerful syndicate. Several reviewers commented on how the author presents an insider's look at New York's Chinatown. For the Gumshoe Review Web site, Ernest Lilley wrote: "Chinatown Beat is a gritty noir investigation of the world behind the face of New York's Chinese community, offered up by an author who grew up immersed in its culture as much as his protagonist." A Publishers Weekly contributor similarly noted that that the novel "presents a fascinating look at New York's Chinese-American urban community and its subcultures." Booklist critic Connie Fletcher declared the novel "an intriguing, up-close examination of a closed community."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, October 1, 2006, Connie Fletcher, review of Chinatown Beat, p. 39.

Chicago Tribune, November 12, 2006, Dick Adler, review of Chinatown Beat.

Kirkus Reviews, September 15, 2006, review of Chinatown Beat, p. 930.

New York Times, November 26, 2006, Marilyn Stasio, review of Chinatown Beat.

Publishers Weekly, September 18, 2006, review of Chinatown Beat, p. 39.

ONLINE

Chinatown Beat Web site,http://www.chinatownbeat.com (December 19, 2006).

Gumshoe Review,http://gumshoereview.com/ (November 1, 2006), Ernest Lilley, "Interview: Henry Chang"; (December 19, 2006), Ernest Lilley, review of Chinatown Beat.