Ed Lin Books In Order

Publication Order of Detective Robert Chow Books

Publication Order of Taipei Night Market Books

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Publication Order of Anthologies

About Ed Lin

Hailing from New York City, the Taiwanese-American author Ed Lin is an award winning writer, going on to create a number of bestsellers. These have largely been set firmly within the mystery genre, as he’s set-up numerous series and short-story collections with his elusive and evocative style of writing. Known for asking some of the bigger questions, he’s been able to seemingly effortlessly combine a variety of different elements into one intoxicating and compelling mix.

Early and Personal Life

He was born in New York City, America, which was where he was also raised, gaining a strong interest in both reading as well as writing from a very early age. Attending Columbia University, he would graduate with a Bachelor of science, which was in Mining engineering, and he would gain it in 1991. All the while though, he would continue to develop both his craft and his style, building upon his voice, as he would be just one class short of gaining a Bachelor of Arts degree in Literature writing.

Initially hoping to go to journalism school, he would have to change his plans, although this still lead to him becoming a full-time writer. Starring in films as well, he has appeared in numerous features, such as ‘The Potential Wives of Norman Mao’, as he would be the lead role of Norman Mao himself. Meeting his wife, the actress Cindy Cheung, they would both marry in 2002, before having a son together, as he still writes to this day from his home in New York.

Writing Career

In 2002 Ed Lin would publish his first novel titled ‘Waylaid’, which would be brought out through Kaya, as it would go on to become universally acclaimed and praised. He would later follow this up with some more series based efforts, beginning with the book ‘This is a Bust’ in 2007, which would be the first in the ‘Detective Robert Chow’ series of novels. This would later be followed up with the series ‘Taipei Night Market’ in 2014, starting out with the first novel titled ‘Ghost Month’.

Publishing shorter stories too, he would also write a serialized novel for the publication ‘Giant Robot Magazine’, along with numerous other short stories. Writing for video-games too, he would also write the story ‘Unforgivable: Eliza’, which would become the basis for an AR detective game. Gaining a number of awards and plaudits, he would go on to become universally celebrated, with scores of readers singing his praises worldwide.

99 Ways to Die

First published through the Soho Crime label, this was a mystery novel that originally came out on the 9th of October in 2018. This would also mark the third title in the ongoing mystery series of thriller novels titled ‘A Taipei Night Market’, with Jing-nan at the center of them. Providing another self-contained mystery narrative, it follows on from the last, taking the story and the characters ultimately forwards.

An expert at building suspense and tension, this title is no exception to the rule, with Lin excelling at what he does best. Set in Taipei, it primarily takes place around the bustling night market there, which is something that runs throughout the series as a whole. The character of Jing-nan is also extremely well developed too, with his personality being built upon over the course of the novel too.

Knowing Peggy Lee all the way back to high-school, Jing-nan sees her as a frenemy, with her having taken over her family business. Running a massive corporate bank and real-estate company, it soon transpires that the father of Peggy has been kidnapped, as the kidnappers seek the IP of a new memory chip which they can sell to China. Blackmailed into helping her out, Jing is then forced to assist her in finding her father before it’s too late and the deadline passes them by. Falling deep into a nether world of deeply unsavory characters and low-life’s, he must do whatever it takes to get her father back. Will he be able to manage it before it’s too late? Can they get to the bottom of the case in hand? Just what exactly are the 99 ways to die?

Waylaid

Heralding the arrival of a major new literary talent, this would be the first book to come from Ed Lin as a full-time author of fiction. Originally published through the ‘Kaya’ publishing imprint, this would first come out in 2002 on the 2nd of May to much acclaim and applause. Working entirely with its own stand-alone narrative and story, it isn’t a part of any series, being a coming-of-age story of sorts.

Setting the tone for a writing career to come, this really makes for an exciting and impactful debut novel from Ed Lin as an author. Dealing with a whole wealth of different issues, it really manages to draw the reader in and allows them to really get to know the central character. Regardless of the reader’s various backgrounds it manages to resonate on a far more personal level, which goes some way towards explaining how it has come to be so widely regarded internationally. The setting of the novel is also something to be admired too, as it really brings not just the world to life, but the interior lives of the characters too, giving them a real and clearly defined set of goals and ambitions.

Taking place in an otherwise over charged sexual environment, this sees a young Chinese American boy growing up within the sleazy motel of his parents. Helping to run it for them, he sees all manner of debauchery there, as he must also come to terms with his own adolescent desires. Dealing with his own roots and family, he is looking to the future, trying to find his own place in the world as it is. He must also cope with his own situation, as he looks at class and race, seeing the entire world through a new set of eyes almost. Will he ever be able to find his own unique place in the world? Can he find what it is that he’s looking for? Is he going to be waylaid?