The Last Mandarin: A Novel by Louise Penny and Mellissa Fung

A mother and a daughter race against time in this all-too-real thriller that reaches from Tiananmen Square all the way to the White House.

Synopsis - 

Alice Li, a first-generation Chinese American and former food blogger, has long lived in the shadow of her mother, Vivien Li― a Tiananmen Square dissident turned world-renowned human rights activist and passionate advocate for a free and democratic China.

When security and fire alarms go off simultaneously all around the world, setting off a panic, the signal is traced back to China. As world leaders scramble to respond, Vivien and Alice are called to the White House in hopes Madame Li can interpret the Chinese intentions. But why involve Alice?

If China isn’t behind the attack, Vivien warns, someone even more dangerous is pulling the strings. Mother and daughter must join together to overcome their estrangement if they have any hope of preventing global catastrophe. From DC to Ohio to Hong Kong, they work to prevent the next attack, along the way decoding an ancient legend and uncovering a secret language invented by women, for women.

The Last Mandarin is an electrifying study of absolute power and voracious greed, political terror and personal conviction. But it is also an intimate examination of choice, of sacrifice, of memory and myths, both cultural and personal. It is the story of a mother and daughter, as well as a compelling international thriller about the precarious balance of power across the world, and within a family. And what happens when both break down.

In a world ruled by power, even family can be a weapon.

Review - 

Buy the book:  Amazon US ~ Amazon CA

Meet the Authors -

LOUISE PENNY is a celebrated crime-fiction author who is best known for her globally bestselling Chief Inspector Armand Gamache mystery series set in Quebec.  She started her career at the CBC as a radio host while still a student at Ryerson University. After graduation, she had a successful radio career hosting programmes, producing documentaries and covering Morningside for Peter Gzowski. 

Penny didn't publish her first novel until age 45, but has since sold millions of books and won numerous awards. She is a #1 New York Times and Globe and Mail bestselling author, and her novels have been published in 28 languages. Louise has won numerous awards, including the CWA Dagger, the Agatha Award (five times), the Anthony Award, as well as the Order of Canada and the Ordre National du Quebec.

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MELLISSA FUNG is a veteran journalist, best-selling author, and award-winning filmmaker. Her latest book, written with Louise Penny, The Last Mandarin, will be published in May 2026. Fung has traveled the world producing original award-winning documentaries for Al-Jazeera International, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), and TV Ontario, among others. She covered the war in Afghanistan as a field correspondent for the CBC, leading to her best-selling first book, Under an Afghan Sky, which chronicled her experience as a hostage after she was kidnapped while on assignment in Kabul in 2008. 

Since then, she has focused on human rights reporting, especially on women and girls in post-war conditions. She is also a frequent contributor to The Globe and Mail and Monocle Radio, and her work has also appeared on The Huffington Post, The Toronto Star, TRT, CNN, and PBS. She holds a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University in New York. She was appointed as an officer to the Order of Canada in 2024. She lives in Toronto with her husband Paul and her scruffy rescue dog, Sammy.

Connect:  Website