Late at night in the city, a woman’s corpse in red was found drowned in a river, glowing water plants entwined around her. Surveillance footage showed her apparently “walking” into the water alone. At a murder scene in an urban village, every mirror had been smeared with cinnabar. Witnesses insisted they had seen a shadow in the glass, yet the surveillance footage showed no one at all… A string of seemingly supernatural murders unfolds. Folklore and crime scenes are eerily alike, and a pall of fear spreads over the city.
Forensic investigation prodigy Lin Shen is tormented by childhood memories of witnessing a “ghost,” but possesses an extraordinary ability to deduce the truth from the smallest details. Su Tang, a PhD in folklore, knows the taboos and legends of every region and can decode the cultural clues hidden in each case. The passionate police captain Zhou Ye wields scientific investigation as his weapon and vows to expose the truth. Together, the three form a special investigative unit, moving between crime scenes and ancient legends. From “the River God’s Bride” to “Death in the Mirror,” from “the Blood Coffin’s Curse” to “the Paper Doll’s Prophecy,” they use science to explain eerie phenomena and folklore to trace the roots of crime. As science and superstition collide, they piece together the clues and uncover the bloody conspiracies and depths of human depravity hidden behind the ghost stories.
As the truth gradually comes to light, can they solve the killer’s carefully crafted “perfect crime”? And what chilling twists await in the long-buried past they bring to light?
The atmosphere of the locust trees and the Mirror Palace in Qingshui Village is amazing! But I feel that the supporting character's tool-person attributes are a bit strong. For example, Officer Zhou Ye doesn't seem to have many functions except shooting? It is recommended to add more background stories to the supporting characters. In addition, the foreshadowing of the Blood Jade Pendant is well laid, but the twist at the end is a little rushed. I hope that the next chapter will slowly unfold the fate of the twins.
The science student was attracted by the point of "the heartbeat frequency difference is 2.1 Hz", and the science student was ecstatic! However, some settings, such as "the time cocoon hatches and the twins forget their obsessions" are a bit difficult to understand. It is recommended to add some memory killing or supporting characters to explain. The author has a lot of imagination, but the narrative rhythm is fast and slow. However, as a debut novel, it has exceeded expectations. I am looking forward to a follow-up with a more rigorous logic~
As an ordinary reader, to be honest, the first few chapters were a bit confusing, but the part about the blood coffin in the ancient tomb suddenly became interesting! The setting of the twins' heartbeats acting as keys is quite novel, but the fusion of folklore and science fiction in the early stage was a bit stiff, but when I read the fifth chapter of the time cocoon, I suddenly got it. The author has laid out the clues evenly, and I look forward to filling in the holes later!
This is my first time watching this kind of folklore + science fiction suspense, and it's very fresh! I like the mother's reversal of the situation with her heart, which directly opens up the situation. However, some terms such as 'sonar spot' and 'rune resonance' are a bit mixed, so it is recommended to unify the style. It's really cool how a new author can handle such a complicated setting. I'll continue to pay attention!
It's great for a newcomer to write like this! The strange shadow in the mirror and the bone key are very graphic, but the emotional line between Lin Shen and his sister is a bit weak, but the mother's line is more poignant. In addition, the setting of the curse of Qingshui River is a bit complicated. Can you explain it with a more popular example? Overall it's still worth pursuing, come on!
It's wonderful, has a strong sense of immersion, and the graphics are also good.