美國中部小鎮上的中餐館內,竟發生疑似弒父案件?
宛若現代版杜斯妥也夫斯基名作《卡拉馬助夫兄弟們》
威斯康辛州這間狠狠抓住美國人口味的中餐館,雖然關於老闆一家人的流言蜚語從未間斷,卻也在此屹立不搖35年。無論老闆Big Leo到底做生意誠不誠實、老闆娘Winnie是否滿面愁容,這間餐廳的菜總是美味下飯,而且他們家的兒子們個個都拿著獎學金上了不錯的大學。然而深藏在趙家中的各種背叛和恩怨是一顆顆的未爆彈,即將在一次聖誕節團聚後正式引爆⋯⋯
大兒子Dagou是唯一留在家中餐廳幫忙的,當然主要是希望能插手經營權,然而卻被父親狠狠打臉拒絕。二兒子Ming在遠遠的東岸紐約過得風生水起,就為了逃離這個原生家庭,因此也極少回來,而小兒子James則尚在大學唸書。這年聖誕節難得全家團聚,三兄弟才發現母親竟然因為受不了父親長年來的霸道態度,決定離家出走,篤信佛教跟隨佛祖。而更驚人的是隔天一早,父親Leo竟被發現在餐廳的冷凍室裡,失溫多時早已沒有呼吸心跳,而冷凍室的關鍵鑰匙不翼而飛,大哥Dagou也成為了頭號嫌疑犯…
(文/博客來外文館)
One of Literary Hub's and The Millions' Most Anticipated Books of 2022
A Goodreads Readers' Most Anticipated Mystery of 2022
An acclaimed storyteller returns with “a gorgeous and gripping literary mystery” that explores “family, betrayal, passion, race, culture and the American Dream” (Jean Kwok).
The residents of Haven, Wisconsin, have dined on the Fine Chao restaurant’s delicious Americanized Chinese food for thirty-five years, content to ignore any unsavory whispers about the family owners. Whether or not Big Leo Chao is honest, or his wife, Winnie, is happy, their food tastes good and their three sons earned scholarships to respectable colleges. But when the brothers reunite in Haven, the Chao family’s secrets and simmering resentments erupt at last.
Before long, brash, charismatic, and tyrannical patriarch Leo is found dead―presumed murdered―and his sons find they’ve drawn the exacting gaze of the entire town. The ensuing trial brings to light potential motives for all three brothers: Dagou, the restaurant’s reckless head chef; Ming, financially successful but personally tortured; and the youngest, gentle but lost college student James. As the spotlight on the brothers tightens―and the family dog meets an unexpected fate―Dagou, Ming, and James must reckon with the legacy of their father’s outsized appetites and their own future survival.
Brimming with heartbreak, comedy, and suspense, The Family Chao offers a kaleidoscopic, highly entertaining portrait of a Chinese American family grappling with the dark undercurrents of a seemingly pleasant small town.