The Chinese Alchemist

A client commissions Lara McClintoch to buy an Eighth Century T’ang dynasty Chinese silver box, which contains a formula for immortality. Before Lara can outbid a Toronto museum curator, the box is stolen from a Beijing auction house. Lara follows a dangerous trail through the back alleys of modern China to find the box and the thief. Despite its promise of life forever, the ancient box keeps getting people killed. Lara fears she will be next unless she can uncover the secret behind the heist. The Chinese adventure is the last in this acclaimed archeological mystery series.

“Antiques dealer Lara McClintoch is targeted by ruthless criminals while trying to recover an eighth-century Tang Dynasty silver box with an alchemical for the elixir of immortality etched on the inside of the lid. The rare item holds the key not only to the mysterious death of a museum curator, but to Lara’s own survival…In this 11th outing for the globe-trotting Lara McClintoch, fans will enjoy the China setting as well as the history provided in flashbacks at the start of each chapter. An enjoyable, educational and suspenseful road trip.” --Fresh Fiction

“Chinese history from the perspective of a royal concubine, a eunuch, a family of tomb raiders and even the Chairman himself… Hamilton, who rivals Jan Morris as a travel writer gives her eunuch Wu Yuan a mesmerizing story about serving the Imperial Palace and the Son of Heaven.”
--Kirkus Reviews

“…longtime series fans will enjoy seeing McClintoch in action in China."
--Publishers Weekly

“The mystery reading year is brighter when a new Lyn Hamilton appears…USA today calls these archaological mysteries ‘a wonderful series’ and The Chinese Alchemist is ample evidence: …the plotting that weaves the storyline into a cohesive whole, the exquisite description of people and events, the integration of setting into the story and the character evolution that combines, motive deception and consequences.” --The Hamilton Spectator