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China White by Sarah Richards review: A fresh take with a flawed lead character

By Alexandria Ingham

Jessica Graham, owner of independent book shop Primrose Hill Books, poses for a photograph in west London on November 6, 2020. - Some 250 small independent bookshops have joined forces to compete with online giants such as Amazon during the second coronavirus lockdown in England. Unlike other countries such as Belgium, sales of books are not deemed to be essential, despite studies indicating more people turned to reading in the first lockdown earlier this year, and outlets have had to close their doors until December 2. Bookshop.org, which was launched in the United States earlier this year, is now available in Britain and in just a few days has generated £60,000 for the retailers taking part in its "click and collect" service. (Photo by Hollie Adams / AFP) (Photo by HOLLIE ADAMS/AFP via Getty Images)
Jessica Graham, owner of independent book shop Primrose Hill Books, poses for a photograph in west London on November 6, 2020. - Some 250 small independent bookshops have joined forces to compete with online giants such as Amazon during the second coronavirus lockdown in England. Unlike other countries such as Belgium, sales of books are not deemed to be essential, despite studies indicating more people turned to reading in the first lockdown earlier this year, and outlets have had to close their doors until December 2. Bookshop.org, which was launched in the United States earlier this year, is now available in Britain and in just a few days has generated £60,000 for the retailers taking part in its "click and collect" service. (Photo by Hollie Adams / AFP) (Photo by HOLLIE ADAMS/AFP via Getty Images) /
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If you want a fresh take on the crime genre, China White by Sarah Richards is the book to read. Here’s my honest review of the novel.

A lot of crime novels follow a similar pattern. They involve a detective or former detective who is still connected to the job and looking to solve a murder. China White by Sarah Richards takes a different path.

It all starts with the flawed female character. Yes, Styvie is a former cop, but she didn’t leave on good terms. She was fired after being arrested for a crime. The downside is I still don’t feel like I really know what the full crime was that she was arrested for. It was mentioned here and there, but never fully covered about what she did and why.

Then we also have her father’s backstory. It turns out he was a criminal, but we never really get much on that, either. I do think the novel could have done with exploring some of this more. Maybe it’s for a sequel.

A flawed female character to like

What I will say about Styvie is that she is flawed. China White makes it clear that we can have very real women as lead characters.

For a long time, male characters got to be these flawed, 3D characters that we still liked, but female characters had to be perfect. If they showed any flaws, they were immediately villainized, but that’s not the way the world works. Women are flawed just like men, and we need to see that in novels.

That’s something I immediately loved about China White by Sarah Richards. Styvie is living in her car in a dead-end job just to keep afloat. Yet, she can’t help but get herself in trouble. It finds her, but she’s not doing it to cause trouble. She wants to help.

Not your usual crime to solve in China White by Sarah Richards

A lot of books in the crime genre are focused on a murder to solve. That’s not the case with China White. This is a book about saving someone from a perceived cult. The question is whether there is really a cult there, and what’s actually going on behind closed doors.

We also have the backdrop of Vancouver. When you think about the city in British Columbia, you’ll usually think of the filming that happens there and some of the tourism. But like so many big cities, it’s filled with crime, drugs, and homelessness. That’s not something Sarah Richards shies away from, and something else I appreciated.

We do get this fresh take on the crime genre. I just wish there was a bit more detail. There were times that the book just jumped between parts of the story, and they don’t feel to completely connect together. There is a moment with Dharma that doesn’t really connect with me. I don’t get why Dharma suddenly makes the decision she does, and I do wish that we got some time in the novel from Dharma’s point of view.

It’s a small flaw, though. I still thoroughly enjoyed the novel and would highly recommend it.

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

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What did you think of China White by Sarah Richards? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

China White by Sarah Richards is available to buy on Amazon with two-day free shipping with Amazon Prime.

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