THE DEAD CAN'T MAKE A LIVING

A corpse on the premises sends the Night Market sleuths on another crazy case.

Chen Jing-nan, proprietor of the Unknown Pleasures food stand in Taipei’s Shilin Night Market, suffers a particularly unpleasant session of his night-school business management class when his instructor, Mr. Chiang, dresses him down at length in front of the other students. Later that night, the team at Unknown Pleasures offers consolation and encouragement. Meanwhile, Jing-nan’s obsession with his imperious instructor is temporarily brushed aside by the discovery of a corpse eventually identified as that of Juan Ramos, a Filipino immigrant who worked at a food processing plant. Lin’s ebullient series runs on the playful camaraderie and bubbly banter of the Unknown Pleasures team, which includes Nancy, Jing-nan’s girlfriend; Dwayne, his best friend; and Frankie, an elderly curmudgeon. The plot of this fifth outing runs on two parallel tracks, counterpointing the long arc of Jing-nan’s complicated relationship with Mr. Chiang with the search for Juan’s killer. The gang at Unknown Pleasures is drawn into the investigation through the visits of jaded Det. Liang, who, presenting himself as a tourist, seems to suspect them and, more movingly, through their acquaintance with Juan’s grieving mother, Rosario. In one of several funny episodes, Jing-nan disguises himself, shaving his head in an effort to appear Filipino. Shades of the criminal world are represented by Jing-nan’s uncle Big Eye and his colleagues, including one known as Black Bear. A refreshing multinationalism continues to run through the series, which folds Taiwanese, Vietnamese, Australian, Chinese, and Filipino characters into the action.

Cheeky humor and a team of investigators you’ll want to hang with.