THE CLAN MUST DIE

In this crime debut, Tam explores themes of family, tradition, and revenge, with the story set against the backdrop of the unique “Small House Policy” in Hong Kong, adding social and cultural complexity to the narrative.

A killer receives an unusual job offer－to eliminate the Simo family, a Hong Kong clan with a rare surname and only sixty-two living members. A month later, the whole Simo family is wiped out at a banquet－by a dish of fried blowfish－with only six survivors. The case shocks the Hong Kong society, and the police, under immense pressure, arrest the cook and declare the case closed.
The six survivors, however, each harbor his/her own dark secrets: an outcast of the family tries hard to forget a past affair; a notorious rake plans an attack to guard his true love; a wife driven by the pressure of producing an heir, throws all moral concerns aside just to ensure the Simo bloodline won’t end… All have a motive, and any one of them could be the murderer. (141)