Black Light Like a Torch

裴魁山 / 周乔Dook Media Group Limited · ChinaMar 2025

3.6

Word count: 493K words
Chapters: 80

Summary

When a judge of justice turns into a homicidal maniac, how do you save yourself? Based on the real experiences of a retired police officer in a white coat—a highly faithful investigative procedural! A serial-case version of I Am a Criminal Police Officer! A murder sealed for years resurfaces fifteen years later. Victims of domestic violence are killed one after another, a tech upstart dies mysteriously, a villager bearing a different surname meets an innocent, tragic death, and indifferent bystanders are punished... When victims turn for help to the very killer who leads them to utter ruin, when the psychological wounds of family of origin fester into a breeding ground for evil, when personal values override the laws of society, killing too dons the guise of redemption. The night is silent, black light burns like a torch—retired veteran detectives assemble a crack investigation team, each displaying their own talents to solve murder cases and peel back layer after layer in search of the truth!

Editor's review

This is a crime novel built on the experiences of a retired police officer in a white uniform. The authors, Pei Kuishan and Zhou Qiao, place a series of linked cases across a fifteen-year span, drawing together victims from vastly different walks of life—domestic abuse survivors, tech upstarts, and outsiders in mountain villages—into a complex web of relationships. The book's readability comes from the interweaving of two threads: one follows the retired veteran detective as he assembles a team, each member contributing a specialty, to painstakingly unravel the cases; the other traces the chain reactions set off by childhood family trauma, bystander indifference, and personal values overstepping their bounds. It does not reduce the killer to a born villain but instead cloaks the killings in the guise of redemption, turning the inquiry toward the boundaries of justice: when a person appoints himself judge, where is the line between vigilante punishment and redemption? The investigative details feel authentic, and the pace is brisk, making it suitable for reading in segments during a commute or before bed; however, it involves domestic violence, death, and other such content, so emotionally sensitive readers should take care. Overall, it is less a pure puzzle game than a mirror held up to the dark recesses of human nature.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Crime fiction readers who enjoy serial cases and ensemble portrayals of veteran detectives
Readers concerned with social issues such as childhood family trauma and bystander responsibility
Suspense fans who prefer tight pacing and stories that can be read in segments
Those interested in the boundary between vigilante justice and justice itself, and willing to think along with the plot

Not a good fit for

Readers sensitive to or easily affected by violent content such as domestic abuse and death
Hardcore mystery fans expecting tightly constructed, fair-play puzzle plots in the honkaku style
Readers who prefer light, warm themes and do not want to encounter the darker side of human nature

Reading tips

Begin by following the veteran detective's perspective to map out the character relationships; when the timeline jumps, look back at previously marked clues.
Read each victim's circumstances alongside the childhood-family clues to better understand the chain of motives.
After finishing, revisit the passages where the killer sees himself as just, and consider the book's stance on vigilante justice and redemption.
Emotionally sensitive readers can read chapter by chapter and pause when violent descriptions become dense, avoiding prolonged immersion.

About the publisher

Dook Media Group Limited China · Founded in 2006

Dook Media Group Limited is a book planning and publishing company focusing on literature and the arts, social sciences and children's books. Its publishing areas cover quality fiction, science fiction, wuxia novels, foreign literature and history. Representative titles in the library include The Complete Short Stories of Isaac Asimov, Yu Hua's novellas and short stories, Gu Cheng's collected works on Ming and Qing history, and Huang Yi's Twin of Brothers and A Step into the Past. Its authors include Isaac Asimov, Yu Hua, Gu Cheng, Huang Yi, Alberto Moravia and Liu Cixin. It plans books using the "super sign" methodology, with a list that brings together science fiction, literary fiction and genre fiction. As public information is limited, this profile is based only on the books in the library.

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FAQ

Is this book based on real cases?

The material states that the story draws on the real experiences of a retired police officer in a white uniform and is a highly faithful crime story, though the characters and plot have been fictionalized. It is closer to a fictional narrative created from professional experience and should not be read as case reportage.

Can I read it without having read crime fiction before?

Yes. The story moves forward through a series of linked cases with a clear main thread and does not depend on prior books in a series. There are many characters and a long time span, so on a first reading, pay attention to the correspondence between names and cases; by the middle of the book, the clues gradually converge.

Are there many violent scenes in the book?

The work involves the murders of domestic abuse victims, bizarre deaths, and similar events. The violence serves the advancement of the cases and the portrayal of human nature rather than being sensational throughout. Readers sensitive to such content are advised to look through the table of contents and opening chapters first to judge whether it suits them.

Is it suitable as bedtime reading?

The pace is tight and the suspense dense, making it easy to want to read in one sitting, but the subject matter is dark and involves death and trauma. If tense plots tend to affect your sleep, it is better to read during the day or on weekends and choose lighter content before bed.

Comments

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About the author

裴魁山 Author · China

Pei Kuishan is a Chinese author about whom limited public information is available. The library currently holds one work by him, the social novel Black Light Like a Torch. Based on the available information, his writing focuses on social reality, presenting through fiction how characters find themselves and make choices within specific social environments. The title Black Light Like a Torch carries a strong sense of imagery, suggesting that the work may employ metaphor or symbolism in its narrative, creating tension beyond its realistic depiction. Because public materials on the author's life, education, and writing career remain insufficient, it is difficult to form a complete judgment of his overall style, nor is it possible to confirm how his work has been received by readers and critics. Given the currently available materials, reading Pei Kuishan should center on Black Light Like a Torch, with attention to the thematic orientation and narrative approach of his social fiction. Further works and materials would be needed to trace his creative development more fully.

周乔 Author

Zhou Qiao is an author about whom public information is currently limited; only one record of the name and one work are held in the database, which is not enough to sketch a full life profile. The known representative work is Black Light Like a Torch, catalogued on the book site under social fiction, suggesting that the writing tends toward a realistic social backdrop and uses narrative to present characters' circumstances and social relations. Because basic details such as nationality, dates of birth and death, and English name remain unconfirmed, this introduction makes no inferences about the author's experience, education, or writing career, nor does it link the work to unverified evaluations. On the available evidence, readers may regard Zhou Qiao as a writer who has entered public view with socially themed fiction, and Black Light Like a Torch is the main entry point for understanding the author's narrative orientation. As more material emerges, the author's profile may still be expanded.