The Last Mandarin, Louise Penny
The Last Mandarin, Louise Penny
11 Rating(s)
List: $32.99 | Sale: $23.10
Club: $16.49

The Last Mandarin
A Novel

Bestseller

Author: Louise Penny, Mellissa Fung

Narrator: Eunice Wong

Unabridged: 13 hr 16 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 05/12/2026


Synopsis

A gripping thriller about family and power cowritten by Louise Penny, #1 bestselling author of the Gamache novels, and Mellissa Fung, an award-winning journalist.

This program is read by fan favorite and multi-award-winning narrator Eunice Wong.

A mother and a daughter race against time in this all-too-real thriller that reaches from Tiananmen Square all the way to the White House.

Alice Li, a first-generation Chinese American and former food blogger, has long lived in the shadow of her mother, Vivien Li— a Tiananmen Square dissident turned world-renowned human rights activist and passionate advocate for a free and democratic China.

When security and fire alarms go off simultaneously all around the world, setting off a panic, the signal is traced back to China. As world leaders scramble to respond, Vivien and Alice are called to the White House in hopes Madame Li can interpret the Chinese intentions. But why involve Alice?

If China isn’t behind the attack, Vivien warns, someone even more dangerous is pulling the strings. Mother and daughter must join together to overcome their estrangement if they have any hope of preventing global catastrophe. From DC to Ohio to Hong Kong, they work to prevent the next attack, along the way decoding an ancient legend and uncovering a secret language invented by women, for women.

The Last Mandarin is an electrifying study of absolute power and voracious greed, political terror and personal conviction. But it is also an intimate examination of choice, of sacrifice, of memory and myths, both cultural and personal. It is the story of a mother and daughter, as well as a compelling international thriller about the precarious balance of power across the world, and within a family. And what happens when both break down.

In a world ruled by power, even family can be a weapon.

A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin’s Press

About Louise Penny

Canadian author, Louise Penny, has been very successful in her career of writing mystery novels. The main character of her novels is francophone Chief InspectorArmand Gamache of the Surete du Quebec. She won several awards for her work, including the Agatha Award for five years, and the Anthony Award five times, as well as publication in 23 languages.

Penny's earlier career was a broadcaster with the Canadian Broadcasting System after her graduation from college. Many times, she had postings booked far from family and friends, so loneliness became a big problem. She turned to alcohol, until age 35 when she admitted her problem to herself and has been sober since.

After accomplishing sobriety, she met her future husband, Michael Whitehead, who was head of hematology at Montreal's Childrens Hospital. They were married for 20 years, and she described him as a man of kindness, thoughtfulness, generosity, and a man of courage and integrity. She lost her beloved husband to dementia in 2016 at age 83. Louise has all of her friends in the village outside of Montreal, along with her golden retrievers to keep her company.


Reviews

Goodreads review by donna on March 08, 2026

Well, that was a disappointment. I wanted to love this book. I've read and enjoyed other books by Louise Penny, and figured this collaboration would provide exactly the escapist adventure this oppressive winter needed. Instead I got coconut buns. Ridiculous conspiracy on top of wild coincidence, on to......more

Goodreads review by Tini on March 16, 2026

Raiders of the Lost Last Mandarin. "What happens when a nation is threatened? It pulls together. He wouldn't be the first leader to start a war to save himself." If Chief Inspector Armand Gamache's recent cases haven't yet convinced you that Louise Penny can imagine terrifying terrorist plots and worl......more

Goodreads review by Bam cooks the books on May 08, 2026

*3.5 stars rounded up An edge-of-y0ur-seat political thriller from Louise Penny and her friend, the veteran journalist, author and filmmaker, Mellisa Fung. But at its heart, the authors say they wanted to address a fraught mother-daughter relationship and they did that so well. Food-blogger Alice an......more

Goodreads review by Jen on May 12, 2026

Happy Publication Day for this 5 star ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐read! I couldn't put it down and I'm still thinking about the characters after. Go in with the expectation of a read that I would describe as Indiana Jones meets a political thriller, suspend disbelief, don't overthink and just enjoy the non-stop exciting r......more

Goodreads review by Kim on May 17, 2026

Wow! What a riveting political thriller. This is not one of my usual genres, but I enjoy Louise Penny and thought I’d give it a try. The plot is propulsive, page-turning, on-the-edge-of-your-seat. If it isn’t made into a movie, someone has truly missed the boat. The characters are hard to like, especi......more


Quotes

"[An] intelligent espionage thriller... Penny’s trademark humor mingles well with Fung’s political expertise. The result is an eerily plausible nail-biter."—Publishers Weekly

"While the strained relationship between Vivien and her daughter Alice forms the emotional core of the book, readers will be captivated by the race-against-time structure of the story... A treat for Penny’s fans, and a solid political thriller in its own right."—Booklist

"Most ambitious..." --Kirkus Reviews