The discovery of the skinned corpse of a Chinese man at the Pleasant Vale Recycling and Waste Depot on the western outskirts of Sydney opens an intriguing investigation for the local police detectives. It's an investigation that the homicide cops from the city aren't willing to pursue with any great vigour, figuring it's just another gangland murder. But for Detective Sergeant Ginger Rogers and Detective Constable Shelley Swert there are factors that simply don't add up to a Chinese triad hit.

There's one big question that has to be answered as far as Rogers and Swert are concerned after they establish the identity of the dead man and that is: what possible reason would someone have for murdering him in such a brutal fashion? From all accounts the man was a quiet student with a passion for gardening. The most notable thing about him was that his brother died in the Tiananman Square protests, but there was no hint that he was involved in any gang activity.

When they come across a photograph in the dead man's apartment that features the man with a Chinese woman their interest is piqued. As it happens, the woman in the photo was recently discovered as an illegal immigrant living in an apartment in Pleasant Vale. However, before she could be deported she disappeared. Her whereabouts have suddenly become a high priority.

Drawing the story together is Lewis Lin, a Chinese-born taxi driver who happens to have dropped a fare off at the Pleasant Vale dump on the morning the body was found. In a tenuous coincidence a second fare will provide an important connection that will allow Lewis to indulge in a little bit of amateur sleuthing. Naturally, his nosiness draws the attention of the killers and, as they have already graphically proven, you don't want these guys noticing you.

What follows is a tense story of intrigue in which the paths of a former Chinese violinist, a part-time photographer, a masseuse, an award-winning cameraman, a Buddhist monk and a particularly adept knife-wielding psychopath cross with all sorts of unexpected results. The characters that are introduced in the story are diverse, carefully described and artfully brought to life.

This is a sweetly flowing story as each character's involvement is transferred seamlessly over to the next creating a smooth continuity. So smooth, in fact, that I barely noticed the succession of coincidences that become important to the story's resolution.

Jose writes with hauntingly clear precision making the seemingly mundane everyday sights and sounds of Sydney appear achingly fresh. A great example of his ability to evoke the maximum emotion is displayed when he describes the confusion felt by an old Chinese couple who have just arrived in Sydney which is so vividly rendered I could relate easily to their apprehension.

Drawing from the experience he gained while living and working in China, Jose manages to convey a highly sympathetic viewpoint that understands the difficulties of trying to combine the Chinese culture with life in Australian society.

Original Face is a solid thriller that is exquisitely defined, coming together in a tightly plotted order to reach a resounding conclusion. Tucked inside the dark overriding theme involving brutal killers, the illegal racket they are prepared to kill to protect and the efforts to stop them, comes a more subtle celebration of the mystery of true identity and the search for inner peace. Amazing amid the chaos, inner calm is the goal.