Bad Traffic

The birth of Bad Traffic came in response to the real life crimes concerning the deaths of dozens of illegal Chinese immigrants in a lorry container, and the drowning of the cockle pickers on Morecambe Bay. Author Simon Lewis spent a great deal of time researching the world of illegal immigrants, both in the UK and China, with further inspiration being drawn from fast paced, pulpy Hong Kong thrillers and martial arts films. At the centre of the story is Jian, a tough cop from the Chinese mainland, who arrives in rural England to search for his missing daughter, Wei Wei. Aided in his pursuit by an ill-fated migrant worker called Ding Ming, Jian sets out in a land unknown, to face the snakehead gang he suspects is at the root of his daughter’s disappearance. Relishing the chance to write about his own country, as it might be seen through ‘alien eyes’, Lewis creates the impression of a place that is frightening and full of terror, while rarely extending beyond the dark realms of the violent underground. And by doing this, he breathes new life into the crime genre with this compelling and thought-provoking tale. Out Now,