In one story, a fox spirit seeks revenge. The spirit, named Snow, takes the form of a beautiful woman or an otherworldly white fox. She, like all fox spirits, can beguile and seduce humans, but is also vulnerable to human suspicion and physical strength. Despite the danger, the heartbroken Snow ventures into the city to take her revenge on the man who killed her daughter.

In the other story, a sixty-three-year-old detective named Bao is hired to solve the murder of a woman. He is observant, kind, and shrewd, even as his aging body has begun to fail him. Bao has been fascinated by stories of fox spirits since he was a boy, but he shoves his belief to the side, no longer hoping for such a magical world. Still, his case continues to bring up rumors of foxes, and soon he begins to wonder if he is on a fox’s trail.

Yangsze Choo’s The Fox Wife is a delightful blend of genres: detective story, romance, and fairy tale.